In April 2014, hundreds of armed protesters gathered at the Bundy Ranch in Nevada to take a stand against the federal government.
The post Four Years Ago, Hundreds of Armed Protesters Stood Up to Tyrannical US Gov’t Overreach—And Won appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
Dear Friends,
I encourage all to make the trip to Las Vegas to meet the Bundy family and their supporters during this continuing trial (hopefully after last week not for much longer).
Today it appears the prosecution’s case is unraveling with Judge Navarro’s decision to release the defendants to home detention, however, this travesty is far from over. The fate of these men hangs in the balance on scales appearing to tip their way, but do not underestimate the means by which full vindication can be corrupted.
Your eyes on this prosecution protects the spirit of justice that people from around this nation are here to seek. What happens in Vegas must not stay in Las Vegas. With help from many Facebook bloggers, ordinary citizens and legal aides the whole truth is cutting through the silence Fake news will not cover.
This week’s court action, the comradery amongst the Bundy supporters here at trial and the beautiful Bundy family who have not wavered from their convictions has rewarded Dorothy and me with one of the most inspiring weeks of our lives.
I want to reveal some of the highlights witnessed during the trial and express my gratitude for those who stand against all odds. Your government will go to any extreme to prejudice the public, to extort by any means the fair and orderly prosecution of justice; they will lie (as proven during testimony by a federal agent) to advance an agenda even at the cost of betraying their oath to serve and protect the public and defend the Constitution. Our eyes are wide open to this injustice because a few men stood without hesitation to protect their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor from a misdirected agency on a quest to take by any means necessary the Bundy family ranch.
My hat’s off to Ryan Bundy who is so eloquently presenting himself in his own defense without the aid of legal training. Ryan’s conversation was covertly recorded by federal officers during a phone contact they made to inform him that they were going to impound the family’s cattle. These special BLM agents also wanted to know what response they might expect from the Bundy’s to stymie their operation.
The prosecution played a parsed variety of excerpts from the 46-minute conversation with Ryan to impugn the Bundy’s by characterizing them as dangerous and militant. Ryan told the officers to go home and stay away if they wished to avoid any trouble stealing their cattle. Ryan stated that they would do “whatever it takes” to prevent the theft. The BLM’s chief agent agreed in this conversation that he too would defend his property if someone trespassed upon him with aim to plunder.
These words, “whatever it takes”, underscored the context for what would escalate to better fit the agency’s agenda; to confiscate Bundy property with use of deadly force. The entire agency’s action and prosecution’s offensive was dependent upon this misguided belief which precipitated the armed BLM assault upon the Bundy’s and their supporters at the Bunkerville rally.
The defense team argued that the cherry-picked snippets presented by separate exhibits were prejudicial as most of the 46-minute conversation was cut. This left a cloud over the notion of Bundy’s intentions and gave the impression that they could be dangerous. The narrowly focused comment was discovered not so dire a conviction when the Judge ordered the full conversation heard. In fact, what the Bundy’s hoped came to pass as their fellow ranchers appeared and stood with them on that fateful April morning in 2014 as well as hundreds of men, women and children from all over the nation.
The “whatever it takes” comment was seen by all in the courtroom to be that of non-violence, of bringing people together to redress their government. The Bundy’s were not armed, except for Ryan who always kept a sidearm, but he remained at all times with the Sheriff or a Sheriff’s deputy.
The Bundy’s never called for arms but when, after days of surveillance and the knowledge of an armed federal army amassing around their perimeter, legions of men came to defend against what was looking to become a massacre. A massacre in vivid memory for many who recall Waco, Texas and Ruby Ridge, Idaho. A massacre prevented by their arrival as the true force of law, the County Sheriff finally demanded the BLM stand-down.
The BLM wished a self-serving prophecy that all the gunplay hype would lead to a gunfire event. They hoped their overwhelming buildup of firepower, hidden snipers and hours of video surveillance would pay off. But the Bundy’s weren’t terrorists, they did not sport guns and came only with well-worn pocket Constitutions.
This would not be the end of the standoff, rather the beginning. For near two years would pass while the ringing in BLM’s ears grew insisting that these men were dangerous and getting away with impending federal court orders. The cattle round-up stopped and the cowboy round-up began. Soon 19 men would be gathered from communities across the West under gun-point and with orders to shoot should they resist.
More news to follow…………………….
In Liberty,
Darr Moon
Please take the time to read Ryan Bundy’s opening statement delivered at trial in his words. You may come to believe as I that this cowboy’s truth and conviction is more powerful than the entire might of the federal government. Hats off my dear friend.
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The post Last Week at the Las Vegas Bundy Trial appeared first on Oath Keepers.
A grand jury in Portland, Oregon has charged FBI Agent W Joseph Astarita with three counts of making false statements, alleging that he lied when he claimed he did not fire his weapon during the attempted arrest of LaVoy Finicum, a key figure in the Oregon militia standoff at the Malheur national wildlife refuge in 2016.
Astarita, who pleaded not guilty in federal court in Portland, was assigned to arrest the leaders of the Oregon standoff in January 2016 when Finicum drove off the road and into a snowbank, before attempting to flee on foot. During the ensuing confrontation, some of which was captured on film, Oregon state police officers shot and killed Finicum, an Arizona rancher, who police say was reaching for his gun. Police later said the shooting was “justified”.
Here is the press release from the United States Attorney"s Office:
The indictment alleges that Astarita knowingly and willfully made false statements to FBI Supervisory Special Agents, knowing that the statements were false and material to the FBI’s decision not to investigate the propriety of an agent-involved shooting. Specifically, Astarita falsely stated he had not fired his weapon during the attempted arrest of Mr. Finicum when he knew he had in fact fired his weapon. Astarita also knowingly engaged in misleading conduct toward Oregon State Police officers by failing to disclose that he had fired two rounds during the attempted arrest.
Astarita was arraigned on June 28, 2017, in Portland. He entered pleas of not guilty to each county and was released pending future appearances.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
For those who missed it, a portion of Finicum"s confrontation with police was caught on film and clearly shows that the first shots were fired while his hands were up in the air..."ironically", no pop stars made a "Hands Up, Don"t Shoot" video after this incident.
Last year, we covered the background on the incidents leading up to the Oregon standoff in a post entitled "Now Is The Time To Stand Up": Armed Activists, Militiamen Seize Federal Wildlife Refuge Office In Oregon. It all started when Oregon resident Dwight Hammond set fires on land he leased from the government, an effort he said was intended to fight back the intrusion of invasive plant species and prevent wildfires. Apparently the government did agree and threw Hammond in jail for arson.
On Saturday, militants seized a remote government outpost following a protest by hundreds of angry citizens.
It all started back in 2001 when Dwight Hammond and his son Steven set fire to leased government land in what they said was an effort to beat back invasive plant species and - ironically - prevent wildfires. They set more fires in 2006 and were later convicted of arson.
Both men served time in prison but a judge eventually determined that their sentences were too light and ordered them back to jail.
Some folks were displeased with the ruling and staged a protest that saw some 300 people march through Burns, a city of around 3,000. The procession made a stop by the Hammond residence and proceeded to make an appearance at the local sheriff"s office as well.
Enter Ammon Bundy.
Fast forward to November and Bundy"s son Ammon was busy trying to come up with a way to keep Dwight Hammond and his son from going back to jail. "Ammon Bundy met with Dwight Hammond and his wife in November, seeking a way to keep the elderly rancher from having to surrender for prison," The Oregonian writes, adding that "the Hammonds professed through their attorneys that they had no interest in ignoring the order to report for prison."
But while the Hammonds have apparently come to terms with their fate, Bundy hasn"t and in a brazen move, he and an unspecified number of "outside militants" seized control of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters, which is a short drive from Burns (where the protest took place).
Of course, the standoff ultimately ended with multiple arrests and the death of LaVoy Finicum.
