Posted on 10/09/2015 5:51:15 PM PDT by george76
Today two Oregon ranchers were sentenced to five years in federal prison under terrorism statutes for setting preventative fires on their own land. We are gravely disappointed at this outcome.
“Elderly Harney County rancher Dwight Hammond and his son, Steven, a former OFB Board member and Harney County Farm Bureau president, have already served time in federal prison for their mistakes and paid their debt to society for the less-than-140 acres of BLM land that was accidentally impacted by the fires.
“This is an example of gross government overreach, and the public should be outraged.
“Today’s verdict is also hypocritical given BLM’s own harm to public and private grazing lands, which goes without consequence. It is unjust. OFB worked on this case quietly behind the scenes with BLM through the spring and summer. That diligent diplomatic effort was fruitless.
“This prosecution will have a chilling effect across the West among ranchers, foresters, and others who rely on federal allotments and permits. It will harm the positive relationship many ranchers and organizations have worked to forge with the BLM, and undermine the cooperative spirit most ranchers have brought to the bureau in helping the health of the range.
(Excerpt) Read more at tsln.com ...
The fact that Americans are letting them be put in prison in the first place speaks volumes.
Nuts, isn’t it?
Terrorism Statutes?
They proved that these two Americans “purposely” caused harm to Government owned sage brush? Oh the Humanity.
It’s insane, and I’m an Albertan just waiting for my southern neighbors to stand up, but all that happens is that everyone just wrings their hands.
It’s a damn repeat of the mid 1930s. We didn’t learn the first time.
Seems to me that is the point. to shut people up and squash them. make an example of the troublemakers.
Signed the petition. Tweeted the link.
Thanks for posting this.
Ask Orville Faubus.
Yup- Where are the people who came out and supported Bundy? They should all gather at these folk’s houses and dare the govnerment to fire the first shot like they did at bundy ranch-
“Nothing except the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and the U.S. Army.”
So you’re implying that the US Army is the second coming of the Gestapo. Take a look at what happened to the last dictator who ordered his army to shoot civilians.
WARNING!! Graphic video of dictator tortured and killed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8wtW4Z5d8U
BLM should be divided up and handed off to the states along with the lands they supervise.
If the individual states want to continue to employ them, thats their business. Personally, they are not what I would call essential personnel doing an essential job.
And really, the BLM lands themselves should be auctioned off or sold by lottery to US citizens. The government doesn’t need to own vast swaths of land. Certainly not the federal government, and really, the state governments don’t need to own this much land either.
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