This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Despite his protests to the contrary, by saying that he wants to disarm the BLM ("Utah's Stewart: BLM doesn't need a 'SWAT team'" April 30), Congressman Chris Stewart is jumping on the right-wing pander wagon and taking the side of the fanatics and extremists who have taken up arms against the government of the United States in the stand-off at the Bundy ranch.
It seems the oaths of office he swore as an Air Force officer, not to mention as a member of Congress, to preserve and defend the Constitution, are less important than grubbing a few more votes out of the fever swamps of the far right fringes.
I wonder what the congressman would have the BLM rangers do, when confronted by militias armed with high-powered assault weapons; offer themselves up to be slaughtered? It's not like they have families or live in the local communities or are just trying to do their jobs, because after all, they work for the hated federal government, so their lives are worthless, right?
Who cares if they're killed? Congressman Stewart obviously feels that if the Tree of Liberty has to be watered with their blood to prove how much he hates the government, of which he's a part, then that's a price he's willing to pay.
Roy Webb
Salt Lake City