Sheriff, Feds: Rancher Must Be Held Accountable (Bundy)

[herding cats]

Source: Associated Press

U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials say they agree with a Nevada sheriff's position that rancher Cliven Bundy must be held accountable for his role in an April standoff between his supporters and the federal agency.

Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie said Bundy crossed the line when he allowed states' rights supporters, including self-proclaimed militia members, onto his property to aim guns at police.

"If you step over that line, there are consequences to those actions," Gillespie told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "And I believe they stepped over that line. No doubt about it. They need to be held accountable for it."

Bureau spokeswoman Celia Boddington, in a statement released Saturday to The Associated Press, said the agency continues to pursue the matter "aggressively through the legal system."

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/sheriff-feds-rancher-held-accountable-24440891

[Hoppy]

1. -------------We're waiting -------------------------------------------------------------------------

[herding cats]

2. Per the article it's a cluster among those in power.

The US Bureau of Land Management says the sheriff promised support and then backed down leaving them holding the bag. The sheriff claims they said, "'this is not the time to do this," but the bureau insisted they knew what they were doing and proceeded anyway.

What a mess.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. .

[MrMickeysMom]

15. perfect!

[NutmegYankee]

14. What's the rush?

The militiaman are getting baked in the desert summer and the lack of action will weaken their resolve and focus. You never attack when your enemy is ready and waiting. if we really wanted to get things rolling, cut off electricity to the ranch. No electric power - no well water.

[JohnnyRingo]

18. I agree with your title....

When arrest warrants are handed down for trafficing narcotics, the local sheriff doesn't usually kick in the door of a crack house and chance frenzied gunfire, they pick them up off the street or at home and inform them of the indictment.

I think that's a possible outcome of this case as well. The feds undoubtable know individually who they are and where they live. Wait until they're at home and not expecting that knock on the door. As a bonus, everyone one of them found guilty will lose their federal right to own a firearm. In their case, the govt truly is coming for their guns. hahaha

[freshwest]

3. That pursuing "aggressively through the legal system," only applies to those who respect the law.

As long as this has gone on, Bundy and his cult likely believe he's got full squatter's rights by now. Laws have to be backed up by force, and this has not been.

[C Moon]

8. I think you're right.

[ZombieHorde]

24. In my opinion,

human life is more important than keeping some cows off public land.

[freshwest]

25. Human life is not more important to the Bundies than their profits. Consider that for a moment.

No one EVER advocated killing the Bundies for illegal grazing. But their followers threatened to kill to keep on doing it. The lives of all concerned are worth saving, not just the lives of the Bundies and their followers, one of whom did kill two LEOs in Las Vegas. The Bundies are well armed, they aren't victims.

Force is not always lethal. But the threat of killing people over cattle grazing is okay to the Bundies and their militia pals. That distinction needs to be made and shouldn't be ignored.

Also the right of others in the area stolen by the Bundy gang to live their lives in peace, were abridged, and law was designed to protect them.

Equality of rights is not only for the wealthy, landowners or those who are well armed and threatening to kill others. Thus, some force was needed to stop them doing that, but the BLM was pulled off and the local sheriff may have been bought off or too frightened to act.

Two examples of how local authorities did not act to protect the liberties of less influential persons and their children:

Gay couple w/ 4 kids bullied in Arizona for months, kids threatened with gun

http://www.examiner.com/article/gay-couple-w-4-kids-bullied-arizona-for-months-kids-threatened-with-gun

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113717029

Gay Gilbert Couple terrorized, Police says it is their fault for being gay

http://archive.azcentral.com/video/1662294353001

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113714688

Note the comments on thread from the locals in the know:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113714688#post6

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113714688#post15

We don't know why the sheriff said he was going to help the BLM carry out their lawful acts, then left them hanging. It may be they'll never enforce the law, and let the militias hold the area, although locals asked their elected representative to free them of armed roadblocks.

Some places are corrupted by religion and money. How many more miles of territory will be under their thumb in the years to come in the USA?

RWers want to divide the nation into easily ruled oligarchic holdings. Generations to come may forget laws about equality and civil rights and let armed gunmen tell them what to do. History does not always have a happy ending and there is no one coming to save us from our own apathy.

The Civil Rights era did not come without force being applied by government. That was about people and a number of federal troops lost their lives in the shootout with those willing to shoot federal authorities to maintain their powers over blacks.

No one is unaware of who is really being threatened. This is not about wildlife being more important than human life. It is about the power of federal law required to put people like the Bundies under the rule of law, not letting wannabe oligarchs get their way unfairly. It's not about cattle.



JMHO. YMMV.

[ZombieHorde]

26. I don't think this compares to what was happening during the civil rights fights.

The civil rights fights were about how we treat people. The Bundy situation is about permits, rule of law, etc. Whose life will be better off after a shootout with them? My life won't be any better. Minorities won't be treated any better. What are we getting for the blood that would likely be spilled?

Also the right of others in the area stolen by the Bundy gang to live their lives in peace, were abridged, and law was designed to protect them.

Unless I am misinformed, the Bundy cattle are on public land, so the private property isn't being trespassed on. I know some of the militia folk were creating checkpoints, which was disturbing for the neighbors, but I don't think that is worth a shootout. I'm glad law enforcement backed off for now so the situation could deescalate. I hope they handle the situation in a more clever way. It's July, and the temperatures there must be high. Many of the militia folk may just leave on their own.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

29. And so, it will be all the more satisfying when they're picked up.

It will be life-affirming to watch them all get ground to penniless dust in the fine gears of the federal legal system.

[sakabatou]

4. Think Bundy's fans come back?

[freshwest]

9. Well, one of his fans, Jared Miller won't be coming back... Just sayin'

[Cha]

5. It will be sweet day of justice when it does. Thanks herding cats!

[bbgrunt]

6. we're all waiting........

but they seem to be waiting for it to just disappear down the memory hole.

[freshwest]

10. Yeah, popcorn sales are down in Nevada. It was great for a while:

Best comment on KOS, IMO:

The US strategy makes sense, in that respect:

Bundies: We want to defend MURICA!


BLM: We're just trying to do our job.


Bundies: Just itchin' to shoot me a government agent!


BLM: Um...


Bundies: Gonna put the women and children up front so they get shot first on teevee!


BLM: You guys are crazy.


Bundies: You govment folk just try us!


BLM: Screw this, it's hot and we're not getting paid enough to deal with asylum escapees.

(They leave.)


Two weeks later...


Bundies: They're gonna come and attack us any day now.

Aaaaaany day now.


(tumbleweeds float by)


Aaaaaany day now.




by catwho on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 09:44:04 AM PDT
[ Parent ] 


[trusty elf]

11. ..................

[IMG][/IMG]

[Swede Atlanta]

12. I'm sure we have the Bundy ranch under surveillance from drones and satellite........

and when the time is right, i.e. when the risk of loss of life is at its lowest level, the federal government will strike.

Obama is a cool cucumber. They had OBL under surveillance for months. He waited and took a risky but successful shot at nabbing him.

This can't turn into another Waco and whatever action is taken will be used by the right as further evidence of Obama's imperial presidency. But we cannot let Bundy and his crazy supporters violate the law and point guns at law enforcement without penalty.

[Paladin]

13. They authorities are way-the-hell late on this.

When the histories of the Tea Party radicals, militia movements and grazing scofflaws are written in the future, the failure of lawful authorities to take immediate, decisive action will be cited and condemned as a prime reason for their taking hold. Not taking action just encourages them, as is plain to see right now.

[NutmegYankee]

16. I'll have to take a contrarian view.

If we just went in and did a full frontal attack to arrest them, those killed would become martyrs and the militia movement would have their beliefs about the government reinforced and even more would radicalize. Right now their movement looks pathetic as they sweat in the desert heat with full latrines bellowing the stench throughout the camp 24/7 while they have nothing to do. They will get arrested at some point - but federal agencies are taking a long view and know that these men can't stay in the desert forever.

[tecelote]

20. I agree.

If they took immediate action, their numbers would have grown overnight.

By waiting, they are defusing their power and focusing on the core people and the principle issue.

Slow but steady justice is the right direction. By this time next year, Bundy will probably have no hat or cattle. His supporters will be cell mates.

[ZombieHorde]

23. I agree. nt

[former9thward]

31. What are you talking about?

Who is sweating in desert heat? The supporters are long gone. Its over.

[fredamae]

17. There wouldn't Be

a problem "knowing" what to do if one of 'em had a "doobie" in his/her pocket...

(sarcasm)

[Stainless]

19. Bundy Is A Criminal Thug

I live in extreme south western Utah, a few miles up I-15 from where this moron and his half-wit goons practice their anti-government dogma. I have observed the blowback from this insane clown posse manifest itself in discussions with my tea-party neighbors, with gun toting ass-hats in restaurants and businesses in the area and with miscreant county officials defying laws and despoiling public lands.

Things will only continue to spiral out of control until the government decides to take back control and place the perps in orange coveralls.

[SansACause]

21. Two cops in Nevada already dead because arrests were not made.

The whole bunch should have been arrested already. Instead, we have two dead cops because of inaction.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

22. Jon Stewart did a great piece on this:

http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/o9sv2p/grazed-and-confused

As described by Justin Baragona at PoliticsUSA.

First, Stewart pondered the thought of only following laws that you want to follow, much like Bundy is doing with the grazing fees. He then aired clips of Hannity chastising guests on his show for cherry-picking laws. The Daily Show host then wanted to know how Hannity felt about people not giving up, even though they’ve lost in court, much like Bundy has done several times. Of course, we were shown times where Hannity ripped into guests telling them they’ve lost in court and it’s time to give up.

Stewart wasn’t done with Hannity. Stewart wondered how Hannity would feel about people not paying their fair share to the government and scamming the system. This was followed by a clip of Hannity with Fox News’ favorite red herring, the Food Stamp Surfer. Finally, Stewart posits that perhaps Hannity is just enamored with Bundy’s cowboy hat, since everything else Bundy stands for Hannity has railed against in the past. A picture of Bundy is then changed to make him appear like an Occupy protester. Of course, we then see a clip of Hannity criticizing Occupy protesters for trespassing and breaking the law.

“How far out there is Hannity?”, Stewart asked. A Glenn Beck clip was aired with Beck interviewing Bundy. During the interview, Beck called Bundy a ‘welfare rancher’ and told him that grazing fees are pretty much the norm for ranchers. Stewart then exclaimed, “Sean Hannity has now made Glenn Beck the voice of reason!” Stewart ended the hilarious and piercing segment by pointedly telling Bundy, who has compared himself with the Founding Fathers, the following: “Dude, you’re a welfare rancher trying to pull off the largest cattle dine and dash.”

[Takket]

27. come on........

"Bureau spokeswoman Celia Boddington, in a statement released Saturday to The Associated Press, said the agency continues to pursue the matter "aggressively through the legal system."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cliven is shaking!!!!!!!

This happened MONTHS AGO

DO SOMETHING

[Sunlei]

28. so maybe the BLM will give their buddie another ticket he can ignore for 20 years?

someday?

[Ash_F]

30. If he was Black or Native American, he would've been held accountable a long time ago.

Actually, he'd be dead. His family too. The FBI would have gone way overboard.