"Now Is The Time To Stand Up": Armed Activists, Militiamen Seize Federal Wildlife Refuge Office In Oregon
On Saturday, militants seized a remote government outpost following a protest by hundreds of angry citizens.
That could very easily be the opening line for a story about a Mid-East country beset by civil war. Instead, it’s a description of what happened in Oregon yesterday.
It all started back in 2001 when Dwight Hammond and his son Steven set fire to leased government land in what they said was an effort to beat back invasive plant species and - ironically - prevent wildfires. They set more fires in 2006 and were later convicted of arson.
(the elder Hammond)
Both men served time in prison but a judge eventually determined that their sentences were too light and ordered them back to jail.
Some folks were displeased with the ruling and staged a protest that saw some 300 people march through Burns, a city of around 3,000. The procession made a stop by the Hammond residence and proceeded to make an appearance at the local sheriff's office as well.
"As marchers reached the courthouse, they tossed hundreds of pennies at the locked door. Their message: civilians were buying back their government," AP recounts. "A few blocks away, Hammond and his wife, Susan, greeted marchers, who planted flower bouquets in the snow [after which they] sang some songs, Hammond said a few words, and the protesters marched back to their cars."
Enter Ammon Bundy.
Ammon is the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy who famously clashed with the government last year after his cattle were kidnapped by the Feds. Around 400 of Cliven's cows were busy grazing on land Bundy said he owned when the Bureau of Land Managment began to round them up and ship them off to a bovine internment camp at Bunkerville.
The government says the cattle were grazing on public rangeland, which is legal as long as the owner pays a fee. Bundy allegedly racked up some $1 million in such fees and so, the government decided to seize the cows, which the Nevada Bureau of Land Management accused of "trespassing."
Evenutally, the cavalry arrived (literally) as cowboys rode in and broke the cows out of jail. No, really.
Fast forward to November and Bundy's son Ammon was busy trying to come up with a way to keep Dwight Hammond and his son from going back to jail. "Ammon Bundy met with Dwight Hammond and his wife in November, seeking a way to keep the elderly rancher from having to surrender for prison," The Oregonian writes, adding that "the Hammonds professed through their attorneys that they had no interest in ignoring the order to report for prison."
But while the Hammonds have apparently come to terms with their fate, Bundy hasn't and in a brazen move, he and an unspecified number of "outside militants" seized control of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters, which is a short drive from Burns (where the protest took place).
The federal outpost fell to the militants without a fight presumably because it was deserted for the holidays. Here's more from the Oregonian:
"The facility has been the tool to do all the tyranny that has been placed upon the Hammonds," Ammon Bundy said.
"We're planning on staying here for years, absolutely," he added. "This is not a decision we've made at the last minute."
"The best possible outcome is that the ranchers that have been kicked out of the area, then they will come back and reclaim their land, and the wildlife refuge will be shut down forever and the federal government will relinquish such control," he said. "What we're doing is not rebellious. What we're doing is in accordance with the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land."
"After the peaceful rally was completed today, a group of outside militants drove to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, where they seized and occupied the refuge headquarters. 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," Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said, in a statement. The elder Bundy weighed in as well, noting that the occuption isn't “exactly what [he] thought should happen." "But I didn’t know what to do,” he added. “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.”
Ammon Bundy explained the rationale for the occupation as follows:
Got that? This wildlife refuge office will become "a base place where patriots from all over the country will live and be housed." Although from the looks of it, space is limited so reserve your spots now:
The Guardian apparently stopped by the refuge for a visit:
The occupation appears to have begun at about 2pm. Two hours later, the Guardian approached the refuge, which lies about 60 miles south of the town of Burns and is only accessible via a lakeside road slick with ice and banked with snow.
There were no law enforcement agents visible in the area around the refuge. A man with a goatee beard and wraparound sunglasses stood guard, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, and refused entry to the federally owned facility.
He declined to give his name or affiliation, citing “operational security”. He did confirm, however, that the men – several of whom were openly carrying assault weapons – would be camping on the site. “This public land belongs to ‘we the people’,” he said. “We’ll be here enjoying the snow and the scenery.”
This is as close as I was allowed to get to the armed militia occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge HQ. #burnsoregon pic.twitter.com/DPztu0VsVU
— Jason Wilson (@jason_a_w) January 3, 2016
The Guardian was allowed to take a few photographs, and then it was strongly advised to leave the scene. Within hours, police had descended on the remote corner of Harney county, blocking roads and urging members of the public to stay away.
Ammon Bundy, whose father became a folk hero among rightwing constitutionalists after his previous confrontation with federal authorities in Nevada, appeared to be a key figure.
He called for other likeminded US citizens to travel to the refuge in solidarity and to support what he said would be a symbolic showdown between impoverished farmers and overzealous federal authorities.
“We’re out here because the people have been abused long enough,” he said in a video interview posted on his Facebook page on Saturday night.
It isn't entirely clear how these "patriots" plan to last "years" in the small building without supplies but that's probably irrelevant because it's difficult to imagine the oppressors in Washington will let this go on for very long. On that note, we'll close with two quotes, one from The Oregonian and one from US Army veteran Ryan Payne who is among the occupiers.
From The Oregonian: "In phone interviews from inside the occupied building Saturday night, Ammon Bundy and his brother, Ryan Bundy, said they are not looking to hurt anyone. But they would not rule out violence if police tried to remove them, they said."
From Payne: "When local and federal authorities arrive whatever else is going to happen will happen”.
(51 votes)
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Great catch.
The Feds sent them up for arson.
In my area the Feds will light "Controlled Burns" (5,000+ acres) aka uncontrolled smoulders, in the name of "Forrest Restoration".
Keep in mind, they do this while passing legislation that BANS common wood stoves due to "particulate emissions".
It is about one thing, and one thing only. Control!
This is how the state's largest paper, The Oregonian (locally owned), is covering the story:
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/01/milit...
Looks like a respectable job of journalism: Just the facts. Other papers in the country would be quick to have a Big Bro slant to the story.
Kirk:
I have to disagree with you on this one. Oregon live has had a VERY leftist government loving slant on it's reporting of this case since the very beginning. Their story last week was all about the militia and the Hammonds, but not once did they attempt to interview even one of the Hammomds about the situation to get their side of the story. Sheer government propaganda straight out of Portland is what the Oregonlive has been spewing.
Wow, check out the comments at this Oregon paper's site: http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/01/orego...
Unreal...I hope those comments are just gov.bots it's fucking frightening.
I must be missing something here? Bundy didn't pay required fees for using government land (our land) for profit? These two Hammond guys illegally burned federal land (our land) to also help profit? Now son Bundy takes over a federal building (our building)? Just what are people allowed to do/not do? Just what laws, and enforcement of those laws, are we okay with/not okay with. What rights were violated here? What is their bitch, they are using gov land, not their own?
Yeah, that land is "ours" just like the gold at Fort Knox is "ours", you fucking idiot.
Good for them. At least they have the guts to stand up to uncle satan. I doubt you do.
Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.
Thomas Paine, Common Sense
Also, yes you are missing the whole issue of government land seizure, in this case from the feds.
I do not see the government as our country. I see the government as a “necessary” evil of any country (they all have one, hence seemingly necessary).
What land did the Fed seize that wasn’t already federal land?
Wasn’t aware of the T Paine writing, good to get confirmation in thought, his succinct.
The fed "authorities" can trump up charges any way they like, then use those same charges to take away the land. This article has a lot of detail.
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2015/12/ranch...
////
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bold emphasis mine
Nice one Chunga!
I feel like I should be going there instead of sitting on my ass.
I know what you mean. Stop by Russellville, we can split the costs.
I'm so tempted I can't see straight.
Fucking Wow.
This story is a smaller one.
My aunt had some grapefruit trees in her yard (orange as well but the grapefruit are the story). The state of Florida was cutting them all down and burning them in the area to prevent a citrus sickness from spreading to protect the citrus industry. Her trees were not sick, very big, old, and beautiful (I climbed those trees as a kid). Red fruit, still very sweet, they took great care of them. My aunt loved her trees and my uncle and her blocked them several times from cutting them down, and went to court on it several times. The next time my uncle went in front of the judge, they showed up at the house EXACTLY when my uncle was in front of the judge, who was hearing his case. My uncle won the injunction to stop them from cutting down the trees, BUT the forced their way on to the property precisely the minute my uncle was scheduled to be in front of the judge and CUT THE TREES DOWN. They hurt my aunt (5-1) though I will confess she resisted as much as her small body could.
No apology. No restitution (not that they wanted it, they wanted the trees not cut down).
It is hard to explain how violated we all felt.
For those of you who don't understand this protest, THIS IS HOW THESE FUCKERS OPERATE. They abuse their power, because they can.
@MsC,
Rape!
That story is a keeper for those asleep.
Wide awake. From grapefruit trees to Bunker Hill...history rhymes.
They knew what they were doing. My Uncle had his cell phone off in the courtroom because they require you to. My aunt tried to contact my uncle about them being there but could not get through to him because his phone was off for the judge. That was part of the plan.
Rape works. You can't do anything. You know it is wrong. The judge even granted the injunction. You know they knew something from someone and had to move that day to get their way or the injunction would stop it. So fucking wrong, and no one will be punished for it because my little aunt does not matter.
They had tons of jars, they would cut up oranges and grapefruit (I would help) and store tons of it in two fridges they had in the garage, and share the rest with everybody. It was so good. My mouth would burn in the corners I ate so much of the stuff.
MsC,
#BTMakesMolotovs
Talking about greening, right?
See, this is why I call Americans stupid. It's a bacterial disease, and since people can't see it with their own eyes they think everything's fine, but it's stil there. Education, a microscope, and some scope of history might actually help here. Consider the Chinese response to this disease known as yellow dragon, and be glad your aunt was only "roughed up."
I guess you care not for process? They got their way dishonestly by using the might of the government in their favor. Cut down the trees at all costs? Even when a judge gave them a stay of execution for the trees?
Call anyone anything you want. Helps you to feel superior I suppose. This is abuse of government authority but you are willing to defend it. They have you right where they want you.
I call BS. A judge has no authority over psyllids: if this insect is found in the area, (depending on IPM), any trees must and will be culled. Resistance means your aunt's trees might kill those of a commercial grower, the loss of which means jobs and livelihoods of thousands, not just "climbing trees."
Contact your local extension office and talk with the entomologist on staff. Better yet, take one of their free courses and understand that living in a commercial growing area has its share of responsibilities.
She lives in a nice sized city, north of Miami, not a commercial growing area (granted I do not know how close actual groves were to the city). The basis of the injunction was not that the tree would be saved for sure, but that it would not be cut down then. It was a very short time later (maybe 2 weeks) they stopped all the trees from being cut down. Too late for my aunt and uncle though. We like to think some of the hell they raised and threats they made helped stop it. We don't know for sure though.
All politics is local. All tyranny is local too. My heart goes out to your aunt and uncle. Lived in a house once where the town cut down a beautiful healthy maple tree on our property by mistake. Done with no prior notification.
no prisoners , no mercy, no quarter given---blow back will be tough for the entitled and the priviliged to handle--the pendulum will swing.
@MsC,
Have mercy on ol' Barnaby.
He got carried away with Goog glass. Lasered his third eye & it went plum thru not only the grey, but the white matter too.
That's embracing the Technocracy you can see with...until you don't.
Glass doesn't work that way, but I'm not surprised you don't know. It opens up the pineal gland with radio waves, not lasers.
Even with greening, people are capable of determining if their citrus is affected and remove it voluntarily. Greening is definitely visible with lightened leaves and stunted fruit and easily disposed of by cutting and burning. Even if this was 'citrus canker' and back in the 80's, they did this at the point of a gun, with armed deputies, and completely disregarded the State's own guidelines for containment, all because of State-sponsored paranoia.
You're a Statist-loving stooge. Wipe the Gov't come off your back and surrender your keyboard you generalizing, ill-informed twat-waffle.
PS. the State ended up paying millions in damages to homeowners for their over-exuberance in the case of canker. Still think they were in the right?
Actually, I hate the state, so go fuck yourself and your assumptions.
I am a commercial farmer and producer who lives in a farming community. As such I recognize my responsibility to my neighbors.
And settlements don't mean shit. Correlation is still a logical fallacy, as is simple anecdote.
For the rest of my come back, have your more intelligent half spit in your face...
Jeez I've been reading this and reading this. You mean comeback.
I thought you wanted your come back, but it's sliding down your dad's asscrack.
That's some funny shit, Barn.
Thought you lived on a boat with your Goog glass.
Or did you forget?
hahahahhahaah
I admit I'm a Glasshole. I'm also an asshole.
But a boater I am not. Maybe you misunderstood my metaphor? You do seem a little, uh, festive ...?
thugs like thuggin
MsCreant:
I wish your aunt owned a double-barrel shotgun....,..
A local nursery baron came by and offered to buy every tree in my dad’s nursery for 20% of the going price. Dad refused. A week later, the Department of Agriculture was all over the place. They found nematode in his trees and burned every last one of them and shut him down permanently. We planted trees from that same batch in our own grove and they were healthy 20 years later. The grove was sold to the phosphate mines and is no more. Unless greening stops, citrus will be but a memory here in Florida in the next 20 years.
http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/291-federal-lands-in-the-us
Chunga, Read it all. I see a community that wants to protect their $ interest and donors even if it is illegal. This was not a first offense and the gov likely wanted to stop Hammond before he did real damage, put firefighters lives in danger. Seems like a loose cannon. Different if it was only his land that was involved but he didn't seem to care, needed checked.
I did read it all. Every bit of it. And it reminded of all the other reading I've done for years about anybody that stands up to the govt., foreign and domestic, for any reason. They get accused of something, they're labelled nuts; and at the end of the day they usually get killed and we're told it's always their fault.
And it reminded of all the other reading I've done for years about anybody that stands up to the govt., foreign and domestic, for any reason. They get accused of something, they're labelled nuts;
By people too cowardly to do the same, as an excuse for their cowardice. I'm sick of it too. I may be too big of a coward to go there and help, but I'm not going to make an excuse for my cowardice by saying they're crazy or it's not yet time to fight. Those days are over.
Quit making excuses for your cowardice. A rebellion is never going to be legal.
Do your research two hoots:
Even the prosecuter for the government admitted that at no time did the Hammomds with either fore put firefighters or BLM employees in harm's way.
agree.....not yet was my point. Now we have many in harms way, thanks to another illegal action. What part of "illegal" are people having trouble with?
Where are the governor, state reps, senators/representative?
two points. the hammonds went through the normal protocols to start the fires. the fires damaged a tiny, tiny bit of fed land(150acres in rural western states can be likened to property line dispute ir is so small). the actions by the blm over the course of several decades can be likened to a rico scam to fraudulently acquire property. they are also the first ranchers ever to be charged in this manner even though accidently burning fed lands is a fairly common accident out west during prescribed burns. also the arson law specifically states malicious intent is required for the charge and a structure must be involved. the law does not cover burning grass.
anyone who reads the entire story will see the feds are clearly the bad guys and have engaged in a deliberate effort to free the hammonds from the burden of owning their ranch since they purchased it in 1994, using every "legal" means at their disposal.
"The government presented evidence that Steven Hammond called an emergency dispatcher to ask if it was OK to burn -- roughly two hours after they already lit the fire"
My campfire got out of control, the marshmallow fell on the grass, am I a tewwowist too? So, calling in a prescribed burn late makes one a terrorist subject to five years in the federal pen, LISTEN TO YOURSELF!!!!
The lands were mostly seized from states requesting statehood. A bribe. Some by wars. But all were to be divied up to the citizens in some fair minded way. Soon the Federale's saw there was money to be made by leasing these lands for development. Large businesses of the times bought off congress critters much like they do today.
All governments are evil and all are owned by Oligarchs. The idea of limited government of the people, by the people and for the people has been proven not to work. All governments will eventually be powerful enough to disregard any limitations put on them regardless the source.
Too much larceny and lust for power in Mans heart for any government to work.
HH: There never was a "Civil War". There was however a "War of Northern Agression" that sought to crush the rights of the individual states.