Utah ancient rock: US scouts could face charges

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24591711

Utah ancient rock: US scouts could face charges

Criminal charges are being considered against a US scout leader who toppled an ancient rock formation in Utah, sparking an international outcry.

Glenn Taylor was filmed by a colleague pushing the 170 million-year-old red rock in Goblin Valley State Park and celebrating afterwards.

The two scouts say they have received death threats after the video was posted online.

The two men argue the rock was loose and could have fallen on a passer-by.

Utah State Parks spokesman Eugene Swalberg said the state authorities were considering bringing the charges after the incident.

"This is not behaviour that is appreciated or should exist in state parks," he told the Deseret News.

"This has been formed for literally millions of years, and it's supposed to last for a long time. It doesn't need individuals doing the work of Mother Nature."

The Boy Scouts of America - who have millions of members across the country - also condemned the action, warning that it would take "appropriate" measures.

The scout leaders said the stone was pushed over because of safety concerns.

However, scout leader Dave Hall told the Salt Lake Tribune: "I think we made the right decision, but probably the wrong method.

(continued)

[Xamonas Chegwé]

If one kid could push it over, it would have fallen soon in any case! I call "meh", even though he was probably a little shit that deserves a clip round the ear.

[cronus]

If one kid could push it over, it would have fallen soon in any case! I call "meh", even though he was probably a little shit that deserves a clip round the ear.

Yes, he was a minor when the offence occurred.

[Ayaan]

It wasn't a kid that pushed it down. It was an adult - an adult Boy Scout leader, no less.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

It wasn't a kid that pushed it down. It was an adult - an adult Boy Scout leader, no less.

Makes no difference, does it? It doesn't really matter how long the rock had been there. It was being weathered constantly and was clearly VERY close to its tipping point. It could have gone over a week later when the wind got up but it was pushed over by some giggling twonk. No biggie, really. If it wasn't ready to come down, he wouldn't have been able to push it over without explosives or a pickaxe!

Storm in a teacup IMO.

[cronus]

[Audley Strange]

It's a rock for fuck sake. I could understand if it was some kind of prehistoric edifice, but its just a fucking rock.

[JimC]

Faithfree should comment here...

[Svartalf]

It's a rock for fuck sake. I could understand if it was some kind of prehistoric edifice, but its just a fucking rock.

It's a pittoresque rock formation the kind that attracts people to that park, what they did was essentially a degradation of the park's best feature.

[pErvinalia]

If one kid could push it over, it would have fallen soon in any case! I call "meh", even though he was probably a little shit that deserves a clip round the ear.

Pretty much my thoughts exactly.

[cronus]

If one kid could push it over, it would have fallen soon in any case! I call "meh", even though he was probably a little shit that deserves a clip round the ear.

Pretty much my thoughts exactly.

Rocks have feelings too.

[pErvinalia]

So does the wind. He was doing the wind a favour from having to expend energy pushing it over.

[PsychoSerenity]

There are millions of partially eroded interesting rocks all over the world, and by the looks of it, plenty more in the same park.

And as they said, if it's loose enough to be pushed, it's dangerous. - Better to decide to push it over than have the park known for the kids that got crushed to death under the big loose rock.

[Tero]

God put that rock there 6000 year ago, how dare he! It would have fallen on some wimpy small scout in a couple years according to God's plan.

[Ayaan]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/1 ... l=facebook