Oregon Ranchers Occupy Federal Building For Some Reason Or Other

[stromboli]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/oregon-ranchers-occupy-national-wildlife-refuge_56888a61e4b0b958f65be382

TL;DR: Ammon Bundy, son of Clive Bundy- you can get the gist just from that.  The apple she don't fall far from the tree, ese. 

BURNS, Ore. (AP) â€" A protest in support of Oregon ranchers facing jail time for arson was followed by an occupation of a building at a national wildlife refuge led by members of a family previously involved in a showdown with the federal government.
Ammon Bundy â€" the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who was involved in a standoff with the government over grazing rights â€" told The Oregonian on Saturday that he and two of his brothers were among a group of dozens of people occupying the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Ammon Bundy posted a video on his Facebook page asking for militia members to come help him. He said "this is not a time to stand down. It's a time to stand up and come to Harney County," where Burns is located. Below the video is this statement: "(asterisk)(asterisk)ALL PATRIOTS ITS TIME TO STAND UP NOT STAND DOWN!!! WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! COME PREPARED."
In an interview with reporters late Saturday night that was posted on Facebook, Bundy said he and others are occupying the building because "the people have been abused long enough."
"I feel we are in a situation where if we do not do something, if we do not take a hard stand, we'll be in a position where we'll be no longer able to do so," he said.
Bundy said the group planned to stay at the refuge indefinitely. "We're planning on staying here for years, absolutely," Ammon Bundy said. "This is not a decision we've made at the last minute."

Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward told people to stay away from the building as authorities work to defuse the situation, the Oregonian reported (http://is.gd/bK7d4E).
"A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution. For the time being please stay away from that area. More information will be provided as it becomes available. Please maintain a peaceful and united front and allow us to work through this situation," Ward said in a statement.
An Idaho militia leader who helped organize the earlier march said he knew nothing about activities after a parade of militia members and local residents in Burns walked past the sheriff's office and the home of Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven.
Beth Anne Steele, an FBI spokeswoman in Portland, told The Associated Press the agency was aware of the situation at the national wildlife refuge. She made no further comment.
Some local residents feared the Saturday rally would involve more than speeches, flags and marching. But the only real additions to that list seemed to be songs, flowers and pennies.
As marchers reached the courthouse, they tossed hundreds of pennies at the locked door. Their message: civilians were buying back their government. After the march passed, two girls swooped in to scavenge the pennies.

Ammon Bundy's father, Cliven Bundy, told Oregon Public Broadcasting on Saturday night that he had nothing to do with the takeover of the building.
Bundy said his son felt obligated to intervene on behalf of the Hammonds.
"That's not exactly what I thought should happen, but I didn't know what to do," he said. "You know, if the Hammonds wouldn't stand, if the sheriff didn't stand, then, you know, the people had to do something. And I guess this is what they did decide to do. I wasn't in on that."
His son Ammon told him they are committed to staying in the building, Cliven Bundy told Oregon Public Broadcasting.
"He told me that they were there for the long run. I guess they figured they're going to be there for whatever time it takes_and I don't know what that means," Cliven Bundy said. "I asked him, 'Well how long can ya, how long you going to stand out there?' He just told me it was for long term."
A few blocks away, Hammond and his wife, Susan, greeted marchers, who planted flower bouquets in the snow. They sang some songs, Hammond said a few words, and the protesters marched back to their cars.
Dwight Hammond has said he and his son plan to peacefully report to prison Jan. 4 as ordered by the judge.
Dwight Hammond, 73, and Steven Hammond, 46, said they lit the fires in 2001 and 2006 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and protect their property from wildfires.
The two were convicted of the arsons three years ago and served time â€" the father three months, the son one year. But a judge ruled their terms were too short under federal law and ordered them back to prison for about four years each.
The decision has generated controversy in a remote part of the state.
In particular, the Hammonds' new sentences touched a nerve with far right groups who repudiate federal authority.
Ammon Bundy and a handful of militiamen from other states arrived last month in Burns, some 60 miles from the Hammond ranch.
In an email to supporters, Ammon Bundy criticized the U.S. government for a failed legal process.

Ammon is a name out of the Book of Mormon. Cliven's boy. See, you got Sarah Palin and Bristol Palin and you got Cliven Bundy and Ammon Bundy. Gosh darn patriots all of them. The reason I mention Sarah Palin is because we will be very likely hearing from her shortly.

Now here's the stupid, of which there is/are copious amounts. Had these ranchers approached the wildlife people in Oregon- I happen to know they have a very smart and savvy wildlife program- about the invasive plants situation and/or permission to burn, they more than likely would have gotten it. Controlled burns are done all the time. The key word being "controlled" not controlled burns are called range fires. Been there, etc. So basically we are talking about stupid being compounded by stupid, with a dose of stupid thrown in for good measure. More stupid to follow.

Oath Keepers to appear in 3....2....1....- you get the idea.

[TomFoolery]

I saw this and laughed. It's sort of scary and I think it has the potential to turn into another Waco with the Branch Davidians if not handled quickly. But it also made me think that Black Lives Matter has been doing it wrong all along. If they want to be left alone by police and not demonized by the media, they need to bring guns and American flags so they can be classified as a "militia", which is way better than what BLM is called on FoxNews. Also: sprinkle buzzwords like constitution, occupation and patriots into your soundbites.

[Mermaid]

The comments in the news articles make me want to throw myself off of a tall building.

They are PEACEFUL protesters! With a huge arsenal. Damn straight they need to fight for what's ours!

What the fuck is wrong with people? Is it just me? Have these unbelievably stupid, angry, fearful and violent people been around all the time or is this new?

[Shiranu]

The comments in the news articles make me want to throw myself off of a tall building.

They are PEACEFUL protesters! With a huge arsenal. Damn straight they need to fight for what's ours!

What the fuck is wrong with people? Is it just me? Have these unbelievably stupid, angry, fearful and violent people been around all the time or is this new?

Been around forever, just getting more and more inspired as bigotry and radicalism becomes more socially acceptable ( which is likely tied in to our economy and education going down hill).

[Baruch]

The comments in the news articles make me want to throw myself off of a tall building.

They are PEACEFUL protesters! With a huge arsenal. Damn straight they need to fight for what's ours!

What the fuck is wrong with people? Is it just me? Have these unbelievably stupid, angry, fearful and violent people been around all the time or is this new?

I don't believe this is new ... but I think it used to happen, and was handled in a less public way.  But now everyone gets their 15 minutes of YouTube fame.  Egomania is what drives this, not just opposition to regulation and taxation.  I think that Obama should get directly involved, because we know how he makes things less controversial ;-(  And all the presidential candidates should comment too ;-)

On the other hand, this is all about "enclosure of the commons" going on since 1500 in England/Scotland ... the conversion of the open frontier into Federal lands 100 years ago, was a continuation of that ... and the gradual tightening of who and how the public commons are used.  This was the original problem with the Bundy family.  Basically royalty screwing over the peasants circa 1750 in Scotland, and earlier in England.

[Shiranu]

I saw this and laughed. It's sort of scary and I think it has the potential to turn into another Waco with the Branch Davidians if not handled quickly. But it also made me think that Black Lives Matter has been doing it wrong all along. If they want to be left alone by police and not demonized by the media, they need to bring guns and American flags so they can be classified as a "militia", which is way better than what BLM is called on FoxNews. Also: sprinkle buzzwords like constitution, occupation and patriots into your soundbites.

Only white men can be militias; a group of armed blacks are either gangsters, thugs or radical terrorists like the Black Panthers.

[Mike Cl]

Only white men can be militias; a group of armed blacks are either gangsters, thugs or radical terrorists like the Black Panthers.

As far as I'm concerned these are a group of terrorists.  And they should be treated as such.

[Baruch]

As far as I'm concerned these are a group of terrorists.  And they should be treated as such.

Alas, as is often quoted, one man's terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.  And in the case of CIA run Muslim terrorist groups ... both at the same time ;-)  Helter Skelter.

You just don't have much of a Rebel Yell, now do ya?

[Mermaid]

Been around forever, just getting more and more inspired as bigotry and radicalism becomes more socially acceptable ( which is likely tied in to our economy and education going down hill).

I think it's social media that has given people like this the courage to speak out.

[Solomon Zorn]

This must have been disconcerting:

a parade of militia members and local residents in Burns walked past the sheriff's office and the home of Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven.

[Baruch]

The Militia guys have been subverting the local Sheriff office since the 80s.  Who do you think allowed all those automatic weapon permits, hmm?

I blame it all on Matt Dillon and the Westerns we used to watch so much.  Bonanza not so much.

[Mike Cl]

Alas, as is often quoted, one man's terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.  And in the case of CIA run Muslim terrorist groups ... both at the same time ;-)  Helter Skelter.

You just don't have much of a Rebel Yell, now do ya?

Alabama taught me to loath the rebel yell.

[Baruch]

Alabama taught me to loath the rebel yell.

Well then, guess you don't like the Crimson Tide ;-)  Never understood why anyone wanted red laundry detergent ;-)

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. â€" Albert Camus

[stromboli]

Slap an American flag patch on your camos and an American flag flying above  you, and- oh wait. You also have to be white.

[Baruch]

Slap an American flag patch on your camos and an American flag flying above  you, and- oh wait. You also have to be white.

White man's burden ... Team America: World Police ... just dodge the projectile vomit