Three important videos about the #oregonstandoff

These are very important to watch. This is a guy who was at the traffic stop up in Oregon. (Via Raw Story)

The reason why I am posting these, is because there are some people out there, who are reporting bad information on the internet about this event. This should set the record straight.

https://youtu.be/CWwc2RiEuPE

https://youtu.be/aP-b6_X4M4k

https://youtu.be/kybOTwsGkPk

Others: Jawa Report

Oregon Standoff: 1 Dead 8 Arrested, Others still holed up in compound “Ready to Die” #Oregonstandoff

I hate to say I told you so; but, I told you so!

Via OregonLive.com:

BURNS – Oregon standoff spokesman Robert “LaVoy” Finicum was killed and other leaders of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation were arrested Tuesday after the FBI and state police stopped vehicles about 20 miles north of Burns.

Authorities did not release the name of the person who died at the highway stop, but Finicum’s daughter confirmed it was Finicum, 55, of Cane Beds, Arizona, one of the cowboy-hat wearing faces of the takeover.

“My dad was such a good good man, through and through,” said Arianna Finicum Brown, 26, one of Finicum’s 11 children. “He would never ever want to hurt somebody, but he does believe in defending freedom and he knew the risks involved.”

Ryan Bundy, 43, of Bunkerville, Nev., suffered a minor gunshot wound in the confrontation about 4:30 p.m. along U.S. 395. He was treated and released from a local hospital and was in FBI custody, authorities said.

Also arrested during the stop were his brother, Ammon Bundy, 40, of Emmett, Idaho, Ryan W. Payne, 32, of Anaconda, Mont., Brian Cavalier, 44, of Bunkerville, Nevada, and Shawna J. Cox, 59, of Kanab, Utah. They were charged with conspiracy to impede federal officers, a felony.

I said it here on this blog; that those guy were headed for trouble and I was right. Those guys were going to get away with that occupation for so long and after that, the screws would be tightened, and the screws are now being tightened.  All that is left now, is for the FBI to move in on that compound and finish the job. You might think that I am happy that this is happening; you would be wrong.

However, the fact remains that this these people had ample opportunity to leave that compound and stop that occupation; the local sheriff and the FBI did that and they refused. So, now, these people are going to find out what happens when you commit an act of armed insurrection against the United States of America. These people arrested and the rest of them; if they happen to make it out alive, should be charged with insurrection against the Government and charged with high treason.

However, something tells me, and it sickens me to have to write this; but something tells me that those people inside the compound will never get that chance, just like David Koresh never got his chance to face the Government. Whether it is by overzealous FBI agents or by their own refusal to leave and later gun battle with the FBI; these people will do themselves in and never make it to a jury trial. If they are foolish enough to think that holing themselves up in a compound and engaging in a gun battle with the FBI,  is going to change the Government, then one can assume that they will not be wise enough to surrender to the FBI and stand down that occupation and allow the legal system to do its job.

It is a sad thing to have to stand along the sidelines and watch; and even write blog postings about. But, these men know exactly what they are doing; and for that, they will pay with their lives — and for what? 15 minutes of fame and martyrdom among political extremists? It makes no sense, not at all.

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Oregon standoff is inching toward disaster

This situation is only going to get worse. 🙄

Yes, these people are this dumb

An Oregon sheriff accused members of a small, armed group occupying a national wildlife refuge of attempting to intimidate federal employees and law enforcement officers.Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward told a community meeting Monday night that officers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife employees have reported being followed to their homes and observed while inside and that self-identified “militia members” have tried to engage them in debates about their status as federal employees.Ward said law enforcement at every level “will not be intimidated from doing their jobs”, telling community members, “there’s an hour glass and it’s running out,” The Oregonian reported.  – Source: Oregon sheriff accuses armed protesters of intimidating federal employees | Fox News

I’ve written about this standoff here and here. I said myself that the FBI and the local authorities up there would wait them out —- until they were tried of waiting on them. It looks like I was correct. I expect before too long that there will be a military style raid on the building and there will be casualties.

…and they will have no one to blame for it, but themselves. 😡

The Bundy Brothers and the occupiers in Oregon just signed their death warrant

Update #1: Taylor Millard at HotAir.com says that things in Oregon are pretty calm. Yes, the question is: How long will it stay like this? How long will it be before the FBI gets tired of being there and tired of dealing with them and decides to move in and get rid of the problem? That’s what happened during Waco. The FBI waited and waited and finally, they snapped and said “Screw it”, and went in and that’s when things blew up. So, keep in mind, we are only a week into this, and so far things are calm. But, things could get worse, as time wears on and the FBI’s patience wears then.

*** Original Post ***

The Sheriff up there just offered them safe passage out of the compound and they flatly rejected it. This is not going to end well, just as I said before on here.  🙁

The Video, Via Harney County Sheriff’s Office you tube page:

The Story Via CNN:

Burns, Oregon (CNN)
The protesters who took over a federal building in southeast Oregon did not accept the local sheriff’s offer for safe passage out of the state.

“During this morning’s press conference, the people on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge made it clear that they have no intention of honoring the sheriff’s request to leave,” according to a statement posted Friday afternoon on the Harney County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. “Because of that, there are no planned meetings or calls at this time. However, the sheriff is keeping all options open.”
Sheriff Dave Ward met Thursday on a snow-covered road with leaders of the group called Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, including chief spokesman Ammon Bundy. The meeting was recorded and posted on YouTube.
“I think we need to find a peaceful resolution and help you guys get out of here,” Ward said Thursday.

‘We’re here for the people of Harney County’

Bundy repeatedly pressed Ward to address the group’s grievances, which include freeing two imprisoned ranchers and the federal government’s land use policies. The sheriff said he didn’t want to talk about that, saying “I didn’t come here to argue.”
“We’re here for the people of Harney County,” Bundy said on the video. “We’re here because the people have been ignored.”
About 20 members of the group moved into buildings at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge last weekend and show no plans to leave. There’s so far been no evident police presence outside the snowy, desolate wildlife refuge, though reporters have come and gone.
During the meeting on the road, the sheriff did not say if he would file any criminal charges against members of the group and didn’t predict what federal authorities might do.
“I’m here to offer safe passage out,” the sheriff said. “Whatever the feds determine to do with that refuge stuff down there, right now is a good breaking point.”
A few days ago Bundy said the group would eventually leave.
“There is a time to go home. We recognize that. We don’t feel it’s quite time yet,” he said.

All the Sheriff has to do now, is go to the FBI and say, “Hey, I tried” and tell the FBI, “It’s your problem now” and walk away and let the Federal Government handle it. If this happens, there will be bloodshed, I can assure you of that. These idiots just made a seriously stupid tactical move on their part and as a result, there are going to be people killed. Good job douche canoe! 🙄 😡

Heck, even Chuck Baldwin does not support these people! Baldwin writes:

Let me be clear: the situation in Oregon does not remotely compare to the events that took place at the Bundy Ranch in Nevada. In Nevada, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was the aggressor, which included a very real threat of violence against the Bundy family. The Bundy family appealed to their neighbors and friends for help. And help rightly arrived. The legal nuances of the Bundy situation notwithstanding, BLM gave the appearance of preparing another Waco incident that just could not be tolerated. Over 80 innocent Americans, including elderly men and women and small children, were murdered by our federal government during that unconscionable raid. There must NEVER be another Waco in this country.

The decision of Ammon Bundy (Cliven Bundy’s son)–and the men who are with him–to mount an armed takeover of the remote, empty Malheur National Wildlife Refuge building in Harney County outside Burns, Oregon, is unwise, careless, and downright foolish. There is no just cause for such action.

Previous to the move to take over the federal building, a peaceful protest in support of the Hammond family had taken place in Burns. This protest was commendable and well-conducted. Hundreds of local residents took part in that peaceful protest. The local community of Burns was very sympathetic to the plight of the Hammonds and rightly angered by the federal government’s treatment of them.

Dwight Hammond, Jr. and his son Steven had been arrested, tried, and convicted of arson for the burning of federal land that adjoins Hammond land. The Hammonds say they were burning their land for agricultural purposes and the fire inadvertently spread to federal land. The feds say the Hammonds burned the land to cover up poaching. The two men were found guilty by a jury and sentenced to five years in prison. A district court judge found the sentences to be excessive (and therefore unconstitutional) and sentenced the men to less time; but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overruled the lesser sentence and the five year prison term was reinstated.

Even if the prosecutor’s version of the story is true, a five-year prison sentence for such a crime is overkill beyond description–the Ninth Circuit decision notwithstanding. There are thousands of people who have been convicted of various forms of manslaughter who have not served that many years in prison. People in Burns are justified in being angry at the sentence handed to their friends, the Hammonds.

But the truth is, the conflict between the federal government and ranchers, farmers, and miners in the western states has been ongoing in earnest since at least the 1970s. And in this writer’s opinion, the people of the western states are completely justified in being angry at the way the federal government continues to encroach upon the liberties and properties of the people of these states. In truth, it is long past due that the governors and State legislatures of these states grow some man stuff and start reclaiming so-called federal land. And while they are doing that, they should tell the BLM to go back to Washington, D.C.–or go to hades for that matter–and get their hind ends out of their states. If State governments and county sheriffs in the West would do what is right–and would start protecting the liberties and properties of the citizens within their states from these federal abuses–most, if not all, of these conflicts would go away.

So, the peaceful protest in Burns was certainly justified. And as a result, the momentum for reclamation of State sovereignty and individual liberty was further enhanced. People all over America–especially in the West–are growing increasingly impatient with overbearing, bullying federal agencies such as BLM.

But immediately following the successful protest, Ammon Bundy and several other men decided to take aggressive action and mounted an armed takeover of the remote federal facility about fifty miles south of Burns, which was empty for the holidays. By taking this action, these men gave up the moral high ground and, in essence, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

In the first place, the Hammond family publicly repudiated the actions of these men and chose to give themselves up to officials to serve out the sentence that had been handed them. There are great disagreements about whether the Hammonds’ motives in burning the land were innocent or malicious. And, as noted, there is room for much debate regarding if the crime (if it was a crime) truly warranted the sentence they received. Regardless, the Hammonds chose to accept their sentence and reject any attempt (especially one involving a show of force) to interfere. This fact alone settles the matter.

Citizens coming together to peacefully protest a perceived injustice is as American as mom and apple pie. But a group of citizens acting as a mob and, with a show of force, taking over a public (or private) facility when there is no threat to life is just plain wrong–anger with BLM notwithstanding. As my mother often told me, “Two wrongs do not make a right.” Indeed.

Some have tried to compare the takeover of the federal buildings near Burns to Lexington and Concord. But the comparison just doesn’t exist.

Our colonial forebears endured “a long train of abuses” (Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence) for decades. Even the Boston Massacre in 1770 did not trigger an armed response from the colonists. The battles of Lexington and Concord took place when British troops marched on the Massachusetts villages in an attempt at mass gun confiscation. There is nothing of the sort going on in Burns, Oregon.

Neither was there a threat of violence against innocent men, women, and children at Burns as was the case at Bundy Ranch. In truth, these men in Oregon are acting as aggressors, not as defenders. Bundyville was a justified act of self-defense; Burns, Oregon, is not.

I was at Bundy Ranch. I publicly supported the efforts of the men who went to Nevada in the defense of the Bundy family in this column, from the platform of Liberty Fellowship, and in numerous interviews with the media. I even had the honor of bringing a Bible sermon to the brave men at Bundyville–which also included Nevada public officials, by the way. In that address, I strongly cautioned all of them to make sure that our actions were always pure and right in eyes of just law–and especially in the eyes of a Just and Holy God. I invite readers to watch the video of my address at Bundy Ranch here.

Make no mistake about it: if our federal government (or any other government) attempts to confiscate our firearms as did British troops in 1775, a Natural state of war against the American people will have been declared at that moment, and I will be at the front of the line in calling for armed resistance. Burns, Oregon, is not remotely close to that. There is absolutely NO COMPARISON between the current situation in Oregon and Lexington and Concord.

In the next place, I personally believe that government agent provocateurs infiltrated and agitated these men into taking this action, thereby giving the federal government the excuse it needs to justify Obama’s Executive Order enacting stricter rules on gun purchases. In my opinion, both of these events happening during the exact same week is NOT a coincidence.

I am very familiar with people who are on the ground in Oregon, and I can tell you that at least two of the men involved in the armed takeover of the federal facility near Burns were also agitators and provocateurs at Bundy Ranch. Fortunately, at Bundyville, those men were plainly instructed to leave the area before they were able to inflict any significant damage. Although, I can tell you that it was only due to the cool heads and calm spirits of the good men at Bundy Ranch that kept those agitators from potential violence and resultant loss of life. Unfortunately, those same men are now in Oregon. If these men are not government provocateurs, they are certainly helping the government with a lot of free work.

Whether my supposition is true or not, it doesn’t justify the individual decisions of Ammon Bundy and his followers to act in this manner. If I could talk to them, I would encourage them in the strongest terms possible to peacefully walk away from this situation. All this does is fuel the anti-gun hysteria of already hysterical anti-gun zealots in and out of Washington, D.C., and also serves to allow the anti-gun media to further demonize proponents of the Second Amendment and constitutionally-ordained militia.

By taking the action they did, Ammon Bundy and the others are helping to reverse the pro-freedom, pro-Second Amendment momentum and to provide an excuse for gun-grabbers like Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi to justify more anti-gun legislation. In other words, Ammon and his followers are actually assisting the very people they claim to be resisting.

Speaking of Obama’s gun grab, we can all thank House Speaker Paul Ryan and his fellow Republicans such as Montana congressman Ryan Zinke for Obama’s Executive Order further restricting the purchase of firearms. It was Ryan’s $1.1 trillion Omnibus bill that fully funded Obama’s executive decision.

See this report here.

Furthermore, while bemoaning the President’s decision, Republican House members have said absolutely NOTHING about defunding Obama’s Executive Order, which is in their power to do, and which would completely take away the means for the executive branch to enforce the order.

See this report here.

There is no justification for what Ammon Bundy and his followers have done in Burns, Oregon–all other factors notwithstanding.

At the same time, our federal government needs to be careful not to overreact to this situation by resorting to a Waco-style assault against these men. People all over America are growing weary of their own “train of abuses” from Washington, D.C. They will not sit still for another Waco. These men are isolated in a remote wilderness area and pose no risk to innocent life. Hopefully, federal officials will use patience and restraint and allow this situation to defuse peacefully. Better yet, the Feds should completely stay out of the situation and let the sheriff of Harney County handle it. I do not trust this administration any more than we could trust the administrations of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton who authorized the raids at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and Waco, Texas. I ask all readers of this column to join together in prayer for divine intervention and a peaceful, non-violent resolution of this matter.

While the offer for prayer is a noble gesture on the part of Mr. Baldwin; I believe one must face reality. These people have put THEMSELVES into this position and now, they are about to pay the price. It is truly a shame that people can be so misguided to think that this sort of thuggery is patriotic or even Christ-like.

I have really bad feeling about that standoff in Oregon

Update: WorldNetDaily has a good background on this story. Regardless of how one feels about all that; this is not the way to solve this issue, at all.

Update #2: Taylor Millard over at Hotair.com offers his thoughts on the situtation

I hate to sound like a pessimist or even an Eeyore, but I have a really horrible, sinking feeling about that standoff up in Oregon.  I’ve seen this before, back in the 1980’s and 1990’s and it didn’t end pretty. I hope cooler heads prevail and nothing happens. However, if I know these people; something bad is going to happen. 🙁

The story via OregonLive.com:

Update at 9:15 p.m.: Statement from Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward: “After the peaceful rally was completed today, a group of outside militants drove to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, where they seized and occupied the refuge headquarters. A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution. For the time being please stay away from that area. More information will be provided as it becomes available. Please maintain a peaceful and united front and allow us to work through this situation.”

The Bundy family of Nevada joined with hard-core militiamen Saturday to take over the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, vowing to occupy the remote federal outpost 30 miles southeast of Burns for years.

The occupation came shortly after an estimated 300 marchers — militia and local citizens both — paraded through Burns to protest the prosecution of two Harney County ranchers, Dwight Hammond Jr. and Steven Hammond, who are to report to prison on Monday.

Among the occupiers is Ammon Bundy, son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, and two of his brothers. Militia members at the refuge claimed they had as many as 100 supporters with them. The refuge, federal property managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was closed and unoccupied for the holiday weekend.

In phone interviews from inside the occupied building Saturday night, Ammon Bundy and his brother, Ryan Bundy, said they are not looking to hurt anyone. But they would not rule out violence if police tried to remove them, they said.

“The facility has been the tool to do all the tyranny that has been placed upon the Hammonds,” Ammon Bundy said.

“We’re planning on staying here for years, absolutely,” he added. “This is not a decision we’ve made at the last minute.”

The problem is that the Hammond family says that they did not even invite these people and they really do not even support them at all. This is why I agree with Jazz Shaw over at HotAir.com:

This is crazy. (And I know that’s not going to sit well with those regularly spoiling for a fight with the feds.) Taking armed troops in to seize control of a federal building and essentially daring the government to come get you is pretty much the course of last resort. This is the fight you choose to draw the line in the sand over? If the Hammonds aren’t seeking protection and are planning to continue their appeal through the normal legal channels, this armed insurrection isn’t being done for their benefit. If you’re doing it to try to stop the feds from exercising control over a wildlife refuge, well… nope. Sorry. Still crazy.

Harness all of that energy and enthusiasm into getting a legal team to begin challenging the federal government in court over it. It will be a long, hard slog, but you’ll garner a tremendous amount of support around the nation, particularly among conservatives and libertarians. Taking up arms over this will produce just the opposite result. It’s time to get the troops out of the building before somebody gets hurt and this turns into a literally bloody debacle.

I also happen to agree with John Hawkins:

Intelligent people can differ over whether the sentences are fair and of course, a peaceful protest is always fine. However, taking over a government building and trying to provoke a violent government response is so irresponsible that it borders on insane. It would be nice if the people involved came to their senses and called this whole thing off before anyone gets hurt, but common sense doesn’t seem so common in the age of Obama.

I could not agree more. This is not going to end good. When the Government shows up Monday, this is not going to end well and it is going to nothing for the liberty movement, at all. It is only going to paint anyone, who believes in the Constitution, in small Government, and in personal Liberty as far right-wing nut jobs.

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