“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” —Galileo Galilei
We have a shadow government in Washington County. This is not a conspiracy theory but rather the conclusion of an accumulation of facts and events in a timeline demonstrating that from the highest levels of our institutions and government, secrecy and collusion are used to exact with impunity the agendas of a few — right or wrong — and to enforce those agendas at all costs.
The normalcy bias is generally defined as state of mind or phenomenon where by way of denial a society conditions itself to accept certain pervading conditions that are harmful to them. They do this because grappling with the reality of the truth is too much. Or they have been conditioned by their leaders to accept and perhaps even trust that since nothing has gone wrong thus far, nothing ever will.
This bias is not indigenous to any one group or community. Its common thread is woven in the fabric of societies everywhere, but perhaps the threads are different colors — which is to say that this bias, while common to man, has its own characteristics indigenous to a community.
The immense pride in heritage in the settling labors of the pioneers of the great city of St. George is plagued not only with a fouling of its integrity by way of its leading institutions but by its citizenry, who are raised in a culture that equates power and position with the grace of God. They do not question their leadership — and on the rare occasion that they do, they swiftly find that their leadership will tolerate no questioning.
In a community that largely champions the founding documents, going as far as to claim the founders as their own, it is confounding to the intelligent mind that such un-American behavior prevails.
Yet it does.
It is almost by default that one would look merely to the leadership of the institutions here locally for a place to lay blame and accountability, but that hardly addresses the problem. For if all that is needed for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing, then doing nothing is more problematic than ever.
Corruption in power fears one thing more than any other. One would think that the fear is that of exposure, but it is actually more than that. It is the power of an informed and mobilized citizenry. There is nothing more wrong under the sun than corruption and collusion of power, but seeing it clearly and having the conviction to stand up to it are far too rare in this town.
Read this excerpt from a speech given by John F. Kennedy some seven days before his murder. Ask yourself if a correlation exists between his words and what we are witnessing here locally from our government and public institutions:
“This deadly challenge imposes upon our society two requirements of direct concern both to the press and to the President — two requirements that may seem almost contradictory in tone, but which must be reconciled and fulfilled if we are to meet this national peril. I refer, first, to the need for a far greater public information; and, second, to the need for far greater official secrecy.
The very word ‘secrecy’ is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control. And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know.”
The atrocity of the infliction upon justice perpetrated by Dixie State University with the assistance of the City of St. George, the apathy of Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap and his investigator Barry Golding, and the capitulation of the Board of Trustees and Board of Regents, is unfathomable. Were it an isolated event, it would warrant an investigation of the most thorough nature by an outside entity.
But it is not an isolated event. And it does warrant an investigation of the most thorough nature by an outside entity. Consequences should be grave and swift.
The Davenport trial and now the presumably eminent lawsuit against DSU and perhaps the City of St. George quite simply serve as a living embodiment of what is demonstratively wrong in our community.
And the proof of this exists in their own words in the emails they fought over for a year to keep Varlo Davenport’s attorney, and now the public, from seeing.
In spite of their best efforts to conceal it, DSU disavowed their own policies and procedures, state and federal laws, and basic human dignity when they carried out with impunity what was tantamount to a personal hostile agenda.
In a document prepared months before Cassidy Sorenson alleged she was assaulted, Mark Houser targeted Davenport for firing.
After a faculty review unanimously exonerated Davenport, President Biff Williams fired him anyway. When on March 2, 2015, the same faculty demanded to know why, Williams raised the now infamous “other shoe” defense. He allegedly told faculty that Davenport had allegations of a sexual nature against him. This was later shared with Dixie Sun News reporter Spencer Ricks which he tweeted as editor of the Sun.
The Board of Regents was receiving letters from concerned people about the firing, and rather than conduct an independent investigation of their own, within minutes the board was copying the emails to Williams, presumably to let him handle it how he saw fit (perhaps by firing or paying off dissenters like Professor Joel Lewis).
Williams wrote to former human resources employee Will Craver, telling him that “this is getting painful.” He also wrote, “Can we nudge chief [Don] Reid?”
Craver replied that help was on the way.
Reid encouraged Williams to reach out to the Board of Trustees and have them meet with Brock Belnap presumably to persuade him to take on the charge against Davenport. Members of the board did just that.
Belnap likely saved his career by avoiding that one. It is reported that as many as ten attorneys at the Washington County offices fielded this one, and not one would sign off.
With what is now a questionable probable cause statement and a scant and colluded investigation conducted by the college and Reid, Robert Cosson prosecuted the case under the auspices of the prosecution being able to determine any and all relevance of evidence in the matter, and he had not one but two judges helping him.
Judge Ron Read would recuse himself for what in any other court be considered a third-degree felony: colluding with the prosecutor, Michael Carter, to redact evidence. How he is still seated on the bench is beyond understanding.
And the replacement judge, Karlin Myers, would carry on the charade by violating the defendant’s right to due process and compulsory process and by attempting to quash the press from the bench. He even went so far as to order a free-speech zone for supporters of the defendant.
Myers clearly demonstrated a bent towards the prosecution when he ruled that the investigation techniques of Reid were irrelevant to the case because Cosson said so.
Cosson would go on to say that this is the way that the city has prosecuted cases for 10 years, begging the question of the need for an audit of all the cases he has prosecuted.
But on July 14, through a jury of four citizens, the people spoke. They said, “Enough.” They said, “We do not believe you.” The jury did not believe Cosson, because Cosson did not even believe Cosson. There is no way he could.
Local political commentator Kate Dalley had this to say:
“Here’s the thing. I don’t worry about attacks or wars or even crooked psychopath politicians as much as I fear America’s corrupt legal system. No outside force will cause America to implode from within like our collective silent consent of the atrocities happening inside America’s courtrooms everyday. Jurors in SLC put themselves at risk by outing a US District Court Judge’s misconduct and unethical behavior on the bench. Disgraceful and over zealous Prosecuting State Attorneys who value winning over the rule of law- who high five each other in court and confer in secret with Judges on cases; who destroy lives just because they have the power to do so. Outrageous, trumped up charges and fines. Denied speedy trials. CMU political prison units with secret rules and no accountability for abuse. A two-tier system of justice for the elite. This is what is fundamentally transforming and destroying America. Why? Because an outside force attacking America would be easier to understand and less psychologically damaging, than having your very own American judicial system completely betray you. When the rules don’t matter anymore, neither do we.”
What the city — by way of this justice court in the Davenport case — just told you is that you don’t matter. Only the institution and its presidents, boards, and regents matter.
If you put up with this for one more day, you are getting what you deserve.
For my part, I have done what I can to inform you. But it is not the informed they fear, it is the mobilized. So what should you do?
Perhaps it is time for an investigation and audit, not only of the courts here locally but also of the accreditation and federal funding of that school.
Because it is not enough to just call them on their behavior and take them on locally.
They have proven the capacity to do three things well: concoct lies to defame and discredit those who oppose them, fight the battle with your money by way of attrition the legal system allows them, and buy themselves — on your dime — the time to outlast the opposition and bank on your short memories.
See you out there.
RELATED ARTICLES
Dixie State University is trying Varlo Davenport yet again
The Independent cyber attack during Varlo Davenport’s trial shows we’re on the right track
Judge Karlin Myers tries to gag press in Davenport case
Dixie State tried to coerce a grade from Varlo Davenport
A patriot should not bow to the southern Utah theocratic oligarchy
Government accountability in southern Utah? Think nationally but act locally
Judge Ron Read and attorney Michael Carter’s illegal activities in the Varlo Davenport case
Helaman 7:4,5 ring any bells?
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/fish-rot-from-the-head-down.html
If Washington Co. had a Pulitzer Mr. Hyland is nominated. Mr. Davenport’s case may well have had a very different outcome had it not been for this investigative reporter. I applaud you Dallas!
Let me start by sharing something’s that I live by. And I feel Dallas lives by also.
“I WANT TO INSPIRE PEOLPLE.” I want people to look at me and say. “Because of you I didn’t give up.”
STAND FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, EVEN IT MEANS STANDING ALONE.
ALIGN YOUR FOCUS WITH THE SOLUTION AND NOT THE PROBLEM.
And I would like to share something’s for society and especially St. George residents to think about.
THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE PROBLEM; THE PROBLEM IS YOUR ATTITUDE ABOUT THE PROBLEM.
WHAT COMES EASY DOESN’T LAST, WHAT LASTS DOESN’T COME EASY.
Good luck Dallas!
Every great empire comes to an end. That’s what historians tell us. They also say history repeats itself. If this year has been any indication, I’m willing to bet it wasn’t really attacking forces that ended these empires. They imploded from within, leaving them weak and vulnerable to external forces. This happening to us. Not will happen, but is. And history will look back at this generation as the people that say around and let it happen.
From the presidential fiasco race, to our own local government, and law inforcers problems across the country… We are in trouble. The impartial DNC gets caught pushing forward their own agenda for whom they think the best presidential candidate would be. An impartial education institution gets caught pushing forward their own agenda of prosecuting a tenured professor. People have finally had enough. The question is, are there enough of us to do something about it. I refuse to believe there’s no influrntial people left in our society with the power and morality to do what is right. To help the everyday citizens reign this country in from the elites. It’s no longer just conspiracy and internet rumors. There’s tangible proof, testimonies, and finally enough pissed off people that their voices can finally be heard. If things don’t change now, locally and nationally, this country will implode. And while only the top 1% may be the catalyst, our silence will also be blamed.