Bundy's rebellion, saga or fiasco? part one
or, Why protests by groups of guys with guns are almost never a good idea.
There has been a rising tide of violence in America and something that many feared would occur has happened in Oregon: a group of hardcore, pro-gun extremists, calling itself a “militia” named the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, are challenging the federal government to an armed standoff.
The situation may have begun dramatically but so far, a week after Ammon Bundy and his group of followers broke into the Malheur Wildlife Refuge's headquarters, not much has happened. The group is unwanted by locals, has limited food, has been largely ignored by the FBI and has become the laughing stock of social media (Y'all Qaeda, anyone?)
So, why do we care? Well, there are a number of reasons to keep an eye on the Bundy rebellion. For one thing, it could still go very, very badly (remember Waco and Ruby Ridge?) Many people believe that the meteoric rise in American gun violence, egged on as it is by the NRA and exacerbated by social media, is destined to make armed confrontations between pro-gun nuts/activists and law enforcement more common. This could be a test for federal law enforcement in how to handle future events. Finally, Ammon Bundy seems to truly believe that a tyrannical government is oppressing its citizens, meaning that this event could be what the writers of the Second Amendment had in mind.
Part One Protest and occupation
On Saturday, January 2, 2016, an armed, anti-government group led by Ammon Bundy broke in and occupied the headquarters of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, 30 miles south of Burns, Oregon. The occupation came shortly after an estimated 300 marchers, both local militia and citizens, paraded through Burns to protest the pending imprisonment of two Harney County ranchers, Dwight Hammond Jr. and Steven Hammond, who were convicted of torching federal lands in 2012.
Bundy told local media that the occupation was to prevent the Hammonds from going to prison and to force the “tyrannical” government to return the wildlife refuge to ranchers. In a video posted to Facebook, he declared:
"We have basically taken over the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. And this will become a base place for patriots from all over the country to come and be housed here and to live here."
Calling his group "the point of the spear," Bundy called on like-minded militants to "bring your arms."
Following Bundy are Ryan Bundy, Mel Bundy, Jon Ritzheimer, Blaine Cooper, Ryan Payne, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum and Jason Patrick. The Bundys' father, Cliven Bundy (more later), stated that the group numbers about 150, but the actual number seems to be about 20.
The only immediate response from law enforcement officials was Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward's statement: “A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution.” In situations like this, the FBI usually has jurisdiction. Although various sources have reported that the FBI is negotiating with the Bundy group, the National Guard and federal authorities have been conspicuously absent.
In the meantime, schools in Burns are closed while the rest of the country watches to see what will happen next.
