THE COWBOY’S PROMISE: ”If you push me once, I’ll ask you what your problem is. If you push me again be prepared to defend your life! -Ron Ewart
Well ladies and gentlemen the fact is, the government has pushed the cowboy, the rancher, the farmer and the rural landowner way more than once. What happened in Southeastern Nevada in 2014 at the Bundy Ranch and what is now happening at the Malheur Nature Preserve near the Hammond Ranch in Southeastern Oregon is because government has been pushing and pushing and pushing until the Western “Cowboy” had no other choice but to challenge government authority ….. again! The Sage Brush Rebellion of the 1970’s is being reborn.
In our last article entitled, “Enviro-Wacos Wont Be Happy Until the Bundy Militia is Dead” we explained why this Gestapo-like pressure is being exerted on the American West landowner by agencies of the federal government. The reason is out-of-control, unchecked, irrational national and international radical environmentalism in the form of the UN’s Agenda 21, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), with government as the enforcer, lobbied and sued constantly by radical environmentalists. To give you a flavor of how much environmentalists hate the rancher, farmer and rural landowner, read the following response to the Oregon standoff by Seattle area, city-born and raised birdwatcher, Peggy Garber: (www.garbers.com) and (peggy@garbers.com)
When there is no food to eat or meat to consume, or the price is so high only the rich can eat, blame the Indians, the environmentalists and the government.
But you see ladies and gentlemen, long before we run out of food and rangeland to grow protein for our very survival, or the prices get too high, there will be a rebellion in the West, as “Cowboys” punctuate their promise of “push me again and prepare to defend your life.” These non-city-bred souls are rugged, trained to the forces of nature and prepared to give their lives to protect their rights if you push them too far. They have already been pushed too far and their patience wears very thin. The itching to push back is becoming irresistible. The occupation at the Malheur Nature Preserve in Oregon is a manifestation of the itch to push back.
Several times we have written that major changes to a nation, a culture, a financial system, or commerce are triggered by a “Flash Point.” Wars, revolutions, rising government tyranny, cultural, financial and political upheaval and major national disasters are examples of those flash points. Starve the people and they will rise up because they have nothing to lose. Take away rights the masses perceive to be theirs by nature or by God and the people will rise up. Over-regulate or strangle the people’s lifestyle, as government is doing to rural landowners across America and the people will rise up as they are doing in Oregon. The Oregon standoff could be one of those flash points that trigger’s a Western land war between landowners, the government, the Indians and radical environmentalists.
Lie to the people about important events and the people will rise up when they discover the lie. Today’s government lie is radical environmentalism that includes millions of locked-up acreage, purposely manipulated climate change science and endangered species laws.
But America is wholly different than any other country. In America when the people rise up against government they have weapons ala the Second Amendment. Most in the West take the Second Amendment very seriously and are heavily armed.
Besides the organized militias in America, there are the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters that have their eyes and ears wide open to what government is doing. They are following the Bundy and Hammond events very closely.
We warn those who would light that “brush fire”, be it government, environmentalists, Indians, bird watchers, carnivore lovers, or socialists alike, you are literally playing with fire. Push too hard and you will set off a land war that will sweep across the West like a wind-driven grass fire. People must understand that when a forest fire is lit, there is no telling which way it will go. The question is, what (or who) will set it off? Could it be the takeover of Western private and public lands by the government the Indians and the environmentalists? Could it be Obama Care, illegal aliens getting amnesty, Syrian refugees, Cap and Trade, gun control, foreign terrorism, the one-world-order, radical environmentalism, endangered species law, the fraud that is climate change, the brainwashing of our kids in our public schools, or trashing the Constitution by politicians? Was Jefferson right? Does a society need a revolution every hundred years? Messy, but could it be necessary if freedom is to be defended, maintained and preserved?
Because Americans have lived under the umbrella of freedom for over 230 years, the pilot light of liberty burns in the hearts of most of us. Although slow to ignite after years of in-attention, freedom's flame is rising out of the ashes of neglect and apathy. Spot fires of freedom are erupting all over the nation. Obama has lit many of those spot fires. After years of neglect, America is coming alive like never before. Trump is playing into those spot fires with great success.
It would be wise for the forces of evil who would attempt to drag us where we don't want to go, to take a step back before the raw fury of armed American power is unleashed on those without honor, who have betrayed our trust, ripped up our blue print of liberty, attempted to destroy our American heritage and are working to tear our institutions of freedom asunder. We do not advocate or condone violence but there comes a point, as Winston Churchill so aptly stated and so often repeated:
“If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.”
The cowboys, ranchers, farmers and landowners of America, whether West or East, are right in their fight to preserve constitutional property rights. Because without property rights, no other rights are possible. The National Association of Rural Landowners (NARLO) are staunch advocates for the American rural landowner. We are celebrating our 10th year.
The militia has not taken over the 187,000 acre Malheur Wildlife Refuge.
I have been in contact with people on the ground since before this began. Some locals brought the occupiers food the very first night of the occupation and I hear about a lot of local support. But there is a lot of irresponsible media out there saying false and foolish things, looking for conflict in order to get headlines and sometimes to promote their own agenda.
Ammon Bundy and some of the people with him are there occupying some tiny part of a huge federal wildlife refuge and have gone in some empty public buildings for shelter in order to get media attention to what they see as a serious problem.
They have already said they would be going home soon.
Was the occupation wise? That depends on what you, the people, do.
No one should be calling them "anti-government" and “aggressors” because you are just playing into the hands of provocateurs. Were they armed? Everyone in Oregon is armed especially on the East side of the Cascades. There are at least 3.4 million guns here in Oregon and only 3.8 million people. Figuring that the babies don’t have guns that is probably enough for every man from the ages of 17 to 45 to be well armed.[1] People still have a right to self defense in this state.[2]
These occupiers are protesters who are complaining about what they see as Federal government abuse by some people who work at the BLM and in the Federal government.
Anyone who reads the Hammond's whole story[3] with an open mind can hardly say otherwise. Congressman Greg Walden spoke on the situation in Harney County, Oregon and he believes that the Federal Government employees often overreach their authority in the West. He is the government and you can hear what he has to say at our website.[4] To some this injustice and abuse is an issue, to others it is a news item, but to people who are the victims it is often their whole lives.
Just because a court says you’re guilty does not necessarily make it so. Just because a jury gave a verdict does not make it justice or mercy.[5] If you think there is an injustice taking place you should not be afraid to throw a little tea into the harbor to get the king’s attention or occupy a few empty buildings to get media attention.
In 1970 former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was a part of an armed takeover of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) headquarters at Columbia University demanding it be renamed the “Malcolm X Lounge”.
They are also not "outsiders" unless they are from Syria or China or some other country since this is a Federal issue which they are protesting. With no Federal experience,[6] Amanda Marshall was appointed by the president to be the U.S. Attorney for Oregon. She made a rare appeal to overturn the sentence given by the original Senior Chief Judge Hogan[7] with almost 40 years experience and actually heard the testimony in the Hammond case and worked to extend it to five years. After winning this appeal, she suddenly stepped down from her job.[8]
Tim Titus, a local business man, pastor and member of Harney County community actually took the time with other members of the community to go and meet with Bundy and the people occupying public buildings. Once they got passed the media camping on the road they just drove in, met with them for more than an hour and even asked to pray with them saying that they were “more than willing and hats came off all around the room.”[9]
That may have been a crime in the eyes of some people. After all, praying in a public place is not considered legal anymore by some people and courts today.
Terry Lynn Barton, a forest service employee, pleaded guilty to arson charges stemming from the 2002 Hayman Fire which was the worst wildfire in Colorado's recorded history, blackened 138,000 acres, destroyed 133 homes and forced more than 8,000 people to evacuate. But she only did six-year term in prison. The Hammonds are going to have to do 10 years, pay $400,000 dollars and the government has demanded the right to buy their ranch if they go bankrupt or have to sell. The BLM simply stipulated a 400,00 dollar fine despite the fact that a conservation agent and a Fire Specialist, Roy Hogue, had both testified there was no damage from the fire but that the “land productivity had improved; no fire suppression or rehabilitation costs existed.” Read more:[10]
So why this huge fine?
Why the drive for such an abusive sentence?
To force the Hammonds to sell their home, business and land to the government. Hundreds of ranchers have already lost their homes, land and livelihood. Hundreds more all over the west not only see the danger coming but are openly threatened. Americans need to take the time to find out the whole truth.
Justice William O. Douglas wrote, “We must realize that today’s Establishment is the new George III. Whether it will continue to adhere to his tactics, we do not know. If it does, the redress, honored in tradition, is also revolution… the truth is that the vast bureaucracy now runs this country, irrespective of what party is in power.
Those in position of power have been getting away with this corruption for a long time and the corruption goes farther up. Few people would even know about this case if not for people occupying the refuge.[12] Ultimately these people occupying these tiny distant public buildings in protest of a long string of injustices are looking for refuge from what they see as abuse of their neighbor. They know they are not going to get it with an armed protest and occupying a few buildings out on the desert. They want Americans to wake up and start caring about justice and mercy for one another.
They may or may not be entirely right but they are risking their lives to get your attention. What they are doing is dangerous but if the people of Harney County and Oregon and America will peaceably support their call for justice and mercy good may yet come. There is movement.
2016 shall be a notable year.[13] We need to be wise and call upon the character of the Lord. We should be patient and not aggressive against those who stand up first for justice and mercy.
Oregon's governor expressed frustration with federal authorities' handling of the continuing occupation of a national wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon by an armed group and said it's time to end it.
"The residents of Harney County have been overlooked and underserved by federal officials' response thus far. I have conveyed these very grave concerns directly to our leaders at the highest levels of our government: the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House," Gov. Kate Brown said at Wednesday news conference.
Exasperated by a tense situation that has caused fear among local residents since it began Jan. 2, Brown said federal officials "must move quickly to end the occupation and hold all of the wrongdoers accountable."
She said the occupation has cost Oregon taxpayers nearly half a million dollars. Brown spokeswoman Melissa Navas said in an email that number is coming from labor costs for an additional law enforcement presence in the area, including overtime, travel reimbursement, lodging and meals for officers.
"We'll be asking federal officials to reimburse the state for these costs," Brown said.
Federal authorities did not return calls seeking comment.
Brown had scheduled the news conference to discuss her agenda for the upcoming legislative session, but made it a point to deliver strong words about the occupation by Ammon Bundy and his armed group of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Federal, state and local law enforcement officers have been sent to the remote area but so far have avoided doing anything that might provoke a confrontation. One occupier was arrested for unauthorized use of a vehicle after driving a vehicle owned by the refuge into Burns, and a Montana man who was stopped by Oregon State Police last week for a lighting violation was arrested on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
While many people in the region sympathize with Bundy's complaints about federal management of public lands, they have expressed fear as the occupation continues and there's been a growing call for the occupiers to go home.
Harney County Judge Steve Grasty has been at the forefront of efforts among locals to show Bundy and his followers they are not welcome. Grasty said Bundy -- who is not from Oregon -- should get the point that he and his followers need to go back to their home states and leave Harney County alone.
"It seems like he's out of touch with reality," Grasty told the AP from Burns
Grasty would like law enforcement to turn up the heat on Bundy and his fellow occupiers -- perhaps isolate them by closing off roads leading to the refuge.
"I hope they lock it down. People shouldn't be coming and going. Maybe it's time," he said.
Bundy initially took over the refuge to protest prison terms for two local ranchers convicted of setting fires on federal lands. After the ranchers voluntarily reported to prison, Bundy has justified the occupation by saying he wants federal lands in Harney County turned over to local residents, among other demands. He has also said he is obeying a divine command.
The group's spokesman -- LaVoy Finicum -- told Oregon Public Broadcasting on Wednesday they have "no plans to leave."
"We are very strong, very firm, this facility will not go back to the federal government, ever," Finicum told OPB.
1 comment:
Good heavens, I'll delete it. The link takes you to the original article sheeeesh...
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