Federal lands policy took up much of the space in this week’s letters to the editor across the warming state of Utah. But a brief letter on voting rights is certainly worth your time, too.
Bundy’s ‘nutcases’ may use women as shields
So here is Cliven Bundy, building his myth on lies and cowardice. Generations of his ancestors grazing lands? Try back to the 1970s.
What a brave boy. None of his fellow ranchers support him. Instead he has nutcase-terrorists rallying to his aid. Big brave boys who publicly state they will use their women as human shields. The terrorists we need to fear are not foreigners. We have them right here in our own back yard.
Norah Christine RunningWolf, Ogden
In response to Ms. Openshaw’s “Nevada’s Cattle and the Federal Government” (April 22), I submit that Mr. Bundy’s statements are not true facts.
His family has not been using the land since 1870. They actually bought the ranch in 1948, put cattle on it in 1950, bought water rights but Not Grazing Rights to Federal land. This and more genealogical and property records were complied by I-Team and reported on KLAS TV Las Vegas on April 21st.
Mr. Bundy can be called a “welfare rancher” for not paying grazing rights as so many decent ranchers do.
Gloria J. Perry, Payson
Leave Recapture for the birds and our children
On May 10, a group from Blanding is planning an ATV ride in Recapture Wash to protest the BLM’s closure of the area to motor vehicles. I have walked the wash from the Recapture Wash Dam downstream to a point where one can exit near south Blanding. This is a lovely and remarkable riparian habitat with beaver ponds and a multitude of breeding birds.
I know that some will say that there are those who cannot enjoy the area unless assisted by motorized means. To this I say baloney. I am on Medicare and can still hobble down the path to enjoy the quiet and beauty of this special place. Even if I were not physically able to do this anymore, I could rejoice in the knowledge that a rare and unique place is being protected. I do not have to drive everywhere.
Keep up the good work, BLM.
Stewart Aitchison, Flagstaff, Ariz.
A recent editorial discussed safeguards needed to protect the right to vote for all. While progress has been made, the sad fact is that voting discrimination still exists, and minorities throughout our country (including African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans and others) continue to face attempts to block their right to vote, such as moving polling places, election dates and district boundaries.
The recently introduced Voting Rights Amendment Act that was mentioned would increase confidence in our electoral system by creating modern, flexible tools to protect the right to vote. These include fixes like allowing for real-time review of voting changes that may be discriminatory and increased notification and transparency of election changes. These steps to modernize the Voting Rights Act are needed to protect voters from current discrimination, which is why this bill has bipartisan support in Congress.
The editorial got one thing right — so far Congress has not moved forward on advancing this important voting rights bill. That is why I urge members of Utah’s congressional delegation and all in Congress to push this important legislation forward and protect the right to vote for all. Citizens of our democracy deserve no less.
Kitty Kaplan, Cottonwood Heights
