How Oregon ranchers unwittingly sparked an armed standoff

[LuckyTheDog]

Those who know 73-year-old Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son, Steven, will tell you that the hot-tempered ranchers can sometimes be their own worst enemies.

But when the men were sentenced to additional prison time for setting two fires that spread to federal lands, many in this remote and rugged corner of eastern Oregon saw it as the federal government wielding too much power.

The ranchers have now become the unwitting inspiration for a self-proclaimed militia that has seized parts of a national wildlife refuge near here, declaring they will stand there until citizens like the Hammonds can manage their own land and die outside of prison.

It's an honor that sits uneasily with the Hammond family and a number of their neighbors, who have sought to distance themselves from the armed takeover. Signs have gone up around town: "Bundy militia go home" and "No Bundy caliphate," references to Ryan and Ammon Bundy, the brothers from Utah and Idaho who appear to be leading the band of protesters at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.


MORE HERE: http://yonside.com/oregon-ranchers-unwittingly-sparked-armed-standoff/

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Some of these so called

Patriots were hanging out a disputed mining claim not far away. Have not heard if those two fellows ever settled with the Feds.