The Justice Department has announced that President Bush has pardoned 19 individuals this holiday season. For more see: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/December/08-crm-1148.html
The posthumous pardon of Charlie Winters, who violated the Neutrality Act in the late 1940's by shipping surplus B-17 Bombers to Israel, is getting the most press. However, this is a blog about cultural property issues. Thus, it is worth noting that another individual, David Lane Woolsey of St. George, Utah, was pardoned for a violation of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. For more, see: http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705272608,00.html
I suppose some in the archaeological and/or Native American communities may be horrified by this turn of events, but, if so, hopefully they will let it go-- it's the Holiday Season after all!
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The fact that a person could permanently lose their right to own a firearm or vote because of illegally digging up some artifacts is a travesty of justice. The penalty ought to fit the crime and in this case it seems clearly excessive.
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