This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
A thought came to my mind after reading the article ("Utah man pleads guilty to removing dinosaur footprint," July 9) regarding the willfulness and destructiveness of the Moab perpetrator Jared Ehlers. There could be another punishment available to those who vandalize our precious artifacts, like Ehlers and our goblin-topplers, et al. Perhaps a "lifetime" exile from any area in Utah, and in other states, that contain relics, artifacts and scenery that cannot be replaced in a lifetime? And still add what the judges can currently extract from them.
The punishment should fit the crime! Destroying our history, inheritance and our culture does not seem to offend their senses in the least! Remember the "Man Without a Country"? Let them get an idea of what these crimes really mean!
Mary K. Hammond
West Jordan