Officials consider criminal charges for stupid assholes who destroyed 170-million-yo rock formation

A storm? This is in the middle of the desert. They don’t fall over often or in storms because the rate of erosion is exceedingly slow. And it is not just erosion. Sedimentation might have given greater structural strength to the support. The rock wasn’t just about to fall over. This is geology. If it occurred naturally and you can observe it in its natural state, it is rare that it will change in your lifetime. Look at the depth of the area and the length of time it took to carve it out. An inch of net erosion would probably be longer than all of human history. And this rock was more than a foot off the ground.

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I find your attitude refreshingly sane.

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Or earthquake.

Well in geological terms the rock was “just about to fall over” but in human terms, not so much. Certainly “Slow erosion such that precarious looking geological formations are created” is the REASON that is a park. So knocking over precarious looking rocks IS asshattery. Again, better by far to teach the kids to not dick with the rocks, than to dick with them yourself. And there certainly are storms in the desert, albeit many of them are windstorms.

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They may let gay people in soon, but still no atheists (or even agnostics!).

It will fill faster if we also include people with an aversion to the space bar. :smile:

https://www.google.com/search?q=calling+someone+einstein

Huh. Let’s see…

Jokes about gross fat people: check.

Jokes about inbred rednecks: check.

Jokes about assumed religious beliefs: check.

Jokes about eugenics: check.

Not exactly the BoingBoing commentariat’s most glorious day, now, is it.

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You a banjo player? :smile:

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Why no punishment within the system?

I say 1,000 hours of community service and, outside of the system, a separation from BSA until it is served.

He’s in the middle of having a perspective-expanding experience.

Are you so sure? He wasn’t in the middle of a perspective expanding experience while hiking in a 170 million year old landscape, was he?

Would the derision of his fellow man somehow humble him, more?

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“Take only pictures; leave only footprints.” And my troop leader was down on the footprints part, too, because of erosion. Our rule was “If there’s a trail, stay on it. If there isn’t a trail, don’t make one.” I think that’s the Scouting standard.

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Is that “Larry the Cable Guy”?

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…6000 years old, and about to end pretty soon. So what difference is one wittle wock gwoing to mwake?

The genius that came up with “stupid assholes” (headline!) set the tone…

Oh, c’mon, this is America. Those privatized, for-profit prisons aren’t going to overcrowd themselves. We’re probably running dangerously low on minor drug offenses. Rock-pushers are the next logical target for double-digit jail terms.

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Yeah, I could see how that might be a bit inflammatory.

To be clear, I am appalled that someone in Scout leadership would do such a thing (although, based on my younger brother’s stories from his time as a Scout, not exactly surprised). Given the supposed aims of the Scouting program, toppling a rock formation, regardless the relative level of “ancientness,” does seem to warrant a derisive headline/tone. I’m just saying, maintaining focus on the actual event is plenty; going off on nasty, stereotyped tangents just kind of makes us look like “stupid assholes,” ourselves.

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Stand-Your-Ground. You don’t have to retreat in Utah.

Not having read all the comments, I would really like to know if the question has been asked, “Where did this video came from?” I also disagree with trying anyone in the court of public opinion. Since none of know when we are being recorded or, the context in which that recording will be used - who are we to judge? Being listed on a commercial website(YouTube), shouldn’t the poster be required to show signed releases from the “talent?” More questions: Did I even need to know this action occurred? Do I need to be replying about it now? I hate how we are victims of our own nature and how our mistakes can be tossed up for everyone to judge. This is no way to learn and grow, this is only training us to live by fear and suspicion. (BTW-Look behind you!)

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It was coming right at him!

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Eh, I’m okay with that particular sobriquet here.