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Letter: Leave national monuments be — it's the only respectful course of action

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Years of wind and water are ever present in the walls of a slot canyon in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

How do you think Sen. Orrin Hatch, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, or Rep. Rob Bishop would feel if someone running heavy equipment ripped their ancestors’ remains from the ground for the minerals that may or may not be beneath them or because a collector would pay for the items buried with them?

How about if the disinterment occurred on a piece of land located in a church yard or a location many view as a sacred place and that land had been taken from their ancestors by threat of force and violence and/or with false promises and lies?

I hope they would find the person(s) who supports or suggests doing any of these actions deplorable. It is.

The Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments should be left as they were designated. It is the only respectful course of action and it does no harm.

Craig Weir, Millcreek

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