Posted on 01/03/2016 8:38:35 PM PST by Jan_Sobieski
How did an armed takeover of a federal nature reserve in Oregon come about? It dates back to when Eastern Oregon father-son ranchers, Dwight Hammond and his son Steve, were convicted of lighting fires on federal land. The Hammond Ranch story began in 1991, when Steven Hammond started a fire on his own land for noxious weed control. The fire escaped and burned an acre of BLM land that was leased by the Hammond family for cattle grazing. Then in 2001, the Hammonds started another fire on their property that ran off the Hammond land and consumed 139 acres of BLM acreage, also leased by the Hammond Ranch.
In 2006, the Hammond family set a back fire to stop a lightning-caused wildfire. The back fire burned about an acre of public land. Dwight Hammond and his son, Steve, were taken to federal court for the 2001 fire. Steve was also charged for the 2006 back fire. The father and son were tried and convicted under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, created by Congress in response to the Oklahoma City bombing. Under the Act’s minimum sentencing requirements, both Hammonds faced a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall stated: “The verdict sends an important message to those who think that they are above the law.â€
But in the October, 2012 sentencing, U.S. District Judge Michael R. Hogan reduced Dwight’s sentence to three months and Steve Hammonds sentence to one year, based on his belief that such a harsh sentence was not what Congress intended in creating the statute. “It just would not be – would not meet any idea I have of justice, proportionality,†Judge Hogan stated.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Montes Williams just tweeted that Obama should give order to Shoot to Kill protesters.
I have no time for these people. While I do agree with their aim - in general - this is one of the stupidest things I’ve seen.
The local people, the Sheriff, *not even the Hammonds* agree with what these trailer daesh yeehawdis are trying to do.
Sorry, I’m just done with these people already. Just go home.
I’m pretty sure I could take over my local Federal bird sanctuary with nothing more than halitosis and biting sarcasm.
Actually, the “official” statement made by the Hammond’s attorney stating that they “did not want the militia people there” was made to assuage any potential claim that the Hammonds encouraged or endorsed the presence or actions of the people who came out to support them.
Contrary to that, the Hammonds *DO* appreciate the support of the militia and other folks showing up to rally behind them. At roughly the 01:51:00 mark in the Pete Santilli video below, the Hammond family speaks to the large crowd in front of their home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=jBBJe7FmRXI
That’s different, no? They appreciated the big turnout for the rally, but not the dumbass “takeover” nonsense.
Which is pretty much how I feel about it.
Have they started looting and burning stores yet? Have they surrounded the judge’s house and starting throwing trash at it? /s
How would you like to be unjustly hauled off to prison?
And if you’re not worried about it, then you must be an Obama butt licker because they can get away with burning, looting and shooting cops in cold blood and the Feds don’t charge them with any crimes regardless.
WHY are the Obamites so worried about ranchers, farmers and country people? Because they don’t butt lick or play games. They are a threat and cannot be controlled. On top of that, they are predominantly Christian. That is considered another threat under the current regime that has hijacked this nation.
Well said doc maverick. The lickspittle comments here on FR like those above have made me sick all day. This place has been like Slate or even The Nation thanks to fake conservative resident boneheads.
How far this nation has sunk where it persecutes good citizens practicing good land management as terrorists under threat of the death penalty if they do not plead guilty. Then, the judge who presided understood the injustice being done and sentences the son to a year in prison and the father three months. Time served honorably and they are done...oh wait, some bastard federal judge decides to make them go back because the other judge made a mistake and didn’t apply the minimum sentence to a trumped up charge.
And the cowards on Free Republic are critical of those who understand the injustice and are willing to risk their lives to stop it. I have never seen such low behavior on this once proud American website.
Shame on you who have allowed your fear to overtake your brain.
I agree. “First they came for the Bundys, but I am not a Bundy, so I did not care, and I did nothing. Then they came for the Hammonds, but I am not a Hammond, so I did not care, and I did nothing...” (We all know how it ends...)
Sadly, we had some (hopefully soon to be Zotted) Freepers here saying essentially the same thing on some early threads about this incident.
Agreed.
I think Mr. Robinson (cc’d because I mention you) and the admins are giving the fedgov jackboot lickers plenty of room to out themselves. Then will come the ZOT Storm. Seen it before...
Well said.
And for every Bundy case and Hammond case, there are likely to be dozens of other cases that do not get nearly as much publicity, if any.
I recall one from several years ago. It concerned (IIRC) a private ranch on Santa Catalina Island, or another such island nearby. I believe it received only one FR thread (someone here might recognize it and provide a link) and almost no other publicity. I fear that the government prevailed in that case.
The protesters aren’t the same people who set the back fires.
If the Hammonds are going to jail for these “accidents”, then how much jail time are the federal contractors getting for dumping the mining waste into the river in Colorado causing REAL damage?
I'm pretty sure I could take over my local Federal bird sanctuary with nothing more than halitosis and biting sarcasm.
Especially when no one is there. How do you do an "armed takeover" of an empty building? Do you walk in and threaten the coffee maker? "Perc and I'll shoot you!"
What is unjust? They had a trial, they had lawyers, they got their due process, and a jury still found that they had violated the statute.
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