The Bundy Ranch Story...and Freedom in America

JEFFHEAD.COM - The BUNDY RANCH ^ | April 15, 2014 | Jeff Head

[Jeff Head]

MY TWO CENTS: THE BUNDY RANCH & FREEDOM IN AMERCIA
(Throughout the article, Click on any picture for a larger image)

What happened in Clark County Nevada, north of Las Vegas, with the Bundy Cattle Ranch in late March and April of 2014 is a story that should be told to all Americans. We should all be proud of what firecly independent, God-fearing Americans accomplished there in standing up to Federal Government over-reach.

Having been personally involved with other such incidents in the western United States over the last 15 years, I wanted the people of the United States to understand exactly what happened and why. Many may not have heard about the trouble that was brewing over in this part of the country...many others have. As I indicated, the event is not an isolated one and it is representative of an ever encroaching, over-burdensome and repressive Federal government...particularly motivated by progressive elements within that government. They are dedicated to aborgating and setting aside individual rights and state soveriegnty so they can, "fundamentally change," America.

It is an effort that has been going on for decades.

In this instance a rancher by the name of Cliven Bundy and his family have been ranching a particular area for over 135 years.

Here's some background:

Background History:
Nevada joined the Union in October 1864. The Bundy famnily began ranching in Clark County, Nevada, where they currently still ranch, in 1877.

State of Nevada 100 year Anniverary Commemorative Stamp

The US Constitution is very specific on the requirements it takes for a US territory to appy for statehood and join the Union. Once those requirements are met, the state can be formed and accepted into the Union. Such was the case in Nevada in 1864.

However, as was the case in several western states, when the Nevada became a part of the Union it ceded control of vast areas of its territory, which was to become part of the soverign state of Nevada, over to the Federal government. Back then, most of that land was considered waste lands and not worth monitoring or maintaining. Of course, now we know that was not the case..

Western States Federal Land Control/Ownership (in Red)

The fact is, there is nothing in the constitution that allows for this. Outside of military bases or preseves, the Federal government has no power to own and control state lands. Also, in the Constitution, it is very clear that any powers like these that are not specifically outlined in the constitution for the federal government, belong specifically to the people or the states themselves and not the federal government. So, all of that land should never have been under federal control in the first place...and it should not be now.

This is what the Bundy family is standing on. They occupied and ranched that land before there ever was a Bureau of Land Management, an Endganered Speciies Act, or any of the other myriad Acts of Congress and Executive Directives and Orders that aborgate the US constitution, individual property rights, and state's soveriegnty.

Just the same, beginning in 1933-1934, during the Roosevelt administration, the Federal government (who at the time, like the rest of the country, was in need of operating funds), decided to cause ranchers in these western states to pay a lease to the Federal government for the use of that land as an avenue to increase revenues. The leases were low, and the ranchers did not envision the government of the United States ever considering to take away their property rights and freedom. Almost all ranchers, including the Bundy family complied. But, as we shall see, it was a mistake to pay those leases just the same. As far as I can ascertain, the leases were renewed every ten years. So, right up through 1993, the Bundy family paid the Federal lease for 60 years, nearluy the same length of time they had lived on and operated their lanch without any ;lease before the 1933-1934 time frame.

So, after living on the land, ranching it, earning their livelihood and providing for the family, and raising a good product of beef cattle for the market,and doing so for upwards of fifty-six years, the Bundy family began paying a lease for land that they had lived on. worked, and ranched as their own.

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Location of Bundy Ranch off of I-15 in Northern Nevada

And they did so, for sixty years.

Through the end of the Depression in the 1930s, through World War II in the 1940s, through the Korean War and the 1950s, through unsettling times adn the Vietnam War (though out in Nevada, such social upheavels were of little impact) in the 1960s and 1970s, through the Reagan years in the 1980s, and finally into the 1990s, now under the Clinton Administration.

That was when things changed. Here's info on that:

The 1993 Change and events afterwards:
In 1993, Cliven Bundy, who was then in his 40s, was running the ranch that his grandfather had founded. He decided that the new lease that the Clinton administration was trying to renew at the time, was just too onerous. Things were changing. The government was exeerting more "control," and Cliven Bundy felt that his family should not have to pay the federal government in any case for his ranching on land that his family had ranched at that point for 115 years.

So he stopped paying.

After a few years, and particularly because of provisions of the Endangered Species Act which had declared the Deseret Tortise in Nevada and the Southweastern United States an "endangered species," the Federal government took the Bundy family to court. After an almost 20 year process, rulings were ultimately reached in U.S. Federal Court, and they did not favor the Bundy's.

The courts ruled in favor of the US govrnment and Bundy was ordered to pay over one milion dollars in back lease and penalties. According to these rulings, Cliven Bundy would have to pay the back lease and penalties, agree to a new lease, and abide by the restrictions of the Endagnered Species Act if he wanted to keep ranching on the land he and his family had occupied now for 135 years. Otherwise, their cattle would be rounded up and confiscated, and leans and other legal proceedings would be levied against them and their operations to recover the amounts owned.

The Bundy's were faced with either bankrupting themselves to pay for a ruling that they vehmently opposed and which would render them with no livelihood and a loss of their way of life or to try and continue the fight.

Cliven Bundy refused to comply.

Citing that the federal government in reality had no right to control the land, that is was part of the State of Nevada, citing that the Endagered Desert Tortoise was recovering so well in other areas that the government was now having to kill many of the turtles themselves to keep them from overpopulating their designated preserve areas, and citing that there were politcal considerations and forces who were interested in and striving to remove the Bundys from their ranch in order to accomplish other programsn and businesses, Cliven Bundy took his plea to the american people. Starting with his family and friends, moving to his neighbors, and moving to the wider audiences available through the internet and social media, Cliven Bundy fought for his way odf lifew and livelihood, and what he considered to be his very liberty.

At first, the response was relatively meager. There were family, friends, and neighbors who supported Bundy, and even some state senators and to a certain degreee the Governor's office. but Cliven BUndy had outstanding court rulings and orders...and they were FEderal rulings and orders.

Despite the growing support, these orders and rulings were generating a life of their won now, and the various agencies who were in charge of "Managing the Land.," particularly in the werstern United Tsates, were already moving towards their goal of executing and upholding those orderws and bringing Cliven Bundy and his ranch to heal.

The Beginning of the Confrontation of 2014:
Cliven Bundy's outspoken and direct refusal to comply with these court orders and rulings led to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to involve its Law Enforcement Officers to frce compliance.

Cliven Bundy continued to refused to comply. He and his familywetre standing on their constitutional rights and their belief that the Federal government had no jurisdiction or say regarding what are Nevada lands, and the ranching activities of its citizens within the State of Nevada. He refused to pay (which would have banktrupted he and his family in any case) and he refused to remove his cattle.

So, beginning in late March 2014, and extending into early April, the BLM ammassed upwards of 200 of its personnel and their various government vehicles and surrounded the Bundy ranch, placing sniper teams in the hills around it, and employing many men with automatic assualt rifles to watch over the Bundy operations. They did this to try and ensure that the Bundys and their family, friends, and supporters were sufficiently intimidated so they would be cowed into not interfering with the helicopters and Federal Wrangelrs portion of the operation which were starting to round up and confiscate their cattled and transport them to a hloding pen the BLM has established along Interstate Highway 15 (I-15) near Mesquitre, NV, where the cattle werre being held in preparation to sell themn to help pay the Bundy's "debt."

The Federal officers established an "Area of Control," around the Bundy ranch and attempted to regulate access to the Bundy Ranch.

When the Bundy's protested and even more people began flocking to help protest, the Federal Government, in a rediculous attempt to try and exeert even more control of things, established two "Free Speech" zones within the Area of Control around the Bundy ranch that the Federal government had established. These "Free Speech ZOnes," were small fenced off compounds of a few hundred square freet where no more than 25 people could gather at a time, and then only at specifically scheduled times, and of specific durations, to give free speech utterance to their grievances...where the press could be invited to hear them. And then only on such zone could be scheduled at any one time.

This inflamed the situation considerably. The people in the area would have none of it. Soon, handmade signs began to adorn the fences around these zones declaring that, "All of America is a Free Speech Zone," and these zones and their scheduling were ignored. Despite court ordfers and despite government law enforcement orders to the contrary, the people continued to exercise their free speech rights, and the conflict, and the tnesions, emotions, and anger built.

Such an actions may work with people in large urban areas who are used to being controlled and regulated by law enforcement and politicans and their appointed officials and bureaucrats. But it was not going to work in the intermountian west...and not in Nevada. As stated, the farming and ranching people and their supporters simply ignored these unconstitutional "zones,", and continued to protest the actions of the federal officers.

Tempers rose...emotions got heated...both amongst the people there, and ultimately among the Law Enforcement officers who felt it their duty to enforce these court orders and rulings. And so they did...continue to attempt to enforce them

Civil disobedience ensued.

The Incident of April 5th, 2014, on a State road near the Bundy Ranch:
The pent up emtions and frustration on both sides spilled over on April 5th and 6th not far from the Bundy ranch. That day, a group of fifty or sixty family, friends and protestors gathered and were wanting to proceed to the Bundy Ranch. They noticed a Federal Truck with a large backhoe on its trailer, escorted by several Bureau of Land Management (BLM) SUVs and wanted to ask what the federal employees intended to do with thte backoe. It is well known in the western United States that when a Federal Agency wants to deny access to any part of "public lands," that they will dig large and deep trenches across trails, roads, tracks, and access points to prevent vehicles and four wheelers from accessing the land.

The people approached the Federal Officers there on the side of the road. Tempers and emotions were already high.

The law enforcement officers, fifteen or twenty of them, were armed. They also had tasers and K-9 dog untis, so apparently they expected trouble in regards to whatever they were inrending to do.

One of the woman with the family and friends, who were there to protest, was a 54 year old grandmother, who stepped in front of the stopped BLM vehciles to ask them what they were intending with the backhoe before the vehciles could leave. Apparently, she was thrown to the gound and roughed up in the porcess of the BLM officers ordering her to move and to cease and desist.

Cliven Bundy's adult son was in attendance and had very heated words with the officers. The officers had weapons drawn, and used their tasers to try and control and subdue Bundy's son. He was tased at least twoce, and each time he was, he retreated abck into the crowd, pulled out the taser leads, and then returned to confront the officers. They tried to use one of the K-9 dogs on him and he kicked it away. A woman tired to talk to the officers and she was very heatedly warned by another officer with a dog that she would be bit, at which time anbother woman confornted this officer and chided him for threatening a woman, and a woman who was pregnant at that.

This confrontation was very heated and very nearly led to violence. The latter parts of it were videoed on scene by one of the protestors:

Despite the tasings, despite trhe rought treatment, despite guns being drawn and K-9 units, the people supporting the Bundy's stood their ground and demanded that the Federal officers leave before things got even further out of control...which, as shown in the video, the Federal officers ultimately did

This video and the clear high emotion and dangerous actions by frustrated Federal Law Enforcement went viral after it was uploaded to Youtube. .

The video produced immediate and dramatic results. Several national news outlets began carrying the story and leading with portions of the video.

People by the hundreds of thousands, saw it in the first two days after it was published on youtube by one of the protestors on April 9th. In a few days, over a million people had seen it. Throughout the Untied States, people who had been involved in other similar confrontations throughout the west from the Rio Grande River in Texas and New Mexico, to the Central Valley of Californis viewed this video as a call to arms, and were determined to not sit idly by and allow another federal intrusion to occur.

Citizen Militia organizations from Texas, Utah, Florida, Ohio, Montana, and as far away as New Hampshire (most of which had first organized during the 1990s Clinton years after such infamous killings of citizens by Federal Law Enforcement officers like Randy Weaver's wife and son at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and dozens of Branch Davidian men, women, and children near Waco, Texas), immediately responded and also also took up the call. They mobilized and people began traveling to Nevada to stand with the Bundys...and many of them were coming armed

As stated, the news media picked up and documented the rough treatment and roundup of Bundy's cattle, and the destruction of his way of life. They also documented the fact that the Desert Tortise was thriving, and that the Bundy's had been ranching that land since the 1870s. As a result, public sentiment all over the country clearly favored the Bundys.

Along with this, however, a number of pundits and "legal minds," spoke to the fact that the Bundy's were in violation of court orders, and had not paid the leases. These prognosticators and anchors freely shared their thought that, "the law was not on the Bundy's side," and that they would ultimately fail. Meagen Kelly on Fox News, though clearly sympathetic to the Bundy's plight, was also one who expressed the view that although what the law enforcement people were doing in enforcing the order was wrong, that the Bundy's themselves were on "the wrong side of the law," in this and cpould not prevail..

Well, let me say a thing or two about that.

Who is and who isn't on "the right side of the law":
In 2001, I personally stood with friends and farmers in the Klamath Basin of Southwest Oregon during a similar event and confrontation.

In that case, according to supposed sceintific findings owing to the the Endgangered Species Act, the Sucker Fish were delcared endagnered in that particular valley (despite the fact that an overabundance of them throughout the west causes them to literally be clubbed to death to protect other fish species). As a result of this finding, and a subsequent court order by a federal judge, the irrigation water to 1,500 families was shut off to supposedly protect the Sucker fish (despite the fact that anyone familiar with that species of fish knew that oif the lake were drained to mud, the species would survice in that mud and come back the following year). ,The Sucker Fish in the western United States is like the Carpie. it is considered a trash fish.

In defiance of those "orders," hundreds of local people and some of us protestors occupied the headgates of the irrigation canal (which was supposed to have been transferred to the ownership of the farmers themselves back in the 1940s) and turned the water back on. Everyone there knew thjat the "order," to turn off the irrigation water to thse people was based on tyhe intentionally flawed science and the whims of an out of control environmental lobby and the progressive politicans and judges who supported them.

The Federal agencies sent in armed men to take the headgates back...and they did. Then they occupied them and you had the specter of armed Federal Officers, standing on headgates, taking irrigation water away from American farmers, who had the water rights to that very water. It was like comething out of Stalinist Russia, or Maoist China...but right here in the United States.

The call went out then too, by cell phone and earlier, less connected internet. First hundreds, and then thousands of citizens came, and surrounded those federal officers, began pumping water around the headgates, and, after 2-3 months, ultimately sanity prevailed and the gates were re-opened and the farmers returned their water. Strangely enough, new "studies," were conductied showing what everyone knew all along., The Sucker Fish did not need the farmers irrigation water to survivie, nor as a species were they endagered.

But getting that turned around, and avoiding out and out violemnce were a very near thing:

The Klamath Basin, Oregon, Irrigation Water Crisis of 2001

Earlier, in the summer of 2000, on July 4th, I personally went to a place called Jarbidge Nevada and stood with over two thousand fellow Americans when the Federal government had shut down a county road there because they did not want the road maintained by the county because of the Enedangered Species Act. We defied Federal Law enforcement officers, and court orders that day and were joined by the local County Sheriff and his deputies who were there to protect us from the Federal officers. So, we too were "violating the law," and court orders, but we opened that road, which was owned and maintained by that County in Nevada...and ultimately the will of the people in the face of egracious actions by Federal Officials prevailed...in spite of court orders to the contrary.

The Jarbidge Nevada Countty Road Crisis of 2000

And, finally, I might add, regarding "being on the wrong side of the law,"the Founders of this nation were alslo supposedly in that same group. At their time they violated English law and the Crown wanted them arrested and tried for treason. Yet they prevailed because the law itself had become a thing of criminnal action and behavior. That was the case in Jarbidge, it was the case in in Klaamth, it has been the case in literally hundreds of palces across this nation, and it is the case on the Bundy Ranch in Nevada.

So, as stated, after the confrontation of April 5th, 2014 near the Bundy Ranch, the call went out and people began to converge.

By Friday, April 11th, over 5,000 people had arrived to assist the Bundys. It was an outpouring of monumental proportions. They came on their own dime, and they came to help. And more were coming.

...and hundreds of them came openly armed, carrying the same types of weapons the Federal officers had brandished against the Bundys. And it was clear that those people were not going to back down.

I realize that in today's America many have been inndoctrinated that individual citizen's carrying fire arms outside of a hunting or sporting activity is to be viewed as dangerous and some kind of bad thing. Yet, the founders of this nation understood human nature, and they provided for a common defense by the people as a whole against any future unbridled power exerted by out of control governmentr officxals. That is the true reason the 2nd amendment is in place. A time comes when life itself is worth risking for liberty and a moral, free, way of life.

The Showdown at the BLM Holding Pen near Mesquite, NV on Saturday, April 12th, 2014:
By the morning of Saturday, April 12th, the people who had gathered to help the Bundys had met, organized themselves, and talked at length with the Bundys. They decided to Act.

Rather than remain defensively at the Bundy ranch, or near it...they determined to proactively take the protest and the confrontation to the BLM and their Federal officers.

First at 8AM they met with the Sheriff and the Sheriff indicated that they BLM was willing to re-open the range for cattle operations. This was not enough for the Bundies. They gacve the Sheriff an hour to confiscate the weapons from the BLM and to have them leave. When the hour past, Bundy told the large group pof protestors that they knew where the cattle were and that they would simply go over there and get them. And so they did. One large group left by vehcile, another large group of cowboys on horseback road there.

They went over to the Federal cattle holding compound near Mesquite, Nevada, where the Burea of Land Management were collecting the Bundy cattle.

It was a large group, numbering several hundred people who went to the compound by vehcile, with another one or two hundred coming by hosreback. That's a lot of cars and as the Nevada officials became aware of it, many Highway Patrol, State Troopers, and locval law enforcement converged to direct traffic a=nd try and prevent violence. For a period of time, I-15, was shut down to acocmodate the large group coming to the holding pen.

Those people came to BLM holding pen with two simple, and very direct demands...and the demands were non-negiotiable:

1) The Federal BLM officers, had to, then and there, give the Bundy cattle back to the Bundy family.
2) The Federal BLM ofcciers, had to, then and there, vacate the area and not continue harassing or interfereing with the Bundy operations.

There were perhaps eighty BLM officers at the compound, twenty or more of them completely decked out in miltary gear, with full webbing, assault rifles, helmets, etc. Looked like soldiers. but plenty of the arriving Bindy supporters, particularly the militia members also had on cammo and similar weapons. There were probably another 100 State and local offciers, but they were theyr to control traffic, and to try and preserve order.

The protestors were their to accomplish the two demands. Plan and simple...one way or another.

A tense standoff ensured at the gate of their compound. The BLM had a recording over loud speakers telling the people to disburse and leave. That the Federal Officerds werer armed and would fire on the protestors. They were announcing thos over a loud speaker like it was Red China or soemthing. But the protestors were undeterred, they advanced on the compund, right up to the gate.

Cliven Bundy's son was there leading the protest. The Federal Officer at the gate was clearly concerned and did not like what was happening.

But, by that time...that was just too bad.

To stave off an imminent assault, a brief discussion was held. The protestors were not willing to negotiate. Their demands had to be met then. Ammon Bundy, Cliven Bundy's sonb, told the officer there that the BLM people had to leave, and that they had to give the cattle back. The pofficer tried to convince the Bundy's to come in the compound to negotiate, but they refused...not trusting the officer or the BLM.

That day, either the Federal Officers were going to give up those cattle and leave voluntarily, or they were going to be forced to do so by the armed Bundy supporters. Nothing else would do. The people who had come viewed these individual rights and state soveriegnty in the face of what was occurring to be as valuable as life itself...and the BLM officers clearly believed them. The Federal Officers, under protest and making clear that this did not settle the issue, agreed to turn over the cattle, and they agreed to leave.

And the did release the cattle, and then they left. About eight vehoicles altogether. And it was to the cheers of the crowd who were holding American flags, Vertan's flags, and State Flags.

There is a video of part of this confrontation as well:

...and a report of the same events:

Thank God those officer recognized the futility and danger of their position. If they had attempted to physcally arrest or stop those protestors, violence would have ensued and a lot of people would have been injured or died...including, in all likelihood all of those federal officers.

Summary:
I am so very proud of my fellow Americans and westerners. They are God-fearing, solid, honest folk, who are ranching and working with the land for their livelihood...and they know their rights and they recognize snakes when they see them in the grass. God bless them for this stand...and God be with them, because this issue is not over.

The charges and court orders still stand. Unless sanity returns, and these charges and fines are dropped, or unless the people continue to support the Bundy family in very large numbers and with very serious intent, the Federal officials and officers may well (and probably will) ultimately still try and enforce them. But Cliven Bundy and his family have shown that they will not back down, and so will have to remain ever vigilante. It is likely, that during this process, the Bundy family, and particularly Cliven Bundy will need to be protected.

This entire episode is representative of the point end of the sword of the continuiing assault on persoanl libery and state's rights in this nation. It has been going on out here in the west, at different locations from JArbidge, Nevada, Klamath, Oregon, along the Rio Grande in New Mexico and Texas, to the central valley of Californis, for decades. Here, the Fedrral Officers were forced, early on, to back down.

But truthfully, if those officers were doing their actual sworn duty, instead of just "folllowing orders," they would not have been there, but would have acted against their own superviors issuing such orders, and the Judges giving such orders to supress Free Speech and citizen rights.

This fight will continue. And it will continue because our nation has become infected by people, particularly in this administration, who are infected with power, and who feel that it is their job to fuindamentally change America. And they are willing to lie stright to pour faces about it.

• They lied about being a transparent administrtation.
• They lied about the depth and breadth of unemployment in the United States.
• They lied about hundreds of billions of dollars of stimulus monies and the companies (like Solindra) that received it, and then lost it.
• They lied about clear voter intimidation during the 2008 elections and stopped the prosecution of it.
• They lied about Fast and Furious and deaths of American law enforcement, and gun running to Drug Cartels by the US Government.
• They lied about the Muslim Brotherhood take-over of Egypt they encouraged, which thankfully the people of Egypt overturned a year later.
• They lied about Benghazi and the deaths of four brave American there, and the clear terror attacks that caused them.
• They lied about the energy situation in America and held back energy production and our ability to become energy independent.
• They lied about the extent of NSA recording and storing American citizen private info from email, internet, credit card, cell phones, etc.
• They lied about whether American could keep their Health Care under Obama Care.
• They lied about whther Americans could keep their own Doctors under Obama Care.
• They lied about annual insurance costs under Obama Care.
• They are lying now about this incident in Nevada.

Despite all of this, and this administrations best efforts to the contrary, journalists (yes, there ate a few of those left in America) have already reported and documented that Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader and an unabashed water carrier for the progresiive/liberal Obama administrationw, was found to have direct ties to a Project for building a Solar Wind Farm on the land that the Bundy's Ranch. Imagine that! Is anyone surprised?

Senator Harry Ried (D) and Son combine to push China firm solar plant in Nevada

Does anyone believe that it is simply coincidence that this firm and Harry Reid, andf Harry Reid's son who is a lobbyist for the firm, have been seeking to build that Solar plant on the same land that the Bundy's ranch? No, of course not.

That Solar Farm is to be built by a Chinese firm. That discovery and it beginning to get the light of day, probably had as much to do with the "agreement," with the Bundys as the very clear facts on the ground on April 12th...which were that the Federal officers were not going to be able to stop American citizens from achieving their aims of reclaiming the Bundy's cattle, and evicting those officers from the area...by force of arms if necessary.

Which leads to my final point. NEVER GIVE UP YOUR ARMS! THIS is the reasons the progressives and liberal are so committed to undoing the 2nd amendment. They fear a moral, free people who are armed. As the founders meant such tyrants to fear the people. Plain and simple.

Jeff Head
Idaho, USA
April 14th, 2014

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Fast and Furious and Gun Ruinning by the US Government to Mexican Drug Cartels

Benghazi and the Death of Ambassador Stevens and three other brave Americans

NSA and the PRISM Program of collecting American Citizens' Personnel Data

The Obama Care Horror perpetrated on America

Blacks and Latinos in America: Wake up!

The Abortion Holocaust in America

The Obama Administration's not so phoney, "Phoney" Scandals

America at the Crossroads of History

[JDoutrider]

Great summation Jeff...

[hosepipe]

Check the percentages Romney got in the states he won. He would *not* have won the nomination if we conservatives had not split our votes among Gingrich, Perry, Santorum, Bachman....We let the RINO win by bickering amongst ourselves and failing to unite behind one candidate.

---

BUT he DID get the vote...

UNLESS the GOP primary was as FLAWED as the general election..
Shenanigans behind the scenes.. with the elite pulling the “strings”..

The GOP is as screwed up as Hogans Goat...
Who it seems never seems to get pregnant.. for some reason..

[Carry_Okie]

Despite all of this, and this administrations best efforts to the contrary, journalists (yes, there ate a few of those left in America) have already reported and documented that Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader and an unabashed water carrier for the progresiive/liberal Obama administrationw, was found to have direct ties to a Project for building a Solar Wind Farm on the land that the Bundy's Ranch.

This has been shown not to be true. It may be that Gold Butte was planned as a mitigation for the solar farm, but not for electrical production itself. The site planned for the panels was over 100 miles away and that project is now defunct.

[wita]

Thanks for the ping. I happened to pass through Mesquite NE on the eighth of April, fat dumb and happy, enroute to the start of Mustangs Across America from the Saleen facilities in Corona, CA. An event in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Ford Mustang.

I say fat, dumb, and happy, because at the time I was not aware of what was going on not far from where I was on I-15. Had I realized, I might have changed plans, but it was four days later in Phoenix AZ before the story broke to the point I started paying attention.

Thank heavens for those ranchers and city folk who were paying attention and came to support the Bundys. I was truly amazed at the amount support especially the number of horses and riders, sure need them for an authentic cattle drive. Just unfortunate that so many calves ended up orphans thanks to the helicopter roundup by the feds.

Thanks also for a rerun of efforts you were personally involved in that many freepers followed over the years. Actions that proved successful in the fight against federal takeover of land and sovereignty of states that are clearly unconstitutional, unless you live under a “living” Constitution, and so far due to efforts of brave Americans, the Constitution, is still the supreme law of the land.

[wita]

Not to mention those who chose to opt out and not vote because they could not bring themselves to vote for Romney. The election has been over far too long and these folks still can’t get over what they have done to the country that the rest of us are trying our best to preserve. They got what they deserved, but the rest of us sure didn’t and we are paying the price for the stupidity of the four million or more opt outs.

I’ll go out on a limb here and say, had Romney been President this incident never would have happened and much more of the lawless crap flowing downhill from the present executive branch of Government. But, the above is speculation, and the one thing not speculation is what is taking place because of who presently occupies the White House. So thanks again to all those who think not voting is the right thing to do.

[Jeff Head]

Joanie, let me use my response to you...which I agree with...to sound off on many of the things I am hearing now about Cliven Bundy as they attempt top wage the PR war against him and his family and prepare the public mind for what they intend.

I know some of the people involved. Cliven Bundy is a good man. He is a honest hard working man.

Of course the other side in this is going to do all in their power to besmirch him and get others to believe it...it’s what they do. Ask Herman Cain and so many others.

Of course Cliven Bundy has looked out for his own interests through this. He has a family and grandkids and he takes seriously his injunction to provide for them. He is living free and he and his family have claims to that land that the Federal government has dismissed. But his unalienable rights supercede such rulings, just as our founder’s did. So he is doing all in his power to fight it.

It was brought to my attention to look back at his family’s claims to that land that predate the 1877 time frame...that go back into the Utah territory before there was a Nevada territory. Apparently his family laid claim to that same land back then and intended to work it, but was then called away by their Church, the LDS Church.

When they finally came back, it was still not occupied so they started working the land. Apparently they document this in their court proceedings...but it was dismissed by the Federal government. And of course it would be. To admit to this would mean that the Bundy claim predates any and everything the State of Nevada did at its inception.

The truth is, the BLM and the Federal government have been moving people like Cliven Bundy off of the land for decades. They do not want independent ranchers or farmers making use of that land. The same was true at Klamath, it was true at Jarbidge, it has been true in too many places to count. This man and his family are standing up to it...and we need people to stand up to it with them and many others to supports them.

Is Cliven Bundy perfect? Of course not. Only One is. But knowing what I know of him, and given my own history and background in these matters...I would stand with Cliven Bundy long before I would stand with any Federal Agency or their enforcement arms under this administration (and I myself work for one of those agencies).

This administration is wholly corrupt and it winds its way down in the policy and actions of its various organs.

This issue goes well beyond the specific incidents involved directly with the Bundys. Cliven Bundy is standing on his own personal rights and the constitution.

There is no provision for the Federal government to own or control vast swaths of lands in any of the states. it is not granted in the Constitution, and according to the constitution that power then belongs to the people or the states. A state cannot give the Federal government that which it has no power to accept according to the Constitution...despite usurpations that have occurred in spite of that.

That’s where Cliven Bundy stands. And despite whatever court rulings to the contrary (because they themselves would also be unconstitutional) I stand with him.

[Jeff Head]

I realize this...and ammended my own posting to that effect and accordingly on my site. I wish I could do so here.

What has happened is that a solar farm was in fact built about 40 miles from the Bundy ranch, and amazingly, the tortoise was not an issue for that plant. Why?

We all know why. Reid was behind it and his man runs the BLM.

The BLM controls over 40 million acres of Nevada land. Developers have to go to the BLM to develop any of that land in the State of Nevada. Harry Reid, like any good mobster, has “his” man (wholly unqualified) in place at the head of the BLM so anyone wanting to develop in Nevada on those lands has to, in effect, deal with Harry Reid.

That’s the corruption that is going on and the clear lesson from these mobsters and corrupt people is that in Harry Reid’s Nevada, if you are a large corporation with money to spread around, or if you are a foreign entity with the same, the following is true.

Rich donors trump the Desert Tortoise, and the Desert Tortoise trumps independent ranchers and independent Americans.

[Jeff Head]

...apparently Bundy’s claims to that land in question prior to the late 1870s is on religious basis...and that is why the court dismissed it.

But, IMHO, that is also moot because the larger question is the state sovereignty issue.

I do not believe Nevada had the power to cede, or the Federal government had the power to accept, lands from the state for federal control according to the constitution.

It’s long past time that states stood up for their own property rights.

[Carry_Okie]

We all know why. Reid was behind it and his man runs the BLM.

Good grief Jeff, you know better than to be explaining that to me.

I was guilty of the same mistake on Sunday, but by that evening had found out otherwise, but I was already seeing leftists bashing conservatives about it to drain their credibility. By the time you posted, it was two days later.

Aside from the BLM's reprehensible behavior, the key fact here nobody is talking about is that cattle can improve habitat for the tortoise. It robs the agency of any moral high ground.

The left is doing whatever it takes to plant urban population centers in the West and depopulate rural areas with which to control the Senate. That alone is enough rationale for Reid, aside from his corrupt ambitions on the part of his family.

[B4Ranch]

Here is videos backing up what is in this thread!

These videos are for people who don't yet understand why Cliven Bundy broke his agreement with the BLM. They show why the BLM should not even be managing the public lands of Nevada or any other state.

1of3 Stephen Pratt speaking to Sheriffs at WSSA conference

2of3 Stephen Pratt speaking to Sheriffs at WSSA conference

3of3 Stephen Pratt speaking to Sheriffs at WSSA conference

Here's one that shows why the Sheriff of Clark County is duty bound to keep the BLM and all Federal agents from arresting Cliven Bundy.

Steven Pratt, Bound by Oath to Support THIS Constitution,/a>

[yoe]

Thank you Jeff....while this was going on our president was (doing this)......and one Western Senator, McCain was asking for the USA to send small arms to the Ukraine....disarming the citizens of the USA while helping to arm a foreign nation? What is wrong with this picture......?

[joanie-f]

Thank you, Jeff. Saved and shared.

~ joanie

[joanie-f]

Probably the most valuable information I have seen/heard on this, or any other, subject in recent memory. I have the links saved and will share them far and wide. Sincere thanks, B4!

~ joanie

[Jeff Head]

We are at a time of choosing...far past the need for it...but approaching now its imperative.

As was the case at the founding, the civil war, and to a lesser extent at other times (ie. the Carter years leading to the Reagan years), people are going to have to choose where they stand.

The individual and state’s rights of this nation have been steadliy and relentslessly attacked and eroded by those who favor a much more centralized federal government with much greater powers. Not something the founders envisioned or intended...and in fact against which they took great pains.

Irrespective of what these opposing forces have accomplished, the wording and the intent of the constitution and its underlying moral values still exist...and we need only retuirn to them to take advantage of what they offer.

Many people will, and are, pointing to legal precedents...but if those precedents are based upon a faulty constitutional basis, they are null and void...the whole chain of them.

I believe they are, and am personally glad to see people standing to point it out and to oppose the long chain of usurpations and abuses...and I will stand with them until my final breath.

God’s speed and His blessings to you and your dear husband and family, Joanie. It is my honor and privilege to count you as a compatriot, a friend, and as a sister in Christ.

[B4Ranch]

Just email me if there’s anything in particular that you’re looking for. I’ll see if I can sniff it out.

[cuban leaf]

bkmk.

I also love the “they lied” list.

[combat_boots]

the Center for Biological Diversity(CBD) filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) if the Service does not create a new nationwide wolf recovery plan“ KBC NOTE: CBD is funded by Earthjustice, which is funded by George Soros. The same CBD who is presently suing to take more Klamath Basin irrigation water by changing the biological opinions.

The Green $$$ Scam, Range Magazine, posted to KBC 2/2/11. KBC

NOTE: This article articulates the billions of dollars funding the green groups taking our land, water and rights through lawsuits. Last week Center for Biological Diversity, Oregon Wild, Environmental Protection Information Center, and The Larch Company sued to list another endangered species (Environmental groups want Klamath River salmon listed as Endangered Species.) The first 3 groups along with some “friends”, “stakeholders” in the KBRA, are all in a coalition together: George Soros, Tides, Ford Foundation, Weeden and dozens more including the federal government fund their litigation to destroy our infrastructure/dams and take our land and water.”

[piytar]

Well said, Sir!!! May I copy/share this?

[piytar]

I used to like Glenn Beck. He is worthless to me now...

[piytar]

And also about the kickback Reid and co stood to make on a (now defunct) $5,000,000,000 play by China...