Armed Right-Wing Militia Members Descend On Nevada To Help Rancher Defy Court Order

[MindMover]

“We provide armed response,” according to a Montana militia member named Jim Lordy. Lordy traveled to Nevada in order to support a local rancher for believes that he should not have to follow federal court orders. When he arrived there, he told a local reporter that “[w]e need guns to protect ourselves from the tyrannical government.”

Lordy belongs to a militia group called Operation Mutual Aid, which provides “[d]defense of public and private property, lives, and liberty to exercise God-given rights, seen plainly in the laws of Nature, and codified in the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, at the request of such parties in need of such defense,” according to a website associated with the group. Although only three militia members had arrived at the Nevada ranch by late Wednesday, when the latest reports came out, other militia groups reportedly “inundated the [rancher's] household with calls and pledges to muster at the site.”

The Oath Keepers, a right-wing law enforcement organization that warns about the government “disarm[ing] the American people” and “blockade[ing] American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps,” also announced that it will send people to support the defiant rancher.

This conflict arises out of rancher Cliven Bundy’s many years of illegally grazing his cattle on federal lands. In 1998, a federal court ordered Bundy to cease grazing his livestock on an area of federal land known as the Bunkerville Allotment, and required him to pay the federal government $200 per day per head of cattle remaining on federal lands. Around the time it issued this order, the court also commented that “[t]he government has shown commendable restraint in allowing this trespass to continue for so long without impounding Bundy’s livestock.” Fifteen years later, Bundy continued to defy this court order.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/04/11/3425659/armed-right-wing-militias-descend-on-nevada-to-help-rancher-defy-court-order/


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Thank you Creator God for passports, so when the time is right, I can flee the insanity .... for the time is nigh ..

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Ok, this is not good.

[frylock]

2. ..

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. These militia members are Traitors.

It's time to come down, and hard, against them.

My. God.

[MO_Moderate]

4. They need to nip this in the bud quickly

this isn't a bunch of those occupy kooks.

[arcane1]

13. Exactly. These are stupid people who don't know how the law works n/t

[MO_Moderate]

23. There has to be some way

the authorities can handle these types of situations that would avoid such escalation.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. What you just said about Occupy speaks volumes about you

and what you think of social justice.

That said, this might be nipped in the bud with actual lead flying

[busterbrown]

18. Huh.. Conflating the two?

Unions with Stalin next?

[The Magistrate]

19. You Might Want To Re-Phrase That, Fella....

The Occupy people may have been a bit un-worldly, but they had an analysis of the socio-economic situation that was clear-eyed and cold as a sober judge, and added an element to discourse that we on the left have found extremely useful in political campaigns.

The people you do not characterize as 'kooks' are certifiably unbalanced, dead wrong in their view of what is going on in the country and the world, and clearly meet the standard of 'being a danger to themselves and others'. They are sadly in need of treatment, whether with talking cure or anti-psychotic medication or just rapid application of stout sticks for a reasonable length of time....

[MO_Moderate]

26. To be quite honest, Fella

Your support of the occupy 'analysis,' is no different than the support these people give this 'analysis.' You both are supporting action against something that you believe to be a problem. Neither of you deserve to be intimidated or abused in your protest.

You both think the other is 'unbalanced' or 'dead wrong' in their beliefs, so you ignore the wrongs done to the 'others.' Instead of working together and offering a significant deterrence to such intimidation and abuse, you prefer to laugh at each other and talk about how crazy the 'others' are.

[Bjorn Against]

27. There is a huge difference

The Occupy movement never used armed militias which threatened to shoot those who oppose them. There is a big difference between non-violent protest and sending an armed militia to threaten violence.

[MO_Moderate]

32. I don't disagree with that one bit

My concern is with how ALL protestors are being treated though. No protestor deserves to be intimidated, bloodied or tazed. The riots break out and the militia stooges threaten to show up AFTER the protestors are abused.

We can support the rights of the protestor without supporting the protest.

[SomethingFishy]

33. So you consider calling for an army of armed men

a "protest" equal to sitting on Wall Street with a sign?

I don't know all the angles on this story, so I have no opinion of who is right or wrong, but this much I do know, this fantasy that the militia people have of "armed resistance" is going to get them killed.

[MO_Moderate]

40. Sigh

There was not an "army of armed men" protesting here. The militia stooges spoke up AFTER the situation escalated.

My point is that WE, all of us, left right and center, should be concerned about why the authorities are allowing things to escalate. Why do they pepper spray people sitting down and who are zipped tied? Why do they feel the need to draw blood? Why tackle a pregnant woman? Why taze a guy standing on a trailer?

[hillaryfan2016]

47. They are a bunch of crazy, heavily armed RWers

That whole family should be thrown in jail, along with all the traitorous, Rethuglican militia scum aiding and abetting them. They effectively stole millions of dollars of tax money with their illegal grazing, and after being told NICELY to pay up or get off the FEDERAL land, they respond with an armed stand off. Typical Rethuglikans if you ask me.

[kcr]

55. 15 years

Did you miss that part? Yeah, that's some tyrannical government jumping right on this poor rancher like that. They should have waited 50. That would have been a far more reasonable escalation. Edit oops this was meant for Mo moderate

[Maedhros]

34. Protestors that grab guns to face off with law enforcement are no longer protestors.

They are armed insurrectionists.

cf. The Whiskey Rebellion

[Bjorn Against]

38. I agree with that in terms of all non-violent protest

Once someone brings guns in to the picture and threatens deadly force however they are no longer in free speech territory. Peaceful protesters should be treated peacefully no matter their ideology, gun toting militias are not peaceful protesters however and if they are bloodied up it will be because of their own violent threats.

[MO_Moderate]

41. I agree 100%

[LanternWaste]

28. So that's how you rationalize refusal to pay lawful rents and fees for services provided

So that's how you rationalize refusal to pay lawful rents and fees for services provided-- by pretending a false equivalency exists.

Not only does it afford you the opportunity to defend the absurd behavior of the gun-nutters in AZ , but also to make false allegations against Occupy to better validate your own biases.

[MO_Moderate]

37. No, that's how I rationalize

my refusal to allow politics to interfere with my support of our rights. Your use of "gun-nutters' shows that you disagree. That your biases dictate your support.

What behavior of these protestors do you consider absurd?

And I made no false allegations against occupy. They were protesting something they seen as an injustice, just as these people are.

[The Magistrate]

46. There Is A Great Difference, Sir: I Am Right, They Are Wrong

"the object in opening the mind, as in opening the mouth, is to close it again on something solid."

[2pooped2pop]

54. u r the one throwing kook phrases

[Logical]

56. LOL, enjoy your short stay! nt

[99Forever]

60. Seems there is little doubt...

... of your mentality.

Perhaps you need to strap on and head for Nevada. You'll fit right in.

[Hoyt]

5. "Law-abiding" gun fanciers.

[Rex]

6. Idiots.

Morans with guns...sigh.

[Dawson Leery]

7. Traitorous oathkeepers and their sovereign kooks strike again.

These same survivalists are the ones who stole land from Montana Ranchers (remember the freemen-1996?).

[Marshall III]

8. The Right Wing had a fit about the Occupy Movement, but make this Bundy nut a hero to them.

....for several reasons.

1). He is white and eager to use guns to get what he wants.
2). He is fighting against a government headed by an African American.

Remember the Occupiers were out to change the world for the benefit of everyone. This right wing nut case is out for himself and only himself.

That is the mark of a conservative.

[MindMover]

10. Well said, and welcome to DU

[Timez Squarez]

42. I don't hope all of the militia will try to pull a Ruby Ridge...

and all of them are removed from the gene pool.

These dumb-as-shit people don't know what they are doing and just rooting against the government.

I would just simply revoke their voting rights and declare them armed and hostile to the government.

Arrest them all (after gassing them with tear gas and sleep agents) and throw them into the next ship to Bikini Atoll where they can stay.

[PeteSelman]

9. I'm not saying I want to see anyone get hurt……but

This might be a good opportunity for an object lesson on the hazards of trying to "water the tree of liberty" as those douches like to say.

[chrisa]

11. Ohhhh. So scary.

I can almost see the Cheeto dust flying now.

[Exposethefrauds]

12. There may be a whole bunch of prying from cold hands

Don’t bother me none, if those fools want to fall on their sword for a dude who is refusing to pay what he owes in grazing fees ON PUBLIC Land to the government for the last 20 years be my guest.

The posts in RWNJ Land make it sound like Civil War II is ready to go and of course they are all ready to lift their 350 lbs bulk off their ass and with Cheetos stained hands grab their gun and crawl out of their mothers basement and stand with the guy stealing from us all. It is hilarious to read their bravado!

I am getting the popcorn and beer ready for when these fools are ready to make their stand live on tv!

[Timez Squarez]

43. What interests me is that Dean Gibbons supports the Bunkerville idiot.

And that's a traitor in the Governor's seat.

[Tikki]

14. I receive a yearly check from those who graze their livestock on the land allotted my family..

from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Interior.

I expect a check, it is my family's land.

If this jackass is grazing on land that is not his, he needs to pay whoever owns the land
and if he doesn't want to continue to pay he should quit grazing his cattle there..

Plain and simple.


Tikki

[Boomerproud]

15. I don't see this ending well.

[The Magistrate]

17. An Excellent Opportunity To Round These Cretins Up, Sir

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

20. yep, said this was going to be big

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024807887

[maddezmom]

21. MediaMatters:"Feds Turn From Landlords To Warlords": Koch Groups Back Rancher Making Violent Threats

"Feds Turn From Landlords To Warlords": Koch Groups Back Rancher Making Violent Threats Against Federal Gov't
Blog ››› 2 hours and 30 minutes ago ››› OLIVER WILLIS


156

Two affiliates of the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity are helping conservative media promote the cause of a Nevada rancher who has made violent threats against the federal government.

Cliven Bundy, a cattle rancher in Nevada, has refused to remove his animals from public property in violation of a federal court order.

In 1993, Bundy declined to pay government fees that are required in order to allow his cattle to graze on the public land. In 1998 a court order told Bundy to remove his cattle as part of an effort to protect an endangered desert tortoise in the area. He refused. In July 2013, a federal court order told Bundy to remove his cattle from the land or they would be confiscated. He disobeyed the order, and confiscation has begun. The government will auction the animals and use the proceeds to pay off the $1 million in fines that Bundy owes the government.

Bundy's ongoing refusal to obey the law and court orders has become a cause célèbre for the conservative media, which has compared the situation to deadly standoffs like Waco and Ruby Ridge.

In recent comments to a conspiracy theorist's radio show, Bundy said, "I haven't called no militia or anything like that, but hey it looks like that's where we're at." He added, "We got a strong army here, we have to fight." Previously Bundy told the Las Vegas Sun that "he keeps firearms at his ranch" and promised to "do whatever it takes" to defend his cattle being seized, adding, "I abide by almost zero federal laws."

Earlier this week, protesters and members of the Bundy family had a confrontation with law enforcement, where a stun gun was used to subdue Bundy's son, who had reportedly climbed on a dump truck when he assumed it contained cattle that had been killed during confiscation. Members of several militia groups have made their way to Bundy's ranch, reportedly "to protect the Bundys from tyranny."

Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the conservative non-profit group, was founded by and has been largely funded by billionaires Charles and David Koch. The Center for Media and Democracy reported that in its previous incarnation as Citizens for a Sound Economy, AFP received $12 million of its $18 million in funding from the Koch Family Foundation.

During the 2012 election, AFP spent $122 million in an effort to defeat President Obama and Congressional Democrats. AFP has also sponsored and organized bus rallies and town hall meetings to promote conservative ideas, including deregulation, tax cuts, and opposition to health care reform.


AFP has been at the forefront of spending in the 2014 election, launching several ads attacking the Affordable Care Act which have come under fire for inaccuracy by independent fact checkers. As of March, AFP had aired a reported 17,000 television ads.

Two of its local affiliates, Americans for Prosperity Nevada and Americans for Prosperity Colorado, have become active boosters of Bundy's actions.


AFP Nevada's Facebook page posted a graphic attacking the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for spending "one million dollars" to enforce the court order to round up Bundy's cattle on federal land. Another photo attacked the Bureau for creating a designated "First Amendment Area" for protesters to gather in near the property.



On its Twitter page, AFP Nevada is more strident in its support of Bundy and in attacking the federal government.

AFP Nevada has promoted the hashtag #BundyBattle, which supporters are using to showcase their message. In one tweet, AFP Nevada posted a graphic attacking the cattle round up and said they had a "bone to pick" with the Bureau of Land Management.

Another AFP Nevada tweet attacked the "First Amendment Area" with a photo of cow manure and the caption "This is what we think about 'First Amendment Areas'."



AFP Nevada also promoted as a "must read" a blog post from conservative pundit Dana Loesch where she described the standoff as "harassment" from the federal government. The group also accused the BLM of "strategically regulating hard-working Americans out of business."

AFP Colorado has reposted several of AFP Nevada's tweets, and has posted commentary of its own about the issue. In one tweet, AFP Colorado has said that the "Fed militarizing of Nevada standoff is bound to fuel more sagebrush rebellion" and that "Feds turn from landlords to warlords when Nevada rancher won't bend his knee."

AFP Colorado also reposted a tweet attacking the "First Amendment Area" from Paul Joseph Watson, a correspondent from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars.



More:http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/04/11/feds-turn-from-landlords-to-warlords-koch-group/198857

[Timez Squarez]

44. Then the Koch Brothers needs to be arrested, charged for sedition

and sentenced to a very long prison term. And then seize all of their assets, and make their companies a collective for workers.

[hillaryfan2016]

52. Absolutely!

The criminal Koch brothers need to be thrown in jail, and all assets seized!

[MineralMan]

22. For all those militia folks heading for Bunkerville,

I've prepared a handy guide to the amenities available there for the traveling gunner set:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024808970

[mnhtnbb]

24. Why wasn't Cliven Bundy thrown in jail a LONG time ago?

Oh, he's a white guy with guns.

Sorry, forgot how it works in the land of the free, home of the brave.

[First Speaker]

25. I've been waiting for an American version of a Beer Hall Putsch...

...involving some of these "militia" lunatics. I thought it might happen under Clinton, and it looks as though the stars might be in alignment for it to happen under Obama. If it should happen, God forbid, then indeed--it *has* to be dealt with, and unambiguously...

[MattBaggins]

29. So if someone were hiking on this land and shot the cattle

he couldn't do shit about it could he? He sounds kind of dumb if he would put his livestock at risk like that.

[Arkana]

30. They are traitors, and I hope the military treats them as such.

Can't wait for them to piss themselves and run when bullets start flying.

[wandy]

31. Well it's looking like these freedumb loving and no doubt....

devotes to Rand (the neck stumper) Paul are going to get the chance to prove to us all just how "oppressed" they are.
Heck they might even get themselves a martyr or two out of the deal.

If these nut jobs win does that mean I can buy me a cow and graze it on some federal land too?
Na, too far to drive with a cow in the back seat.
Would a state park do?


Usually an advocate and sometimes participation in non violent displays of public displeasure.......
These hooligans deserve anything that happens to them.

[spanone]

35. the oath keepers? sound like a bunch of fucking idiots.

[ballyhoo]

36. Straw that broke the camel's back. If the Idaho-Black Hills contingent

joins them, it will be all out war. Good passage, MindMover. I've been saying for weeks it's time to check passports. I knew something was going to break, but I am surprised by the action though not necessarily the place.

[Erose999]

39. So a bunch of gun nuts and "Oath Keeper" militia nuts have cordoned themselves off in a remote area?

Scramble the fucking B52's already. Light those fuckers up.

[Timez Squarez]

45. Yup. MOAB that area.

And make sure it's non-nuke.

[stevenleser]

57. Something simpler. Cut off water supply to the area. nt

[toddwv]

48. It's easy.

Confiscate the cattle and sell them to pay the fees.

[ZX86]

49. I'm watching the "coverage" on Fox News

Some announcer (the shrill blond one) is reporting about a stand off with b-roll of some guy angrily yelling at a departing government truck "get out of here you coward". The piece seems a little light of facts but heavy on sensationalism. Fox News made a big deal about some surfer dude utilizing SNAP benefits to buy gourmet fish. They worked themselves into a tizzy over a couple of fish dinners yet some rancher violating multiple court orders and hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid grazing fees get a pass.

[ZX86]

50. Update

Hannity has the rancher on now. Apparently he is a doddering old fool who believes this is about liberty and freedom. Hannity thinks it's about turtles.

[Brigid]

51. Oh, boy. this does not sound good.

This doesn't sound good at all.

[Loudly]

53. These defiant supporters probably come pretty close to understanding the 2A

but fail to understand that the 2A was rendered moot and obsolete at Appomattox.

De facto repealed.

[Kingofalldems]

59. I wonder if that phony Col. Bo Gritz is on his way