Ammon Bundy, the son of Cliven Bundy (the cattle rancher who stood down the federal government over a dispute on grazing rights), is mad as hell and has decided that he’s not going to take it anymore.
His anger is directed at the federal government, which he — and hundreds of other ranchers — believes are hogging all the grazing land out west. Fully half of the land west of the Mississippi is owed by the feds, and, according to both Bundys, the government still wants more and doesn’t mind squeezing ranchers off their spreads to achieve its diabolical goal.
Now, I’m no expert on federal land policy, and it could be that both Bundys are completely right. But that’s what we have courts for. Oh, I forgot — the courts are part of the hated federal government, and of course are in on the land grab too.
So, in Ammon (I wonder if his name has anything to do with ammunition?) Bundy and a couple of dozen of his true-believer followers decided to make a point by seizing a federal building that sits on a remote site about 300 miles from Portland, in the state of Oregon, where the locals are known to be a feisty, independent and rebel-rousing lot, to say the least. Bundy is telling the media that his group is ready to occupy the compound until hell freezes over.
As with many other protestors, the group — which is armed to the teeth — has made fuzzy demands of the government and is prepared to hold their breath until they turn blue if their demands are not met. Take that, Bureau of Land Management! The government, however, is taking a “hands off” approach, at least to this point.
One issue the disgruntled group is very clear on: They want the father and son team of Dwight and Steven Hammond released from federal prison where they recently began serving four-year sentences for arson on federal land. But the Hammonds want nothing to do with the armed group since they are seeking clemency from President Obama. Theirs is a complicated case.
But let me cut to the chase: What if this were an armed group of black protestors, would the government be so standoffish, or, by now would they have sent in federal officers to arrest the lot of them, using as much force as required to do the job?
I’m just asking.
From Cool Cleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available again in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://NeighborhoodSolutionsInc.com
2 Responses to “MANSFIELD: Armed … But Dangerous?”
Susie Sharp
I made that observation as well. If these anarchists were anything other than lily-white, I think they would have taken greater measures than threaten to turn off ALL the utilities including water. But I’d like to have some fun with these self-entitled asses. Let’s turn off the utilities and run a fence around the place and blast music at them that will drive them mad 24/7. We had some fun today thinking up playlist options.
Jack McGuane
Why don’t I once in a while disagree with you Mansfield? Just asking