This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Dec. 25 Tribune hails Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank as the 2011 Utahn of the Year. In contrast, Time magazine calls out "The Protester" as the Person of the Year.
Yes, Burbank handled the protesters at both the Tim DeChristopher trial and the Occupy SLC movement non-violently. But how else should he have? We are praising a man for not doing something he shouldn't do in the first place. Let's give me an award for not robbing a bank!
Considering Chief Burbank's dismissal of the Occupy movement and Orrin Hatch's vote for the Orwellian National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, why would anyone praise a position in power in times like this?
Now more than ever we should all be taking after the real Utahn of the Year — Tim DeChristopher. Now more than ever is the time for peaceful civil and political dissent.
Dane Hoffman
Salt Lake City