Posted on 01/04/2016 10:33:31 AM PST by ObozoMustGo2012
Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas.) on Monday slammed the protesters who have taken over a federal building in rural Oregon, urging them to lay down their arms.
“Every one of us has a constitutional right to protest, to speak our minds,†Cruz told reporters at campaign event in Iowa, according to NBC News.
“But we don't have a constitutional right to use force and violence and to threaten force and violence on others,†he said. “And so it is our hope that the protesters there will stand down peaceably, that there will not be a violent confrontation.†Cruz said he is praying for everyone involved in the dispute, particularly law enforcement officials who “are risking their lives.â€
The protesters, led by two sons of the Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, say they are taking a stand against a prison sentence for two landowners convicted of arson on federal property.
They’re also part of a group that frequently protests against federal government's management of Western lands. They protesters have told media outlets that they plan to stay on the refuge for years.
The standoff has put Republican presidential candidates on the spot, with some of them having expressed support in a similar dispute in 2014 between Bundy and the government over unpaid grazing fees.
The support for Bundy eroded when he began making racially charged statements in interviews.
Up until Monday, most of the GOP's White House contenders had refrained from speaking out on the Oregon dispute, but that is beginning to change.
Like Cruz, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) condemned the takeover at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, though he told an Iowa radio station that he sympathizes with the movement to shrink federal land holdings.
“You’ve got to follow the law. You cannot be lawless,†Rubio told KBUR in an interview highlighted by Buzzfeed. “We live in a republic. There are ways to change the laws of this country and the policies. And if we get frustrated with it, that’s why we have elections, that’s why we have people we can hold accountable.â€
Rubio lent some credit to the stated goals of the occupation, reported by local media to involve a small group of armed men with very few local residents. The group is objecting to federal land control and ownership and pushing for the federal land to be given to states or individuals.
“I agree that there is too much federal control over land, especially out in the western part of the United States. There are states, for example, like Nevada that are dominated by the federal government in terms of land holding, and we should fix it,†Rubio said, adding that it shouldn’t be done “in a way that is outside the law.â€
Among the 2016 hopefuls, Cruz has been one of the most vocal advocates for reducing federal land ownership, along with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Cruz led the charge against the Bureau of Land Management’s claims over property around the Red River in Texas, saying he wants to “protect landowners from federal overreach.â€
Rubio has been less vocal about federal land ownership, but his energy policy platform calls for more local and state control over federal property for oil and natural gas drilling or other uses.
Land management is a major political issue in Western states. Nationwide, the federal government owns and manages nearly 630 million acres, with most located west of the Mississippi River.
Cruz and Rubio have increasingly clashed in recent weeks, with both seeking to overtake Donald Trump in polls of the Republican race.
While Rubio is seeking to gain ground in New Hampshire, the first primary state, Cruz has taken the lead in Iowa, which will hold its caucuses on Feb. 1.
Rightly you have spoken. Rule of Law means everyone must abide by the law, including federal judges, the BLM, the President, as well as the people.
John Wayne’s daughter endorsed Trump. I think it was last week.
Cruz may see a similar loss of support here, e-s-p-e-c-i-a-l-l-y i-f T-r-u-m-p p-l-a-y-s h-i-s c-a-r-d-s r-i-g-h-t (i.e. A Bump for Trump).
Nice to see someone else gets it. They are cleaning out their corridor via agenda 21 and taking out ranches that never make the news as fast as they can.
Predator overload of federally protected wolves shut down a lot of ranches as well.
Sierra Club + BLM + earth-everything + the UN + climate change + no more hunting + shut down ranches
All the same company with lots of big money.
Most ranchers just give up.
[[YEARS! and why did the American people just find out about it? Because a few “embattled†ranchers have had enough]]
Exactly, and if people think “Not the hill to die on” then exactly which hill should it be? This has been going on for years- the people have exhausted al legal means to fight it- and it didn’t work- As you said- there comes a time when obeying simply doesn’t accomplish what needs to be accomplished any longer-
The government got their nose bent when the bundies forced them to stand down- and the government very likely ramped up their intimidation of ranchers In the area in the following years as revenge- The government abused their powers- period-
Threat of violence? or as I see it, Armed Defense to protect individual rights to ownership of property.
Cruz is my number 1, but telling someone to retreat who is simply standing and hasn’t fired a shot with a firearm the constitution allows is wrong. Someone who has the right to freedom of speech can carry or not.
Is Cruz going to fight for them? Is he going to talk to them? Is he going to tell the FEDS TO STAND DOWN AND GET OUT OF THE LOCAL JUDICIAL SYSTEM? I don’t think he’s done his homework this time.
“So free trade and immigration are anti-freedom, and government control of trade and Soviet-style border controls are pro-freedom.”
Spoken like a true open border, cheap labor HACK.
There is nothing FREE about TPP,Nafta, etc. Milton Friedman agreed with me...it is government managed cheap foreign labor.
Soviet style border controls? GOOD GRIEF! What a tool you are. What should we do just open it up to anyone and everyone...kinda like what we have done?
WOW.
apparently none of the candidates will- trump just said basically what cruz has said it appears
That’s a BIG “if”- and wishful thinking so far...
You are so right.
These fools are advocating, and even practicing, anarchy.
They made the mistake of believing their own PR in the aftermath of the Bundy Ranch incident.
When one decides which laws they will obey, and which laws they will not, and back it up with guns, don’t be surprised, or and don’t complain when the other side does the same thing.
Not to worry about Cruz, though. Many here will complain about what any candidate does.
Not the same.
Again , thank you for seeing the entire picture.
We own land in a rural area that is on the agenda 21 map as a corridor.
Hoping we outlive them coming for us.
Thus I greatly appreciate these patriots putting their lives and careers at risk to make this stand.
They also see the entire picture.
This should be posted with every thread about these guys.
It was on it’s own thread yesterday and I do not take credit for finding it...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3379219/posts
So I get the basic facts - that there was a preventative burn that spilled over; folks were charged, convicted, served time and got out - now a judge/prosecutor wants to send them back for more time for whatever reason which sounds bogus as all get out.
That is something to protest. No argument. So the Bundy’s and supporters are camping out, with weapons, at a federal building in protest. They are not (as I understand it) threatening anyone directly, they just happen to be bearing arms while “occupying” the space.
But from what I can gather, the “Federal Building” they are “occupying” is some remote park service structure out in the middle of nowhere.
How is occupying a useless structure that no one cares about going to stop the judge/prosecutor from the double-jeopardy/resentencing bit? What’s the leverage they supposedly have by camping out at that particular NPS building? What am I missing from the story?
The Feds keep screwing with the lands of Utah. We are finally suing the Feds. We have to get their permission first, of course. Bill Clinton screwed Utah with the nationalization of lands in Escalante. Obama wants to take the rest. I am originally from Ohio and had no idea how big the Federal footprint is until you come out here. I will post a map.
Just for you who makes me quake if you have a license for concealed carry.
I think you’re wishfully hoping Cruz doesn’t loose points over his statement. My point was/is this represents a very important opportunity for Trump, especially with reports of Trump lagging in Iowa - IF (happy?) Trump plays his cards right...
And Cruz missed a golden opportunity to shout that far and wide....he could have used this to show the American people just how overbearing and dangerous this government and its heavily armed alphabet agencies have become.
Really surprised he missed it, wonder if Trump will pick up on it?
The feds have burned out direct ancestors of mine three times. Once during the Trail of Tears, and twice during the Civil War. A number of jobs have eluded me to go to less qualified but more favored pets of Leviathan, and those are opportunities long gone, never to be seen again. So play the violin more sweetly and sorrowfully if you want my tears.
I’m not interested in flash in the pan gestures. Should the day arrive when armed resistance is justified, there will be no holds barred, the prospect of success has to be real, and the target must be destroyed root and branch.
This is not that day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.