via Reuters.
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his followers were defying the rule of law by threat of violence, rather than engaging in a legal protest, when they took up arms against federal agents who had seized his cattle, a U.S. prosecutor told jurors on Tuesday.Story here.
But Bundy’s lawyer countered that the government was at fault for escalating the conflict, and that supporters rallied to his cause because they saw him as the victim of intimidation and excess on the part of federal land managers.
“Why were they there? Because they’re Americans. Because it’s not illegal to help,” defense attorney Bret Whipple said in his opening presentation.
Bundy, two of his sons and a fourth defendant are accused of conspiracy, assault and other charges stemming from the 2014 armed standoff, which galvanized right-wing militia groups challenging U.S. government authority over vast tracts of public lands in the American West.
I've been waiting on this one and will watch it carefully. There are some serious issues on the table and I don't think most people are taking them seriously.
What do I mean?
Remember the incident in Ferguson after the shooting death of the guy shoplifting? The police showed up in riot gear. Fast forward to the Bundy incident and the BLM Officers only carried sidearms while the "protesters" carried rifles and were outfitted in various forms of "tactical gear".
The precedent is already set.
But if the Feds lose and Bundy walks then its written in stone and every protest going forward becomes a different thing.
Additionally after the overreach (or accused overreach) that we saw in the Branch Davidian incident and another in Montana (can't remember but a sniper killed a mother running to help her son....some former Green Beret got famous defending them in the media...) this limited response has many wondering whether or not the Feds were intimidated or if they had a different standard for a different group of people.
More importantly though is this.
Many people were photographed committing assault on Federal Law Enforcement with the crime caught on tape, yet they haven't been dealt with in anyway from what I can tell.
Why is this important?
For all of the above.
Either we have "law" or we don't. If we don't then cool, I just need to reorient to that reality. If we don't then the Feds need to do work.
Side note. One person went to this incident and I've looked hard but can't find one pic of him being involved in any of the craziness. Who is that? James Yeager. For better or worse the guy seems to have known the lines to cross when he rushed out to support the Bundy's. Too bad others didn't follow his lead.
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