The stand-off in Oregon between the Federal government and Ammon Bundy and his fellow ranchers does not seem to be winding down. Bundy and his loosely connected organization came to Burns, Oregon about two weeks ago in support of Steven and Dwight Hammond, local ranchers who were accused of arson some years ago. The charges were filed because the Hammonds cleared some of their ranch by burning the underbrush and overgrowth, but the fire spread to surrounding Federal land. The Hammonds were able to extinguish the blaze without help, and in fact, both the Hammonds ranch and the Federal land are said to be more productive and healthier from the clearing, but the government seems intent on making a show of who is in charge.
The charge of arson, which in and of itself seems like a huge miscarriage of justice, in that it carries a mandatory sentence of 5 years in prison. A judge who tried the case thought so too and said that it would be improper and unfair to send them to prison for 5 years each, so he sentenced the Hammonds to less than a year in jail, which they completed some time ago. However, a judge or government agency seeking to show ranchers everywhere just who is in charge has demanded that the Hammonds serve the full five years, and the father and son left for prison last week.
Ammon Bundy claims new documents expose government abuse, page 2:
Malheur has been a model of good management, that has involved ranchers and other users. This is one reason there is no local support for the occupying morons, who have earned nothing but spite from the locals. I know very well what they’re fighting for, because they keep telling us: private takeover of public (yours and mine) land.
Linda DiffeyThen apparently you don’t remember Waco very well…Not a very good victory there for Yall Quaida there.
And I agree…Go Texas…Secede from the Union…Yall are a drain on the rest of the country.
And don’t forget, there’s a blue wave coming over your state. By 2020, Texas will be blue.
Sieg Heil, Donald Trump
Feds did not start Waco!
Blue wave LOL
These guys are not that smart.
They are threatening to take the bundys farm because they haven’t paid the grazing fees
Those land are for the public. You and I can’t go burn some federal or state land without authorization. That’s to protect the land and the publics rights to use the land, not a few guys who think it benefits them.
“claims to have … said to be … seems intent … seems like … thought so … a juge *or* government agency … claims …” The author of the article makes it Abundantly clear that they are making Perception statements, clearing themselves of … well … anything definitive whatsoever. The author won’t even take responsibility for naming the (cue ominous music) Some Agency rescinding the first Hammond sentencing. If there are “incriminating” statements in the document, why only say that they’re “found” … publish them, unless the claim itself is more hot air. Wall-to-wall rhetorical red flags in this poorly written article. A journalist has a responsibility to bring facts to the public; a blatant emotion-rousing Madison Ave schtick undermines the credibility of the journalist and the publisher. Let’s have an article that states facts and not vague possibilities.
The bundys lit our land on fire! Call it federal land or state land, it doesn’t matter. The fact is its our land – not a few individuals.