The Feds reputation is taking hits daily. Wonder how long Leroy Finecum's wife will wait before filing wrongful death suit? http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/01/0...-cliven-bundy-three-others-are-dismissed.html
The BLM is in the wrong. They should have their acreage slashed by several orders of magnitude. But I don't think Bundy was doing himself any favours with the occupation.
Sounds like the trial ended due to what was either prosecutorial arrogance, incompetence, outright corruption, or a combination of all three.
The case was thrown out because the prosecution and the FBI engaged in a series of lies and obfuscation of the truth. In another related case, an FBI agent is being disciplined because he lied about shooting at the pickup truck which was later stopped and Lavoy Finicum was shot. This would go a long way in showing that Lavoy Finicum was murdered. The Oregon State Police and the FBI haven't taken any interest in investigating whether Lavoy Finicum was murdered or not. So why did the FBI under a liberal President shoot at and possibly murder a conservative rancher for something significantly less intrusive than the Occupy Wall Street group who caused significantly more damage to public property and more disturbance than a bunch of ranchers in the middle of nowhere? Of course, the Bundy family had rights to grazing land on BLM property which were granted to the Bundy family in 1850 under the Donation Land Claim Act. The United States needed to settle large parts of the west to thwart land claims by Mexico, Russia, and England. They offered settlers 320 acres per couple for free if the settlers improved the land and had the land surveyed and the patent perfected. Since most of Nevada was desert, no family could survive on 320 acres, so the Government Land Office spread the Nevada claims out and left a lot of open space between the claims. The Government Land Office agreed to allow ranchers in Nevada to open graze in the area between claims because it was the only viable option to get Nevada settled while still only allowing 320 acres as per the Land Claim Act. This agreement to allow grazing was in effect for more than 140 years before the BLM decided they needed to charge grazing fees, in violation of the promise the government made to the original settlers. The whole idea of the standoff was to bring attention to the notion that the Federal Government ought to honor their promises. And if you believe the Federal Government doesn't have an obligation to honor their promises, then that brings up a whole range of issues including the treatment of Native Americans.
Not my words, Bundies "“I might be a welfare queen,” Bundy shot back. “But I tell you something, I’m producing something for America" From CNN interview
How so? This guy refused to pay for millions of dollars of grazing rights he owed to the feds. This same guy would certainly attack me if I went to graze my cattle where he has grazing without payment. This guy is a welfare queen AND armed thug! This family gang should have been cleaned out a decade ago.
I did read the context, he could have said im not a welfare queen I produce. But he said I might be a welfare queen but I produce. Maybe he's not the brightest slack jaw around If someone said, some people say your a closet gay. Would you say, I might be gay but at least... No.
It's actually a good strategy. Fighting someone's absurd claim against only legitimizes the criticism. By saying, Yes (sigh), I'm a closeted gay (when I'm clearly by all accounts not) only highlights the absurdity of the claim. You know nothing about verbal jujitsu.
"Producing something for AMERICA"? Bundy is giving his cattle to America FOR FREE? I thought Bundy charged buyers for the stock he sold! As soon as Bundy shows he actually gave away his stock to America the same way Bundy got public grazing land for free, I will join up to the Bundy Revolution!
The Bundys were in the wrong. Period. They are tax cheats. Their "constitutional" theory of strange political Mormonism and sage brush rebellion and sovereign citizen nonsense is . . . absolute balderdash. However, we are a Rule of Law country. The feds screwed up, deliberately. Those lawyers who did not hand over material to defense should be disbarred if they made that decision deliberately in opposition to the rules.
The Bundy Family did in fact give somethig to America. They gave America legitimate rights to Nevada by settling the land. The Federal Government, in exchange for a legitimate claim to the state gave the Bundy family and their heirs and assigns 320 acres and rights to graze cattle on adjacent land. The Bundy family owes nothing more to the Federal Government. The Federal Government should start honoring their promises.
Stop the sagebrush rebellion nonsense. Nevada Territory and the US government made contracts when Nevada became a state. Bundy et al are governed by those contracts and law. They own nothing of the federal preserve.
