Dave Hall, Glenn Taylor and Dylan Taylor made national news over the break by knocking over a rock formation in Goblin Valley that is estimated to be over a million years old. They claim they did it for safety purposes — the formation was loose, and it could have crushed an attendee of the park, yet their story seems thin. This is especially true after watching the video of them knocking over the formation, which has since gone viral.
Regardless of their motives, the trio must receive some form of punitive action, lest others be encouraged by the lack of consequences. The proposed punishments could be possibly felony charges.
Third degree felony property damage in the state of Utah begins at a minimum damage of $1,000. Many would place the values of the Goblin Valley formations as priceless and easily covering that threshold. If this case is simply the vandalism of public property, felony charges would be pursued. However, this is a special case taking place during a tense period of national duress, and it reeks of suspicious circumstances.
The goblin went down while the country’s attention was centered on the national parks. The parks had been closed because of the government shutdown. The proximity of the incident to the reopening of the national parks added insult to a strained situation, and the story escalated far past the heights it would have reached under normal circumstances.
The temptation is to make an example of these men, and that is all punitive action would do. The rock formation is beyond repair and cannot be restored through legal action. Turning Hall, Taylor and Taylor into felons may deter future incidents in our national parks, but the punishment is excessive, and the story has taken care of the deterrence itself.
These men have been nationally ridiculed for their boneheaded vandalism. There are no apparent malevolent intentions, and the men genuinely realize they did wrong. The coverage of this story, which has been relentless, is enough to announce to the entire nation that the citizenry values its national parks and symbols.
The surfacing of death threats is evidence that the response to the destruction of the rock formation has gotten out of hand. The calls for punishment are manifesting as a reactionary hatred by the U.S. citizenry and only entertain notions of vengeance. If these men receive strong punishment, it should not be done purposelessly.
It is likely the boulder pushers will emerge from this incident relatively unscathed. The story will die down in a few weeks, and the most probable outcome of any legal recourse is a manageable fine. The U.S. national parks will not be any less secure without felony charges, and the government will protect these three individuals from a passionate and reactionary populace.
All of the goblins in Goblin Valley will fall someday, along with Delicate Arch and Rainbow Bridge. It is tragic that the human race sped up the process but not tragic enough to merit felony charges.