Armed Militia Members take over Federal Building in Oregon

[DrDoug]

An interesting Oregon Public Broadcasting story with more detail on what is going on in Harney County.

10:55 A.M., FBI Base Outside of Burns

The safest stretch of land in Harney County is some 30 miles away from the refuge and about 7 miles out of town. On a two-lane highway surrounded by scattered ranches and sagebrush, the FBI has set up shop next to the Burns Municipal Airport.
Federal agents have a different media strategy than the militants — they want the press to get lost.


“Hey, bud, can I help you?” an unidentified agent says to an OPB reporter. “Do you need assistance?”
The agent walks from behind a concrete barrier blocking the airport road.
He’s dressed more for Syria than southeast Oregon. He’s wearing a military-grade green bulletproof vest, helmet, side arm and a utility belt that would make Batman jealous.
In so many words, the reporter is told to leave. It’s a politely tense exchange, with both the FBI agent and OPB working quickly to understand what’s going on.
When asked who’s in charge, the FBI agent points at the road that heads back to Burns.

Lots more to the story at the link...

 

[Zorba]

An interesting Oregon Public Broadcasting story with more detail on what is going on in Harney County.

Lots more to the story at the link...

Too bad law enforcement is more concerned with reporters than the militants.

I can see the point of view about avoiding a direct stand off, but not turning off power or water and blocking access, I really don't understand. I don't think they are just going to wake up tomorrow, realize they are stupid and leave. For a lot of them, living in that building is probably nicer than their trailer at home.

 

[DrDoug]

Bundy Boy and Blue Tarp Man, Lavoy Finicum, has reported that his foster children were taken from him and his wife. This article covers the story and IMO the way Tarp Man comes across regarding the loss of the kids, it's a good thing they were taken away. Why? He doesn't lament or worry about the kids themselves but rather the loss of income to him and his wife.

He says it loud and clear and in his own words:

“That was my main source of income,” Finicum said. “My ranch, well, the cows just cover the costs of the ranch. If this means rice and beans for the next few years, so be it. We’re going to stay the course.”

The troubled foster kids were his main source of income. In 2010 he was paid over $115,000 for foster services.

Government tyranny indeed.

 

[JSt0rm]

Bundy Boy and Blue Tarp Man, Lavoy Finicum, has reported that his foster children were taken from him and his wife. This article covers the story and IMO the way Tarp Man comes across regarding the loss of the kids, it's a good thing they were taken away. Why? He doesn't lament or worry about the kids themselves but rather the loss of income to him and his wife.

He says it loud and clear and in his own words:

The troubled foster kids were his main source of income. In 2010 he was paid over $115,000 for foster services.

Government tyranny indeed.

just when you think it cant get any better. lol.

 

[kage69]

Bundy Boy and Blue Tarp Man, Lavoy Finicum, has reported that his foster children were taken from him and his wife. This article covers the story and IMO the way Tarp Man comes across regarding the loss of the kids, it's a good thing they were taken away. Why? He doesn't lament or worry about the kids themselves but rather the loss of income to him and his wife.

He says it loud and clear and in his own words:

The troubled foster kids were his main source of income. In 2010 he was paid over $115,000 for foster services.

Government tyranny indeed.

Disgusting. These nuts seriously have no shame at all. None.

Get paid to have "a few extra farm hands,"? All the while you and your friends like Ammon bitch and moan about 'the negro' getting state assistance? Messed up on so many levels.

To hell with this prick and the horse that rode in on him. Send in SWAT, this has gone on long enough.

 

[Darwin333]

It looks like the Oregon State Patrol has busted one of the militiamen driving a wildlife refuge vehicle into Burns. The story says that the state trooper charged the idiot with possession of a stolen vehicle. It will be interesting to see how the Bundy Militia responds to one of their compatriots being tossed in the slammer.

I'm expecting full metal stupid.

Boy it takes a special kind of stupid to take an absurdly high profile stolen .gov vehicle into town.

 

[DrDoug]

The Bundy Boys had a meeting in Crane, OR last night (Mon). Word is about 30 people showed up. I found a Twitter feed of someone who was there reporting on it for some reporting from within the meeting. The message of the meeting is clear; these are Sovereign Citizens. Their focus is on the same aspects of law that the SC idiots have been litigating for since their founding. This isn't about ranchers, that's just and excuse.

Some tweets:

Conrad Wilson ‏@conradjwilson 4h4 hours ago Bundy asks folks to get out their pocket Constitutions they were passed out at the beginning of the meeting. Turn to Article 4, Section 3.

Conrad Wilson ‏@conradjwilson 4h4 hours ago
Bundy says the government will "use their own court systems" to defend land #Oregonstandoff

Conrad Wilson ‏@conradjwilson 3h3 hours ago
Ammon is taking about how federal courts are "coming down" to the local county level, which makes it hard to try and "find justice."

Conrad Wilson ‏@conradjwilson 3h3 hours ago
Payne points out the Constitution is a short document #Oregonstandoff

Conrad Wilson ‏@conradjwilson 3h3 hours ago
"Anything that is not in the Constitution, the federal government is not allowed to do," Ryan Payne says at mtng in Crane #Oregonstandoff

Conrad Wilson ‏@conradjwilson 3h3 hours ago
Ryan Bundy says one solution to "claiming your rights" is to rip up grazing contracts with the BLM.

Conrad Wilson ‏@conradjwilson 2h2 hours ago Scott Franklin, 4th generation Harney Co rancher, says the Bundy's are asking too much, asking them to give up everything. #Oregonstandoff

Conrad Wilson ‏@conradjwilson 2h2 hours ago Of the people who have spoken here, mostly a few ranchers, it seems like the crowd is skeptical of the Bundy bros message. #Oregonstandoff

 

[Ns1]

Weird tangent, but have any of you ever watched that Curious George show on PBS and Netflix? I have a young daughter, and she loves it. Anyway, on this one episode, they show how the local chef is able to grow all the food for his restaurant on his little urban rooftop garden. I know it's just a kid's TV show but I about choked. If such a thing was even remotely possible..

There's quite a few high end restaurants in LA that have rooftop gardens that supply the restaurant.

 

[IronWing]

bwaahahahahahahahahaha they got a box of dicks

http://gawker.com/angry-militia-lea..._source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

The video is like watching Billy Jack in the evil Spock universe.

 

[Jaskalas]

The Bundy Boys had a meeting in Crane, OR last night (Mon).

How did they do that while illegally occupying a building?
Travel and communication should be blocked. These are criminals and should be in the midst of a siege.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

The horns of war have sounded!
http://gawker.com/powerful-oregon-militiamen-upload-video-of-themselves-1753840048

 

[SMOGZINN]

How did they do that while illegally occupying a building?
Travel and communication should be blocked. These are criminals and should be in the midst of a siege.

Therein lies the problem that a lot of us have with this, the authorities are treating this more like some kids playing a prank then a group of armed men that has broken into a federal facility, destroyed government property, and threatening federal employees. We rightfully feel that any other group that attempted something similar would have met with very different results.

 

[nickqt]

Therein lies the problem that a lot of us have with this, the authorities are treating this more like some kids playing a prank then a group of armed men that has broken into a federal facility, destroyed government property, and threatening federal employees. We rightfully feel that any other group that attempted something similar would have met with very different results.

You have to deal with conservative gun fondlers with kid gloves, else they end up shooting themselves and setting their own compound on fire. And then another one of them reads some shitty fiction and goes and blows up a federal building.
Because freedom.

 

[Zorba]

How did they do that while illegally occupying a building?
Travel and communication should be blocked. These are criminals and should be in the midst of a siege.

Apparently shutting off power or blocking access would "escalate the situation," so instead the FBI is sitting miles down the road hoping they just leave on their own.

Meanwhile:

 

[Jhhnn]

Therein lies the problem that a lot of us have with this, the authorities are treating this more like some kids playing a prank then a group of armed men that has broken into a federal facility, destroyed government property, and threatening federal employees. We rightfully feel that any other group that attempted something similar would have met with very different results.

They're treating it as their honeypot. The statutes of limitation on most federal crimes are 5 years, some longer.

Patience, grasshopper.

 

[waggy]

this is still ongoing? wtf.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

this is still ongoing? wtf.

Ha! I was just going to post the same thing. These morons should be round up by the feds already.

 

[cbrunny]

Scurrrrrrrvey!

 

[zinfamous]

this is still ongoing? wtf.

it's starting to get cold and snowy over here (you know. from where all the news comes).

folks here are too busy buying milk to pay attention to last week's news.

by the way...was this even addressed in either party debates over the last week?

 

[DrDoug]

A real community meeting was held in Burns tonight (Tues) this time Bundy sat in the bleachers and got an earful:

But the audience of perhaps 300 people had plenty to say, and it seemed the cork had come out of the county.
One woman said she appreciated the attention Bundy has brought to rural issues but told him, "Get the hell out of my county."
Another man gestured at Bundy and gave him the same message.
"Are you happy you did this to our community?" he said.
Another woman, shaking in anger, called out Bundy for the fear he's caused in local schools, which closed for a week after the occupation began. She yelled across the gym at him, telling him to leave and "go to jail where you deserve to be!"
At one point, someone yelled, "Let Ammon speak." Another retorted: "He's not from Harney County."


...


A 25-year resident of Harney County said Bundy "hijacked the Hammonds" for his own cause. He said as long as Bundy and his group hold the refuge, the Hammonds have no hope for clemency or any other relief.
Rancher Tom Sharp noted that Bundy and others had "lectured" local ranchers the night before on the need for them to repudiate their federal grazing permits.
Such a move would be "terribly destructive," Sharp said.
He noted that Bundy's impact on the community hasn't been good.
"Our personal relationships have been damaged," Sharp said.
He said it was time for patient law enforcement agents to act against "an active crime scene" at the refuge. He urged the refuge be isolated, services be cut off, and supplies no longer allowed in. He proposal drew applause and cheers from some in the crowd.

While there were some who had words for the local government and the Hammond's case, it sounds like Bundy and his gang have pretty much wore out their welcome in Harney County.

Just before the meeting tonight Oregon Live posted this article... an excerpt:

On Tuesday, Bundy offered a more expansive agenda that reaches out to the logging industry. He said federal forests in the county hold a seven- to 10-year supply of downed timber that would be used to reopen the local sawmill.

He's taking over the local public lands, intends to use force against the government if the try to stop individuals from exercising their rights to the land he is giving to them and is calling in everyone who wants to go for the gold, so to say. I like it that he admits that there are enough trees to supply the mill for 7 to 10 years, which will pump up economic activity (according to him). Great! Now what happens to the sawmill and loggers after 7 to 10 years when they run out of trees?

Fucking morons with guns...

 

[theeedude]

Good approach to right wing idiots in general. Ignore them and let them make fools of themselves.

 

[SMOGZINN]

They're treating it as their honeypot. The statutes of limitation on most federal crimes are 5 years, some longer.

Patience, grasshopper.

There comes a point legally where they go from honeypot to consent. I think they are dangerously close to a point where the courts will say that they can't charge other people with a crime when they explicitly allowed them to go and stay there.

 

[trenchfoot]

Good approach to right wing idiots in general. Ignore them and let them make fools of themselves.

Seems to me the Federali's are either waiting for those idiots to get tired of their taking the gov't hostage and leave on their own accord, or are waiting for public opinion to swing hard over to their side of the issue and then, with kid gloves on, attempt to make arrests with the knowledge that doing so will be met with the resistance that further enrages the public and solidifies the public support they were waiting for.

Then and only then will the federal agencies go in hard, fast and violent (as rehearsed) to make the arrests as bloodless as possible.

 

[WelshBloke]

At the end of the day they are squatting in an unoccupied building in the arse end of nowhere making idiots of themselves.
Do they really need the full force of the government deployed against them?
No ones been hurt, it might be nice to keep it that way.
I think that they have got (or are getting) the message that public opinion is hardening against them.

Let them piss off home and send them a bill for any damages caused.

 

[Darwin333]

There comes a point legally where they go from honeypot to consent. I think they are dangerously close to a point where the courts will say that they can't charge other people with a crime when they explicitly allowed them to go and stay there.

Ooh this is something that I haven't thought of. While I doubt it will get them off of criminal charges there is another angle to look at. If I knowingly allow someone to take over my property and do nothing about it then I'd be liable for everything that they did. If they decided to sell drugs out of my house they could seize my house. If they started a fire that spread to my neighbors wouldn't I be responsible as well?