It was a tense situation that could have easily turned into a bloodbath. As the last four armed occupiers of an Oregon wildlife refuge shouted and argued for all the world to hear, the FBI closed in with snipers and armored vehicles.
But in the end, it was the calming presence and prayers of evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham that are being credited with the peaceful resolution of the situation after the four surrendered yesterday without a shot being fired.
Rev. Graham, at the request of both the FBI and of the occupiers, was in steady phone contact with the group over the last week, helping negotiate the end and comforting the armed protesters with prayers and guidance.
Graham is the son of legendary preacher Billy Graham.
The peaceful end to the standoff, which had lasted 41 days and resulted in one death, also signaled a victory for the FBI’s patient, “low burn” approach to the trespassers, and reflected lessons federal agents have learned since bloody standoffs at Waco, Texas, and Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in the 1990s.
“This was beautifully executed,” said Brian Levin, a criminal justice professor at California State University, San Bernardino. “This siege and the way it was handled will go down in law enforcement textbooks.”
The holdouts were the last remnants of a larger group that seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 2, demanding the U.S. turn over the land to locals and release two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires, in a controversy that exposed simmering anger over the government’s control of vast expanses of Western land.
The group’s leaders, including Ammon Bundy, were arrested Jan. 26 during a traffic stop along the snowy highway to the town of John Day, where they were due to appear at a community forum. Authorities said one man, Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, reached toward a pistol inside his jacket pocket, and police shot him dead.
Most of the occupiers fled the refuge. Four stayed behind, saying they feared they would be arrested if they left: 27-year-old David Fry, of Blanchester, Ohio; Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada; and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho.
On Wednesday night, the FBI tightened its ring around the holdouts, surrounding their encampment with armored vehicles — while also arresting one of their heroes, Ammon Bundy’s father, Cliven Bundy, as he arrived in Oregon to support them. The elder Bundy appeared in federal court Thursday in Portland to hear the charges against him, all of which stem from a 2014 confrontation with federal authorities at his ranch in Nevada.
As the standoff entered its final hours, the occupiers’ panic and their negotiation with FBI agents could be heard live online, broadcast by a sympathizer of the occupiers who established phone contact with them.
Their communication with Rev. Graham seemed to provide an outlet valve for the increasing pressure from federal agents, and afterwords the FBI officially credited his assistance with helping end the standoff peaceably.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Rev. Grahm, God bless you for being involved ‘where the rubber meets the road’. Not easy, but you are trully living the life of Christ … where the people are and need to be guided, comforted and saved. Thank you!
Maggie
I gree with Maggie
Yes, now let’s pray that Rev. Graham is able to get the Hammond’s and others who are imprisoned for standing up for the Constitution, out on bail.
This administration is totally out of control and thousands more than the Hammond’s are totally enraged that the administration gets away with operating outside of the Constitution and Laws of Our Land. Dictatorship and citizens being pushed around since Barry Soetoro was placed into the presidency by dubious means created a very disturbed nation. Gov’t of the People by and for the People has become government by the Pirates for the Pirates.
Peace-Shalom-Salaam
Is always the goal of the Christ
Congratulations to all involved for a peaceful settlement
ME
The American government has drifted away from God and become so corrupt that it’s despicable. Thank you Franklin Graham for bringing God back to the front line where He needs to stay. While I don’t approve of the seizure of the refugee takeover, I pray the refugee occupiers’ strong message of government corruption and illegal unconstitutional and anti-God activities will be openly received all through America. It’s time for American citizens to wake up, get out of their comfort zones and research ALL the horrible events that have happened in America and get down on their Knees and pray to God to forgive us all of life’s bad choices, give us divine wisdom to bring faith, hope, charity, honesty, truth and guidance in ALL things. America must return to the precepts of our founding fathers to include God in our government and our lives. Remember and live according to the Ten Commandments reiterated in the New Testament. Americans are living under false pretenses, security and happiness promised from this government. Only God, through Jesus Christ, can give total peace and happiness no matter what each individual’s situation is. The God of the bible is open to ALL people who come to Him in true repentance and guidance. Thank You God for opening our blind eyes and give us open hearts and minds of compassion and understanding for the refugee occupiers. Give us Your wisdom and guidance in our lives and in the process of electing honest, trustworthy government officials who will staunchly stand behind our Constitution, our freedoms and bring God’s leadership back into this country!
Well said Ruth. If We the People had been living according to God’s will there would have been no need for so much law enforcement oversight. I was born in 1945, America is not the same country I was born into. I’m with you Ruth, It is indeed time to get on our knees and ask God’s forgiveness.
Ruth: Your comments echo the sentiments of millions of Americans: Thank you for the ability to write Our Major Concerns so eloquently and so Concise. You are stating exactly what we would like to have Restored in America. All I ever hear though is Separation of Church and State. The Churches are abiding by this agreement but the STATES are not. If I person Madlyn O’Hare can have Christian and Jewish Prayer removed from our schools why can’t MILLIONS of us have it Restored. I predicted trouble would arise on school grounds after Prayer Removal and the statics bear out many deaths on educational properties since that sad day.
s
Kudos Franklin & Michelle! Lavoy was unarmed with hands up when shot numerous times, wishing to speak with Sheriff, which was his right. Historic News excerpted also speaking to Ore. crisis: AMERICANS FREE AT LAST “… U.S.(INC.) went insolvent… intention of the perpetrators …meant to void the Constitution … The Constitution was saved and a new foundation begun…We are finally whole… court rules for judges admonish them to provide “an appearance” of Justice where there is none…Until now. The very mechanism they hoped to use to finish us off was turned against them… Our answer came by Divine Providence… realize just how close we have come to total disaster. Believe in the True God, …with One Love that is truly Divine. Walk forward now, together, hand in hand, and fear no evil. When the Truth comes what is False must pass away.” Judge Anna… Source #161 @ http://www.annavonreitz.com & much more info 😀 Blessings to all Freedom-Lovers BEing & DOing peacefully lawfully in myriad manners 4 good of ALL!
This article, like many in the MSM, falsely portrays the FBI as the “good guys” and the protesters as the “bad guys.” You don’t learn that after the FBI murdered the spokesman of the group after setting up a road block while the protesters were on their way to a community meeting, they took all the others to jail for a bunch of false charges. Finicum never reached for a gun in his pocket – he didn’t even have a gun on his person (unless one was planted by the FBI). The FBI had also hired a bunch of actors to pretend they were part of the ‘armed militia’ and stir up trouble in the community so the FBI could continue the false narrative that the protesters were a bunch of rabblerousers, when all they were doing was to keep the government from unlawfully seizing property that is not theirs, as they are doing in many other areas of the US. Why isn’t anyone reporting the real story????
I’m glad Franklin Graham was able to help resolve this standoff. He seems to be following in his father’s footsteps of ministering to people. Throughout this standoff I have been concerned that a lot of misinformed people were likely to lose their life before this ended. I think the protestors stood for what they thought was right. I don’t think they were given an accurate picture of some of the issues.
The larger question of government land ownership and control should be debated. The federal government has a habit of getting land (through eminent domain) it doesn’t need and then failing to be a good manager of the land.
Let’s be mindful that “it’s “we the people” who are the government. We are a representative form of government. We send our representatives to speak for us! Unfortunately far too many voters are uninformed on he critical issues and the wrong people end up in DC…we all know who they are. As a result it’s becoming “We the Federal Government” rather than we the people. See you at the polls in November and May God truly Bless America. In closing, Thank you Brother Graham, for standing as you do, for what’s right according to God’s Will.
God Bless Pastor Graham for his leadership in several American causes !
Amen!
Boy, is this a one sided summary of the events. It might help to explain what the grievances were (they were legitimate) and that no property was damaged, no one was killed until Robert Finicum was murdered in an ambush set up by the Feds (he was shot several times before he dropped his arms supposedly reaching for a gun – it’s on the video). These people are hard working ranchers, not terrorists, who have been harassed and demonized by BLM among others, over their use of land they had leases or permits to use which the Feds wanted them to vacate. For some more background, check the following link. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3AxhW5O77TiV0J%3Atvoinews.com%2Ffeatured%2F15284%2F+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us .
These people didn’t threaten or injure anyone (unlike real terrorists) and were no threat to the communities around them. The only disruption was caused by “The Authorities”.
I agree with you Ruth totally!!! Thank God for Jesus Christ! and thank God for the reverend gentleman! God Bless!!!
Pastor Franklin Graham was able to be of help, because everyone involved trusted him. Our government has to get that ideology back to be effective in serving our nation. Too many people have lost their trust in our government. Once you lose a persons trust, on any level it is hard to restore that trust. For our government to regain its power and strength to serve rather than to dictate, it will need to regain that trust. Turning to socialism is not an effective act of serving. Joining Pastor Graham in prayer will be the first step. The best pastors are the ones who learn to serve. The best governments are the ones who focus on true serving also. Jesus came to serve. At least Christians should know that. Thank you Pastor Graham for stepping forth to serve.
You need to get your facts straight before you report. You are not mentioning the criminal actions of the BLM attempting to burn out and threatening ranchers in east Oregon. Some have reported that a French mercenary group known as Blackstone “You Pay; We Slay” was hired to ambush the Bundys and the other people traveling to the meeting with the constitutional sheriff and 400 locals in John Day, Oregon.. It is reported that uranium was discovered on the Hammond Ranch back in 1956 and again in 1977. They refused to sell their ranch so that it could be mined. Apparently it has leaked out that Hillary Clinton has sold the mining rights to the private property owned by the Hammonds to Uranium One, Inc., a corporation out of Canada, which is owned by Russians. It has been reported that Hillary has sold 20% of the high grade weapons uranium mined and to be mined from land owned by Americans to Russia. This is high treason. Regarding the Bundy ranch in Nevada, U.S. Senator Harry Reid has sold the ranch privately owned by Cliven Bundy to China for $4.5 Billion for a solar farm. The feds are using the BLM to scare these people off their land or burn them out. When is the truth about these criminals in the federal government going to be exposed by the main stream media.
Never, the same people that control our government also control the media!
“One of our best-kept secrets is the degree to which a handful of huge corporations control the flow of information in the United States. Whether it is television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books or the Internet, a few giant conglomerates are determining what we see, hear and read. And the situation is likely to become much worse as a result of radical deregulation efforts by the Bush administration and some horrendous court decisions. Television is the means by which most Americans get their “news.” Without exception, every major network is owned by a huge conglomerate that has enormous conflicts of interest. … The bottom line is that fewer and fewer huge conglomerates are controlling virtually everything that the ordinary American sees, hears and reads. This is an issue that Congress can no longer ignore.”
— Bernie Sanders(1941-) US Senator VT, former US Congressman VT
Source: “Congress Can No Longer Ignore Corporate Control of the Media,” The Hill (12 June 2002)
There’s your reason, Jeannette.
We lost the Republic a long time ago; the “democracy” we allegedly have now is but a smokescreen to give voters the ILLUSION of choice. In reality, what we have is a Corporatocracy.
i remember how smart i thought i was when i realized that corporations control the USG – well, until i found the following quote:
“This is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people no longer. It is a government of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations.”
-Rutherford B. Hayes, 1876
Well, that was about a hundred years before i figured it out. So i wasn’t very smart; i was ignorant, just like those who control CCMSM(corporate-controlled mainstream media) want us to remain. An educated public is the LAST thing these tyrants want. What they’ve been successfully doing for a LONG time is to keep us “entertained” (by the Horns of the Beast, aka radio, magazines, and esp. radio/teevee) and therefore ignorant of what they’re up to – well, until it’s too late for us to do anything about it(or so they like to think).
And just who kept the money Hillary received from the sale of the land abundant with radioactive minerals? The government is way out of line with no end in sight with the Current Administrative Representatives spread through out in various capacities. We have Our Golden Opportunity to change all this with a Candidate for the Presidency that is Honest; Gruff: Blunt and Patriotic and doesn’t stand for sheer and utter nonsense. If you don’t know who I am referring to you probably would be wise to stay far away from the polling booths. Donald Trump is the go getter with the brilliant mind for rejuvenating our fledging economy. He is the Only Candidate with the skills required to make America Rebound to where we should actually be in the 21st century.
The article doesn’t say; were the remaining 4 arrested, and if so, for what? Trespassing? Destruction of “government” property? Hopefully, that’s all; no felony charges should be brought, if any at all – and hopefully, they’ll each demand a jury trial, then repeatedly inform each jury pool that they have the right and duty to NOT ONLY judge the facts of the case against them, but ALSO THE LAW ITSELF!
Here, check out this relatively short story:
“Look, Mr. Straun, John, can I call you John? We’ve been at this for 25 days. We’re all sick of this. We all want to go home. You’re the only one left. You’re the one keeping us here. I got things to do at home. I got to go to work and make a living. All of us do. The judge is mad as hell at us. You’re going to hang this jury. You’re going to make this three-month trial into a farce and waste of time. You have no right to vote acquittal. You heard the judge’s instructions. The jury is not allowed to judge the law, only the facts.”
“The facts are clear as day, aren’t they?” Dillard ranted. “You even admitted that to us. The guy was found with marijuana in his car. That’s against the law. And the guy admitted the marijuana was his. What more do you need?” said Raymond Dillard, the jury foreman. Raymond Dillard was tall, beefy, in his 30’s, and he was getting mad, so mad he wanted to beat John Straun’s head in.
Straun was a small, slim man in his 30’s, with a straight back, dark brown hair, large, steady eyes, and a firm mouth. He seemed not to care at all about all the trouble he was causing. And he seemed to be fearless.
John Straun said, “I don’t care what the judge said. I happen to know for a fact that a jury has the right to judge the law. Jury nullification has a long history in this country. A jury has the right to judge the law, not just the facts.”
Raymond Dillard and a few other jurors sneered. Dillard said, “Oh, are you a lawyer, Mr. Straun? You think you know more than the judge? What history are you talking about?”
John Straun said calmly, “No, I’m not a lawyer. I’m an engineer. But in this particular case, I do know more than the judge. When I found out I was going to be on this jury, I did a little research about the history of juries, just for the hell of it. Most people don’t know this, but jury nullification has been upheld as a sacred legal principal in English common law for 1000 years. Alfred the Great, a great English king a thousand years ago, hung several of his own judges because they removed jurors who refused to convict and replaced these courageous jurors with other jurors they could intimidate into convicting the defendant on trial.”
“Jury nullification also goes back to the very beginning of our country, as one of the crucial rights our Founding Fathers wanted to protect. Our Founding Fathers wanted juries to be the final bulwark against tyrannical government laws. That’s why they emphasized the right to a jury trial in three of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. John Adams, second President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, third President and author of the Declaration of Independence, John Jay, First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Alexander Hamilton, First Secretary of the Treasury all flatly stated that juries have the right and duty to judge not only the facts in a case, but also the law, according to their conscience.”
“Not only that, more recent court decisions have reaffirmed this right. In 1969, in “US. vs. Moylan,” the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the right of juries to judge the law in a case. In 1972, the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the same principle.”
Raymond Dillard said, “Yeah, if that’s the case, how come the judge didn’t tell us this?”
“That’s because of the despicable Supreme Court decision in “Sparf and Hansen vs. The United States” in 1895.” John Straun said. “That decision said juries have the right to judge the law, but that a judge doesn’t have to inform juries of this right. Cute, huh? And guess what happened after this decision? Judges stopped telling juries about their rights.”
“The judge knows about jury nullification. All judges do. But they hate letting juries decide the law. They hate juries taking power away from them. That’s why judges never mention a jury’s right to judge the law, and most judges squash defense attorneys from saying anything about it in court. Remember when Jimmy Saunders’ defense lawyer started talking about it? The judge threatened him with contempt if he didn’t shut up about jury nullification.”
“And since you asked me,” Straun continued, “I’ll tell you a little more about jury nullification. Did you ever hear of the Fugitive Slave Act? Did you ever hear of Prohibition? Do you know why those despicable laws were repealed? Because juries were so outraged over those laws that they consistently refused to convict people who violated them. They refused to convict because they knew that these laws were unjust and tyrannical, that Congress had no right making these laws in the first place. So, because juries wouldn’t convict, the government couldn’t make these laws stick. They tried for many years, but finally gave up.”
“What do you think this mad War on Drugs is that we’ve been fighting the last sixty years? It’s the same as Prohibition in the 20’s. It’s the same principle. A tyrannical government is telling people that they can’t take drugs, just like in the 20’s they said people couldn’t drink liquor. What’s the difference? A tyrannical law is telling people what they can or can’t put in their own bodies. Who owns our bodies, us or the self-righteous politicians? Does the government own your body, Mr. Dillard? Do you smoke, Mr. Dillard? Do you drink beer?”
Dillard nodded his head, “Yeah, I do.”
“Well, how would you like it if they passed laws telling you that can’t smoke, or drink a beer anymore. Would you like that, Mr. Dillard?”
Dillard looked at John Straun, thought about the question, then admitted, “No, I wouldn’t, Straun.”
John Straun turned to the others around the table. “You, Jack, you said you’re sixty-five years old. You like to play golf, right? What if they passed a law saying anyone over sixty-five can’t play golf because the exercise might give him a heart attack? You, Frank, you said you eat hamburgers at McDougals all the time. What if they passed a law saying fatty hamburgers give people heart attacks, so we’re closing down all the McDougal restaurants in the country, and they make eating a hamburger a criminal offence? You, Mrs. Pelchat, I see you like to smoke. Everyone knows that smoking can give you lung cancer. How would you like it if they passed a law banning all cigarettes? What if they could crash in the door of your house without a warrant to search for cigarettes in your house, like the SWAT teams do now, looking for drugs? Mrs. Pelchat, how would you like to be on trial like Jimmy Saunders because they found a pack of cigarettes you hid under your mattress?”
“Do you all see what I mean? If they can make it a crime for Jimmy Saunders to smoke marijuana, why can’t they make golf, hamburgers, and cigarettes a crime? If you think they wouldn’t try, think again. They had Prohibition in the 20’s for almost ten years, till they finally gave up. The only reason they haven’t banned cigarettes is because there are thirty million cigarette smokers in this country who would scream bloody murder. They get away with making marijuana and other drugs illegal only because drug-users are a small minority in this country. Drug users don’t have any political clout.”
Raymond Dillard sat down in his chair. The others started talking among themselves. John Straun started seeing heads nodding in agreement, thinking about what he had said.
“OK, Straun,” Dillard said. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe Jimmy Saunders shouldn’t go to jail for smoking marijuana. Hell, probably most of us tried the stuff when we were young. Clinton said he smoked marijuana in college. Bush said he tried drugs in college. Probably half of Congress and their kids took drugs one time or another. O.K. we agree with you. But what about the judge. He said we can’t judge the law.”
John Straun stood up. He was not a tall man, but he stood very straight, and he looked very sure of himself. He looked from one to another of them.
He said, “If you agree with me, then I ask you all to vote for acquittal. You are not only defending Jimmy Saunders. liberty, but your own. You are fighting a tyrannical law that is enforced by a judge who wants the power to control you. I told you that many juries like us in the past have disregarded the judge’s instructions. They stood up for liberty against a tyrannical law. Are you Americans here? What do you value more, your liberty, your pride as free men, or the instructions of a judge who doesn’t want you to judge the law precisely because he knows you’ll find the law unjust? Will you stand with those juries who defended our liberty in the past, or will you give in to this judge?”
”Here’s another thing to think about,” John Straun said with passion. “What if it was your sister or brother on trial here? Do you know that if we say Saunders is guilty, the judge has to send him to prison for twenty years? I understand this is Saunders’ third possession charge. You know the “three strikes and you’re out” rule, don’t you? The politicians passed a law that if a guy gets convicted three times on possession, the judge now has no leeway in sentencing. He has to give the poor guy twenty years in prison. What if it were your sister or brother on trial? Should they go to jail for smoking marijuana, for doing something that should not be a crime in the first place? Do we want to send Jimmy Saunders to prison for twenty years because he smoked a joint, hurting no one? Can you have that on your conscience?”
“Do you know that there are almost a million guys like Jimmy Saunders in federal prisons right now, as we speak, for this same so-called “crime” of smoking marijuana or taking other drugs? These men were sent to prison for mere possession. They harmed no one but themselves when they took drugs. How can you have a crime without a victim? When does this horror stop? It has got to stop. I’m asking you all now to stop it right here, at least for Jimmy Saunders. The only thing that can stop tyrannical laws and politicians is you and me, juries like us. If we do nothing, we’re lost, the country is lost.”
“I’m asking you all to bring in a not-guilty verdict, because the drug laws are unjust and a moral obscenity. I’m asking you all be the kind of Americans our Founding Fathers would have been proud of, these same men who fought for your liberty. That’s what I’m asking of all of you.”
John Straun sat down and looked quietly at Dillard and all the others around the table. They looked back at him, and it seemed that their backs began to straighten up, and they no longer complained about going home. They were quiet. Then they talked passionately amongst each other.
Fifteen minutes later, they walked into the courtroom and sat down in the jury box. When the judge asked Raymond Dillard what the verdict was, he was stunned when Dillard, standing tall, looking straight at the judge, said “Not guilty.” Over the angry rantings of the red-faced judge, all in the jury box looked calmly at John Straun, and felt proud to be an American.
“The jury has the right to judge both the law as well as the fact in controversy.”
— John Jay(1745-1829) first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, First President of the United States – preceding George Washington, one of three men most responsible for the US Constitution
Source: Georgia v. Brailsford, 1794
“To say that subjects in general are not proper judges (of the law) when their governors oppress them and play the tyrant, and when they defend their rights …is as great a treason as ever a man uttered. Tis treason not against one single man, but against the state – against the whole body politic; tis treason against mankind; tis treason against Common sense; tis treason against God; And this impious principle lays the foundation for justifying all the tyranny and oppression that ever any prince was guilty of. The people know for what end they set up and maintain their governors, and they are the proper judges when governors execute their trust as they ought to do it.”
— Jonathan Mayhew(1720-1766) Founding Father, clergyman, minister
“The jury, in all criminal cases, shall be the judges of the law and the facts.”
— Georgia, Declaration of Rights, Art.I, Sec.II, Para. I
If none of those arrested know the foregoing, someone should forward it to anyone who has their ear; they need to know how to pick a jury, and that judges have moved from “not telling them about their rights as jurors” to positively FORBIDDING defendants or their lawyers from even MENTIONING it, which is clearly corruption of the highest order.
i really love this man. i’ve followed his life off and on most of his life. he is a real person really in love with the Christ he surrendered to. so proud of how he stands for what all of us should. really a beautiful spirit.
It isn’t over yet folks! The feds are now strong arming congress for more power to hunt & execute more Constitutional American Patriots!
They are paralleling Nazi Germany to a fine art!
They think they will control us by instilling fear and terror, but all the have accomplished is to fill Constitutional American Patriots with a TERRIBLE RESOLVE!
WE, THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BETRAYED! WE, THE PEOPLE STAND ALONE! Armed Revolution is the ONLY Solution! They have left us no other choice!
I believe much will come out of this. Especially when The Clinton Foundation may be a part of the “WHY” many privately owned properties are being “taken” by BLM’s (Bureau’s of Land Management) out west.
My other thought concerning this “act” by some alleged “Patriots” is: “Why didn’t they go to the Hammond Ranch and help that family?” I’m sure SOMETHING could have been done to raise the monies needed. So the Hammond family could have kept that ranch!
Lastly, I’ve read, and seen a video, where the BLM was the “culprit” on “starting the fires”, which the Hammonds are accused of! If, and when, this video is released during trial. Will it be enough to exonerate the Hammonds? Will the government admit the “takeovers” of all the ranches was illegal? Will the government admit, especially since there is evidence now showing the Clinton Foundation was involved, these takeovers were for “natural resources”, ie; uranium etc.
What’s y’alls thoughts?
Ted-
i disagree that armed revolution is the answer. In fact, there are certain eschelons w/in the USG who are TRYING to provoke a fight, so that they can whip out all the secret weapons they’ve amassed since they stole Nikola Tesla’s papers after his death and utterly crush the spirit of Liberty and self-government forever(or so they plan). Let us use the courts, the internet, and publicity to get to the truths of the matter, first – only if those fail should the 2nd Amendment be put to full use, and then only as selectively as possible.
i would recommend – like i always do – arrests of oathbreakers for Felony perjury, that is, lying under their oaths of office, first.
Crazy Elf-
i think your ideas are meritorious, although from what i’ve read, the Bundy;s did set the fires that they were accused of – but they did zero damage to anyone’s life, liberty, or property – and in fact, during their trial one of the BLM agents freely admitted that what fires they set IMPROVED the range. OTOH, many of the fires set by the BLM killed privately-owned cattle, destroyed outbuildings, and generally cost the law-abiding dearly – and those so injured by BLM agents were never even apologized to, much less made whole again by the payment of monies for damages THEY CAUSED.
But what is the underlying issue is whether or not the Federal government acted Constitutionally in retaining alleged “federal lands” once the former territories were accepted as States; all such lands should have had federal control relinquished IMMEDIATELY, unless federal agents PURCHASED the lands in question IAW the Constitution’s provisions for acquiring land for the use of the Federal Government. If no gov’t agent followed the Constitution for the acquisition of those lands, then they DON’T BELONG to the federal government and ARE NOT “federal lands” to begin with.
Speaking of which, please google up a copy of the Constitution and read it carefully, especially the Preamble to the Bill of Rights and the 9th and 10th Amendments, looking for ANY provision – any Article, paragraph, sentence or line – which would authorize anything REMOTELY like a Federal “Bureau of Land Management.” Since you won’t find anything like that, the BLM is Unconstitutional, and should be immediately destroyed/dismantled….and here’s the principle involved, oft-repeated in American jurisprudence:
“The general misconception is that any statute passed by legislators bearing bearing the appearance of law constitutes the law of the land. The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and any statute, to be valid, must be in agreement. It is impossible for a law which violates the Constitution to be valid. This is succinctly stated as follows: ‘All laws which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void.’ Marbury vs. Madison, 5 US (2 Cranch) 137, 174, 176, (1803)
The latest iteration of this principle i can find is from here:
‘An unconstitutional act is not law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties; affords no protection; it creates no office; it is in legal contemplation, as inoperative as though it had never been passed.’ Norton vs. Shelby County 118 US 425 p. 442
But Oregon, as a State, would need to file suit for the Constitutional breach; no private Citizen may do so, because no private Citizen is a party to the US Constitution.
Still, the principle remains the same: if there can be found NO provision of the Constitution FOR(not “of,” btw) the United States of America where anything like the BLM is authorized, it is NOT authorized. Period. Therefore any actions they have taken since their inception/founding are null and void, including their actions against the Bundy’s(and many other unfortunates).