A 19-year-old Utah woman was arrested after reportedly crushing a pro-law enforcement “Back the Blue” banner in front of a police officer. The incident happened in the parking lot of a Panguitch gas station when a Garfield County police officer was doing a traffic check.
When marginalized groups believe they are victims of discrimination, intimidation, or hatred, the political left is eager to demand retribution. Obviously, when compelled to follow their own rules, they don’t seem to like the taste of their own medicine.
The officer spotted the young lady, whose name has not been published, trampling on a “Back the Blue” sign near the traffic stop. After that, the suspect angrily crumpled up the poster and put it into a trash can before flashing the police a creepy smile.
According to the police, they questioned the lady about where she got the sign. It belonged to her mom, as claimed by the lady. When the officer informed the lady that the signs were made by the local sheriff’s office, her tale started to twist.
The police arrested the lady and read her Miranda rights after assuming she had unlawfully “acquired” the poster in the neighborhood. According to the officer, the lady told various “odd stories” about where she acquired the sign before stating she discovered it on the ground.
Although she was first charged with property damage, she soon realized that her charge had been upgraded to a hate crime since she was charged with using her acts to threaten a police officer.
According to the Utah Code, anyone who commits non-arson property destruction with an aim to intimidate or terrorize another individual or with reason to believe his action would intimidate or terrorise that person faces having their class B misdemeanour offence upgraded to a class A misdemeanour. As a consequence, what was presumably a minor infraction might result in up to a year in jail or a $2,500 fine.
The guilty must have meant to make their victim fairly afraid to freely exercise or enjoy their fundamental rights, according to the Code. It also defines intimidate or terrorize as an act that makes the victim fear for his physical safety or damages the property of that individual or another.
If this lady had trampled on a BLM billboard or an LGBTQ flag, the left would have demanded harsh punishment. They are suddenly standing up for the woman’s freedom to demolish a sign with a message they dislike since she destroyed it. They should be obliged to follow their own ideology since they are determined to inflict this punishment on others.
Freedoms of expression and protest are intrinsic rights guaranteed to every American citizen. But the left wants just certain political and social groups to have these liberties while objecting hypocritically when they are held to the same standard.
