OPINION: Justice delayed is justice denied: St. George to Salt Lake hypocrisy is the law of the land
Written by Alex Ellis
The hypocrisy of Utah never ceases to astound me. Like many others, I sometimes look at the online news stories of so-and-so getting arrested for whatever crime they did. Every time I look at the comments for each story, they all seem to follow a similar pattern; things like “They got what they deserved!” or “The punishment isn’t enough!” or “It’s good to see justice delivered.” You would think with such outspoken keyboard warriors, the people of Utah would be a very conscious people when it comes to justice, right? Sadly, actions speak louder than words, and the actions of the people of Utah show what can only be described as a contempt for justice.
There are several instances I could point out: Citizens defending Cliven Bundy for breaking the law, city councilman Gil Almquist illegally operating a business on residential property, or Sheriff Richard Mack encouraging citizens and police to begin an “uprising” by disobeying the law and their oaths to uphold the law by occupying the courts and “defending” county clerks who refuse to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples. I could also mention that the Utah government is ranked 36th of 50 in integrity by the State Integrity Investigation, but I digress. What I speak of now, although not as blatant as a city councilman violating his own laws, should be a concern to everyone who lives in Utah.
On April 4, the Salt Lake Tribune published a story about a same-sex couple trying to get a birth certificate listing both women as parents of a child. After presenting all the correct papers and meeting requirements which would rarely ever be asked of a heterosexual couple, it was determined that because the couple was wed during the small window after judge Shelby’s ruling and before the appeal on the ruling, the couple’s marriage was legitimate and must be recognized by the state. As such, the judge ruled that both of the women involved must be allowed to equally be listed as parents on the birth certificate.
Despite the judge’s ruling, the Office of Vital Records and Statistics decided they were above the law and denied the birth certificate change until further documentation was provided. This is obviously a case of obstruction of justice and contempt of court, and those involved should face criminal charges. If a judge found a citizen guilty of a crime and ordered them to serve jail time, would the convict be able to refuse to go to jail until further documentation was presented? Obviously not. Why, then, should we let our own government workers get away with the exact same sort of nonsense? The attorney general’s office claims that, although they were contacted, “nobody from (their) office told anybody from the recorder’s office not to comply” with the judge’s order. Whether this is true or not is open to speculation; however, because of the attorney general’s actions, which show his contempt for the gay community, I feel their claim is just about as credible as Bill Clinton saying, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”
Let’s all take a step back and look at the situation from an objective point of view. I’m sure many of you already had your minds made up as soon as the words “same-sex couple” were mentioned, but let’s look at the facts. A government agency is illegally denying a legally wedded couple the right to both be listed as parents despite the orders of a 3rd District judge. To me, this is a massive perversion of justice, and anyone who truly values justice and liberty should have the same feelings. If you disagree, I invite you to tell a judge or a cop that you require further documentation the next time you face a ticket or criminal charges. People of Utah, I ask you to stand behind your Facebook comments, which praise and defend justice so vehemently. I ask you to stand with me, and together we can stand up to people like John Swallow, Gil Almquist, Jay Cicinelli, Manuel Ramos, Keith Alexander and others, and demand they follow the laws which they have sworn to uphold.
The Independent
