Another "patriot" "militia" shows up, has words with Ammon Bundy and his "Citizens for Constitutional Freedom," then leave.
More disturbing than that is this:
'Finicum said the refuge occupiers are now taking up the cause of other area ranchers who have complaints against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. He wouldn't name the ranchers, but said the militants plan to dismantle a fence that keeps one rancher's cattle off some federal land.
[…] Other than the presence of the new visitors, the refuge headquarters remained much the same as it has throughout the week: Power remains on in the buildings, militants and local residents can travel back and forth to town freely and no roadblocks exist on the way to the refuge.
Meanwhile, the new sign at the refuge seems to indicate that the militants are digging their heels in deeper. The sign comes with a fresh moniker for the group members, who now call themselves Citizens for Constitutional Freedom. Their ranks appear to have grown beyond the core 20 to 25 protesters, but it's impossible to say by how many because of all the comings and goings.
[…] Law enforcement authorities including the FBI and sheriff's deputies from across the state have converted the Burns school district headquarters into a makeshift command post with around-the-clock security. However, they have no evident presence in or around the refuge.
On Saturday, militants openly drove government-owned vehicles and heavy equipment around the compound, proclaiming that the trucks and backhoes now belong to the local community. At the same time, they limited access to the refuge buildings, arguing that letting reporters and photographers inside would pose a safety hazard.'
I've been fine with the feds not storming the place guns a-blazing. I don't necessarily want another Waco or Ruby Ridge here. But allowing free coming and going of the trespassers — who now, evidently, are stealing equipment and destroying or threatening to destroy government property — and not even bothering to shut down the power … that seems bizarre, and only likely to further encourage these yahoos, and others.
Um, this is high desert. The road is just nicer flat ground than going off-road. Let's keep them off the wildlife. And let 'em go ahead and log onto their gmail accounts and charge their mobiles or whatever and talk with their local sympathizers all they want. Uncle Sam is listening.
I hope that is the case, +Anne-Marie Clark.
But by now it is also clear that the Feds have a different standard for right-wing extremists.
And that epiphany may come in useful.
Nah, +Andreas Geisler . Rural Harney County isn't San Bernardino. Or Sandy Hook. This isn't Oregon's first "rodeo." Familiar with the Rajneeshee events in rural Oregon in the 1980s? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_Rajneeshee_bioterror_attack
+Anne-Marie Clark pretty crazy, sure, but doesn't seem to be the same intensity as an occupation.
The plans to assassinate a US Attorney, sure, that would have been up there, for sure.
+Andreas Geisler Did you see the part about how they previously took over the town of Antelope, Oregon? This went on for years. That article is only about some of what they did. See the section "Planning." These Bundy guys aren't even close to being as scary.
My concern is two-fold:
1. It may indicate that the Federal Govt is afraid of confronting these guys for political reasons (whipping up the anti-gummint forces prior to a presidential election).
2. Those anti-gummint types will read into it fear (as the did with the Bundy Ranch stand-off) and be encouraged to further shenanigans.
While it's a "different standard" for the right / white types, I don't think it's racial per se, but political.If that's what's happening, that's a problem in its own right.
The US Govt not telling all of us The Plan =/= the US Govt is afraid. 😉 This is a long-running (well over 100 years), complex situation involving a bunch of layers of US federal, administrative, state and local law and policy. The Bundy bunch didn't start this or first prompt the feds and everyone else into thinking about this. And frankly, trying to see this as about race is about as off the mark and resented as Bundy thinking the Oregonians he's tsk-tsking wanted him here.
+Anne-Marie Clark Oh, I agree, it's completely plausible that there is a strategy best kept non-public while this is continuing. But appearances matter, too, and the apparent lackadaisical nature of the response so far is of some concern to me.
+Dave Hill If you poke around, you can find things posted about what the feds have doing in the area. And Ammon Bundy sure is making noise about how the FBI is a'comin' for them.
Here, +Dave Hill , in case you missed this: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/federal-eye/wp/2016/01/08/the-government-closed-its-offices-in-oregon-days-before-the-armed-takeover-due-to-fears-of-violence/
I don't read that as having a plan for resolving things as much as being aware of a growing problem and acting proactively to safeguard people.
True. And to show that the feds are on it, albeit, quietly. They can't arrest a regional mood, but they can pay very close attention, and have been.
The feds who band birds and mind rural gift shop cash registers aren't the type of feds who deal with this kind of thing anyway.
The difference between being a white male and and Native American woman in one example.
http://usuncut.com/resistance/dann-sisters-brutalized-by-blm-defending-land/
Mother Nature may solve much of the problem. Calving season begins soon, and most of these ranchers will be heading home.