PING!
Laz, and all...as one who has been on the front line in situations like this here in the west, I can tell you that waiting on the “courts to decide,” at this point, and for cases like this, is almost a guarantee that the right thing will not happen. That’s sad...but there it is.
In this case, for the two ranchers involved, as I understand it, a court did rule and the two ranchers served/met that court’s decision. But the feds, not being satisfied, successfully got a judge to reassess, and now they want the two ranchers to go away for a long time.
The actions at this remote set of building are in response to that.
Quite frankly, living here in the intermountain west and understanding the situation around grazing rights, what the courts determined in the first place was wrong. Wrong headed, and just plain unjust.
Setting backfires to protect your property is something people do all the time...and the federal government does all the time.
Burning off invasive, noxious vegetation is something done all the time.
In this case the land was leased, federal land and they are using that to go after these two.
Anyhow, we waited for the “right thing” to occur at Klamath...and it did not. Ultimately a bunch of us took direct action...which we could have gone to jail for...and it changed things, the public got behind us, and ultimately the court followed suite at that time and the farmers in there were given a chance to retain their water rights.
What is happening t these ranchers, sounds a lot in principle like what happened to the farmers in the Klamath Basin back in 2001...except then, it was the Sucker Fish that the Feds used as the tool to deprive honest US citizens of their rights.
I cannot say that what Bundy’s son did was best...I am not there and directly involved...but I can say that people in this part of the country are sick and tired and full up of an ever encroaching federal government that creates reasons to go after anyone who will not toe their line.
I can also say that I took an oath to protect and defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.
I have learned over the past 25+ years that that does not necessarily mean that someone rising up against encroachment of their rights is the enemy, nay, more likely the enemy is the ones encroaching those rights.
That same oath indicates that we bear true faith and allegiance to the constitution...and oft times that clause right there, when soberly considered, and faithfully followed, lets us know who is on what side of the constitutional line.
That’s what I did before driving over to become involved at Klamath. I suggest that is what people should do before determining where to side, and what to do in this instance.
So, before folks respond by either demonizing these people (which this article does not do), or trying to tell them what they should do (which in a sense this article does do)...folks should get all of the fact they can from sources they absolutely trust, because I can promise you, from my own experience, that the full story is not being told on CNN, ABS, NBC, CBS, etc. and that interviews are cut and edited and presented in the light that those organizations want them presented in.
Anyhow, get that information from the places you know you can trust, and then seriously consider the constitution and what you would do if placed in the situation these people are now in. Then decide.
I we do not do this, then we are very susceptible to responding in the wrong fashion and being led to stand against, or even fight against the very people we should be helping
Our founders did not want to rebel against England. They wanted to be good subjects. Â But a time came over decades, with many of the instances spread apart in time but not forgotten, when the encroachments on their rights were just too much...and so they rose up.
Out here in the west, as you know, the encroachments have been long standing and ever and ever more burdensome and more and more against the constitution.
I pray God’s wisdom to be with these people trying to stand against encroachments, and also with that Sheriff...that he will seek a peaceful and respectful solution that does not involve backing willy-nilly the federal agencies, or allowing them to come into his jurisdiction and ride rough shod over the people he had a duty to.
Anyhow...thought you should all know my take on this.