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A Collusion in the Desert? between Thought and Action

Ben's father attempted a coup of sorts a few decades ago. It failed, the attempt to create a new nation in the aforementioned region devolving quickly into a bungled effort that resulted in multiple arrests. Myriad charges ranged from disturbing the peace to treason. The Governors of Utah and Idaho, in a legendary show of clemency, issued a joint pardon to Ben's dad and his co-conspirators. They waived all charges in exchange for a written agreement from Ben's father to never again engage in "subversive revolutionary activity nor promulgate any propagandic literature, merchandise, or media aimed at the incitement of anti-government passions." Ben's father signed the pledge. A framed copy hangs in Salt Lake City's Leonardo Museum.

Gracjan Kraszewski

 

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