Thank you for visiting. My thoughts & Feelings are my Own.

Here I will share my feelings about America and her Future.

Let it be known to all the World, I love all Humankind, however the poor actions of the few that take away the Freedom's of the many wear on my soul. I don't hate them I feel sad for their foolishness before God and humankind.

Those leaders who seek to 'Keep their Oaths of office' and those who seek only self glory, power, tyranny and the destruction of America as it was founded, hoping to turn it into a Dictatorship, Marxist or other state of Tyranny.

For a long while I was unsure of putting a blog together with my thoughts on this, however Truth must be shared, if not to Awake American's to their dangerous situation then to record the folly of the ways of the wicked who do exist in the leadership of our Nation, States, Counties, Towns. Sad that I must add this page.

"We often search for things in life, yet seldom do we find.

Those things in life that really matter, until we make the time." S.T.Huls

God Bless the Republic of America!

We have Got To Stand Up!!

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Utah Congressman Chris Stewart "BLM doesn't need a 'SWAT' ream"


(File | The Associated Press) Cliven Bundy talks on the phone at his ranch near Bunkerville Nev.
Utah’s Stewart: BLM doesn’t need a ‘SWAT team’

First Published Apr 29 2014 04:43 pm • Updated 8 hours ago
Washington •
 
The Bureau of Land Management doesn’t need its own heavily armed police force, Rep. Chris Stewart said Tuesday, referencing the recent standoff between federal agents and a civilian militia siding with Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy.
 
Stewart, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, says he’s going to try to cut funding for any "paramilitary units" and require the BLM, Internal Revenue Service and other regulatory agencies to rely on local law enforcement rather than their own armed crews.
 
"There are lots of people who are really concerned when the BLM shows up with its own SWAT team," the Utah Republican said off the House floor Tuesday, noting that land managers aren’t the only government agents with serious firepower. "They’re regulatory agencies; they’re not paramilitary units, and I think that concerns a lot of us."
The BLM sent dozens of law enforcement officials to help with security surrounding the roundup of Bundy’s cattle after a court ordered their seizure in a 20-year-long dispute about grazing rights. Bundy doesn’t recognize federal control of the public lands near his ranch where he lets his cattle roam; two federal judges have disagreed and upheld more than $1 million in fines and fees against Bundy.
Faced with a small army of Bundy supporters, many with guns, the BLM backed off and released the cattle in hopes of finding a nonviolent solution to the dispute.
Stewart, who insists he isn’t taking sides in the Bundy showdown, says he was shocked to see the government’s response and believes it led to the civilian militia that showed up to defend the rancher. But Stewart says agencies such as the BLM should defer to local police for muscle instead of bringing in their own.
"They should do what anyone else would do," Stewart said. "Call the local sheriff, who has the capability to intervene in situations like that."
Stewart, a freshman lawmaker seeking a second term this election year, could find powerful friends in his targeting of such special-force units in government agencies. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told WHAS radio of Louisville, that the feds shouldn’t have "48 federal agencies carrying weapons and having SWAT teams."
The Interior Department stressed Tuesday that the BLM and National Park Service had law enforcement personnel present during the Bundy cattle roundup to provide safety for their employees and the public.
Spokeswoman Jessica Kershaw added that there are about 300 law enforcement officers under the BLM’s direction to provide support on 245 million acres of public land, prompting a need already to work with local officials.

 
"Partnerships and coordination with local law enforcement are a key part of the equation," Kershaw said, "not just because it’s good government, but because of the need to leverage limited resources."
She noted the BLM does not have SWAT or tactical teams.
Pat Shea, a Utahn who oversaw the BLM under President Bill Clinton, says Stewart’s idea is worth considering but he warns that there are reasons the nation hasn’t consolidated its law enforcement agencies under one umbrella.
"It’s certainly worth something to examine, but we come up against the old adage: Be careful what you wish for," Shea said. "Besides the military, we could end up with a national police force. That could make black helicopters look like biplanes."

Stewart Speaks on the House Floor about Burdensome Federal Regulations


Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Incredible Power Of Concentration - Miyoko Shida





Everyone Was Completely Speechless. She's The Only Woman In The World To Do This!



This really is beyond words. This video is titled “The Incredible Power Of Concentration.” This is Mioka Shida, and she does something truly incredible by being able to balance numerous items together perfectly using the center of gravity to hold them together. This is really mesmerizing. Add to this, the ability to do this on stage, in front of an audience!

EPA Chief Promises To Go After Republicans Who Question Agency Science

Gina McCarthy testifies before a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on her nomination to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on Capitol Hill in Washington April 11, 2013. (REUTERS/Joshua Roberts) Gina McCarthy testifies before a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on her nomination to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on Capitol Hill in Washington April 11, 2013. (REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)

EPA Chief Promises To Go After Republicans Who Question Agency Science

Michael Bastasch
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy has issued a warning to Republicans who continue to question the integrity of the agency’s scientific data: we’re coming for you.
McCarthy told an audience at the National Academy of Sciences on Monday morning the agency will go after a “small but vocal group of critics” who are arguing the EPA is using “secret science” to push costly clean air regulations.
“Those critics conjure up claims of EPA secret science — but it’s not really about EPA science or secrets. It’s about challenging the credibility of world renowned scientists and institutions like Harvard University and the American Cancer Society,” McCarthy said, according to Politico.
“It’s about claiming that research is secret if researchers protect confidential personal health data from those who are not qualified to analyze it — and won’t agree to protect it,” she added. “If EPA is being accused of secret science because we rely on real scientists to conduct research, and independent scientists to peer review it, and scientists who’ve spent a lifetime studying the science to reproduce it — then so be it.”
Republicans Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana and Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas have led the charge on pressing the EPA to make publicly available the scientific data behind its clean air regulations. McCarthy promised she would make such data publicly available during her confirmation process last year. Now her refusal to cough up the data has angered Republicans.
“EPA’s leadership is willfully ignoring the big picture and defending EPA’s practices of using science that is, in fact, secret due to the refusal of the agency to share the underlying data with Congress and the American public,” said Vitter.
“We’re not asking, and we’ve never asked, for personal health information, and it is inexcusable for EPA to justify billions of dollars of economically significant regulations on science that is kept hidden from independent reanalysis and congressional oversight,” Vitter added.


The EPA has used non-public data to justify 85 percent of $2 trillion worth of Clean Air Act regulation benefits from 1990 to 2020. The agency also uses such datasets to assert that Clean Air Act regulation benefits exceed the costs by a 30:1 ratio originates from the secret data sets.
House Republicans have backed a bill that would block the EPA from crafting regulations based on “secret” data. Republicans argue that such data was used to craft onerous regulations, like one promulgated in late 2012 to reduce soot levels.
That soot rule is supposed to yield $4 billion to $9 billion in benefits per year, while costing from $50 million to $350 million, but the data backing that claim up is not publicly available.
“For far too long, the EPA has approved regulations that have placed a crippling financial burden on economic growth in this country with no public evidence to justify their actions,” said Arizona Republican Rep. David Schweikert, who introduced the bill.
“Virtually every regulation proposed by the Obama administration has been justified by nontransparent data and unverifiable claims,” said Smith, who cosponsored the bill. “The American people foot the bill for EPA’s costly regulations, and they have a right to see the underlying science. Costly environmental regulations should be based on publicly available data so that independent scientists can verify the EPA’s claims.”
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Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2014/04/28/epa-chief-promises-to-go-after-republicans-who-question-agency-science/2/#ixzz30HBqaOMJ

Monday, April 28, 2014

Napolitano Blasts Feds’ ‘Massive, Stalinistic-Like Use of Force’ in Nevada Ranch Standoff

Napolitano Blasts Feds’ ‘Massive, Stalinistic-Like Use of Force’ in Nevada Ranch Standoff

As seen on Hannity
Judge Napolitano was on “Hannity” tonight to discuss the Nevada ranch standoff, eminent domain, and the percentage of land owned by the federal government.

Napolitano said that the government should file a judgment against Cliven Bundy, and when he passes away or sells his property, the government will get the judgment plus interest.
So why won’t they do that?
“The government, instead of using the least force necessary, which is what the rule of law is, is using the most force possible because they want to intimidate the Bundys – I’m convinced he cannot be intimidated – they want to intimidate others, and they’re probably a little unsure of themselves, Sean, and so they’re compensating for that lack of surety, of certainty, with this massive, Stalinistic-like use of force.”
Hannity and Napolitano also discussed recent cases in which the government is seizing private property under eminent domain.
“Unfortunately, the law has changed and it has changed in a totalitarian direction,” Napolitano said.
The Bureau of Land Management is now reportedly eyeing property along the Red River, which Napolitano said is a big mistake. He said Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is a “tenacious defender of personal liberty and property rights.” Napolitano believes that we will see a vastly different reaction in Texas than in Nevada. He said the state government will probably take legal action and maybe even use force.
Hannity and Napolitano touched on the latest figures on percentages of land owned by the federal government, many of which are very high. In 2010, the U.S. government owned 81 percent of land in Nevada, for example.
“The Constitution simply does not authorize the federal government to own any of this land. All of it is being held unconstitutionally and all of it should be returned to the private property owners from which it was taken or to the states whose borders it exists, period,” Napolitano said.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Critics cry foul as feds place lesser prairie chicken on threatened species list

Critics cry foul as feds place lesser prairie chicken on threatened species list

UNDATED: A lesser prairie-chicken is seen in this undated handout photo from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Reuters/USFWS
The Obama administration on Thursday announced plans to place the lesser prairie chicken on a list of threatened species, a move that drew the ire of some lawmakers and energy producers who derided the decision as an "overreach."
The Fish and Wildlife Service's decision, set to take effect around May 1, is a step below "endangered" status and allows for more flexibility in how protections for the bird will be carried out under the Endangered Species Act.
The move could affect agriculture, oil and gas drilling, wind farms and other activities in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico and Kansas, where Gov. Sam Brownback said he's concerned the decision will hurt the state's economy.
"This is an overreach on the part of the federal government," Brownback said in a statement. "We are looking at possible responses on this issue."
Asked whether that includes a lawsuit, Brownback spokeswoman Sara Belfry said: "That certainly is a possible response." Attorney General Derek Schmidt also said in a statement that his office is "assessing our legal options."
Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe said he knows the decision will be unpopular with governors in the five affected states, but said the agency was following the best science available.
The prairie chicken, a type of grouse known for its colorful neck plume and stout build, has lost more than 80 percent of its traditional habitat, mostly because of human activity such as oil and gas drilling, ranching and construction of power lines and wind turbines, Ashe said. The bird, which weighs from 1-1/2 to 2 pounds, has also been severely impacted by the region's ongoing drought.
Biologists say a major problem is that prairie chickens fear tall structures, where predators such as hawks can perch and spot them. Wind turbines, electricity transmission towers and drilling rigs are generally the tallest objects on the plains.
Last year, the prairie chicken's population across the five states declined to fewer than 18,000 birds — nearly 50 percent lower than 2012 population estimates.
Oil companies have said potential new regulations would impede their operations and would cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in oil and gas development in one of the country's most prolific basins, the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico.
The listing decision, includes a special rule that Ashe said will allow officials and private landowners in the five affected states to manage conservation efforts. The rule specifies that activities such as oil and gas drilling and utility line maintenance that are covered under a five-state conservation plan adopted last year will be allowed to continue.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, like Brownback a Republican, said she was disappointed, but added that she believes state and federal officials "have a unique opportunity to show how a plan based in state management of this species can allow for a quick recovery" and eventual de-listing of the bird.
Oklahoma's attorney general filed a lawsuit this month over the Obama administration's decision to settle a lawsuit with an environmental group over the listing status of the lesser prairie chicken and other species.
Attorney General Scott Pruitt claims in the lawsuit that federal agencies are colluding with like-minded special interest groups and using "sue and settle" tactics that encourage lawsuits that can be settled on terms favorable to the groups that filed them.
Ashe denied collusion with any group and said the agency hopes to avoid litigation over the listing decision.
Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., said the Obama administration is threatening energy production and the property rights of farmers and ranchers. But he acknowledged that the federal government could have gone farther and listed the bird as endangered — with less flexibility in conservation measures.
"Nevertheless, an effective conservation effort must be strictly voluntary if private property is to be respected and our rural way of life to be protected," Huelskamp said in a statement.
Sen. Jerry Moran, another Kansas Republican, said the federal agency's decision will have "real consequences" for the economy but pledged to work with federal officials.
"I am confident there are ways to address conserving the species while not hampering economic growth and farming and ranching activities," Moran said in a statement.
In New Mexico, leaders of the state agriculture and energy departments and the interim director of the Game and Fish Department voiced their opposition in a statement, saying the listing will "without question decimate economic development and job creation in southeastern New Mexico."
The officials said they are considering all options for how to respond to what they call a "misguided decision."
The environmental group Defenders of Wildlife said the listing was "long overdue," but cautioned that the listing is weakened by "overly broad exemptions" for land uses that threaten the struggling populations of the lesser prairie chicken.
"We are talking about a species whose population has plummeted to half of its numbers in just one year," said Jamie Rappaport Clark, Defenders of Wildlife president. "This bird deserves effective federal protection, and the government recognized that over 15 years ago."
A consortium of oil and gas industry groups said the industry's effect on lesser prairie chickens is "poorly understood but likely to be negligible." Potential impacts can be mitigated through voluntary conservation plans, the group said in comments to the Fish and Wildlife Service before the ruling was announced.
"Adding another layer of regulation on the oil and gas industry in a region that is key to America's energy future and for which there is no clear environmental benefit runs counter to this administration's stated approach to energy and regulation," the group said. The 10-member group includes the American Petroleum Institute, the chief lobbying arm of the oil and gas industry, as well as America's Natural Gas Alliance, the Colorado Oil and Gas Association and the Independent Petroleum Association of America.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Obamacare in Pictures

Obamacare in Pictures

Download Individual Charts

obamacare in pictures like health plan keep it
If you like your health care plan, can you really keep it?At least 4.7 million health care plans in the individual market have been discontinued due to new Obamacare rules.
obamacare in pictures employers change plans
Obamacare will require employers to make changes to their health care plansThose with employer coverage might not be able to keep their existing plans either. The vast majority of businesses expect to make changes to their health care plans to comply with Obamacare’s regulations, and more than half of those anticipate the changes to be significant or drastic.
obamacare in pictures premiums higher age 27
Premiums are higher in Obamacare exchanges: Age 27Buying individual health insurance in the exchanges is generally more expensive than it was before Obamacare, especially for young adults. In 11 states, 27–year–olds will see premiums double or more.
obamacare in pictures premiums higher age 50
Premiums are higher in Obamacare exchanges: Age 50Buying individual health insurance in the exchanges is generally more expensive than it was before Obamacare. In 13 states, 50–year–olds will see premiums rise by 50 percent or more.
obamacare in pictures premiums higher family
Premiums are higher in Obamacare exchanges: Family of fourBuying individual health insurance in the exchanges is generally more expensive than it was before Obamacare. In 19 states, premiums for a family of four will increase by more than 10 percent.
obamacare in pictures higher deductibles
Many Obamacare exchange plans come with higher deductiblesIn addition to premium costs, individuals must meet an annual deductible before coverage kicks in. Average individual deductibles in the 36 states with a federally run exchange are much higher than the average individual deductible for employer- sponsored plans in 2013.
obamacare in pictures lack of competition
Lack of competition in Obamacare exchangesMore than half of U.S. counties have only one or two insurance carriers selling coverage in the Obamacare exchanges. This lack of competition means less choice for consumers and less market pressure to keep prices down.
obamacare in pictures spending growth
Obamacare's new spending continues to growInitial estimates for Obamacare’s spending on the Medicaid expansion and exchange subsidies counted only six years of spending. A full 10–year cost reveals nearly $2 trillion in new spending by 2024.
obamacare in pictures medicaid expansion cost state
Obamacare's Medicaid expansion burdens state budgetsIn the vast majority of states, adopting the Medicaid expansion would require additional state spending.
obamacare in pictures uninsured millions
Millions will remain uninsured under ObamacareIn 2024, after 10 years of full implementation and nearly $2 trillion in new spending, 31 million people will likely remain uninsured. Those who do gain coverage will do so primarily through Obamacare exchanges or Medicaid.
obamacare in pictures new taxes fees penalties
Obamacare's 18 new taxes and penaltiesObamacare includes 18 new taxes, fees, and penalties, costing taxpayers an estimated $771 billion by 2022.
obamacare in pictures individual mandate
Who pays the Obamacare individual mandate tax?Nearly 70 percent of those projected to pay the Obamacare individual mandate tax earn less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($45,960 for a single individual in 2013), and 10 percent live in poverty.
obamacare in pictures cuts medicare
Obamacare cuts Medicare payments to fund other new programsProjected Medicare savings from Obamacare do not improve the program’s long-term solvency. Most of the savings are redirected to fund new Obamacare spending.
obamacare in pictures medicare access seniors
Obamacare's Medicare cuts will result in severe access problems for seniorsBy cutting Medicare payments instead of introducing real reform, the health care law jeopardizes seniors’ access to providers. According to the Medicare trustees, Obamacare’s scheduled reductions to provider payments will cause Medicare’s payments for health services to fall further below providers’ costs. This will cause providers to either withdraw from serving Medicare beneficiaries or shift more costs to their patients with private coverage.
obamacare in pictures unpopular poll
Obamacare remains unpopularOpposition to Obamacare has hovered around 50 percent since early 2010. Over the past year, the law has grown even more unpopular.

Winchester: Churchill Quotation Gets Liberty GB Leader Paul Weston Arrested

Winchester: Churchill Quotation Gets Liberty GB Leader Paul Weston Arrested

*** LIBERTY GB PRESS RELEASE 26TH APRIL 2014 ***
Today Paul Weston, chairman of the party Liberty GB and candidate in the 22 May European Elections in the South East, has been arrested in Winchester.
At around 2pm Mr Weston was standing on the steps of Winchester Guildhall, addressing the passers-by in the street with a megaphone. He quoted the following excerpt about Islam from the book The River War by Winston Churchill:
"How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property – either as a child, a wife, or a concubine – must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Thousands become the brave and loyal soldiers of the faith: all know how to die but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith."
Reportedly a woman came out of the Guildhall and asked Mr Weston if he had the authorisation to make this speech. When he answered that he didn’t, she told him "It's disgusting!" and then called the police.
Six or seven officers arrived. They talked with the people standing nearby, asking questions about what had happened. The police had a long discussion with Mr Weston, lasting about 40 minutes.
At about 3pm he was arrested. They searched him, put him in a police van and took him away.

Click here to join Liberty GB!




Click here to join Liberty GB!

Bundy Ranch: Full Update from Ryan Bundy - 4/25/14 [UNCUT]




Ryan Bundy, the son of Rancher Cliven, spoke about some of the events that took place on April 12th, including a heartfelt story about a single Russian immigrant who took a stand for freedom.
"I left Russia, this is not Russia, and I am not going to live like this any longer."

Feds on Texas land: Not a land grab, it’s already ours

Feds on Texas land: Not a land grab, it’s already ours

April 25, 2014 4:55 pm

(Breitbart) – The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oklahoma Field Office responded to Breitbart Texas about the so-called Red River “land grab” by emphasizing that parcels in question are already held in the public domain and BLM-managed. The Bureau claims it is not they who are declaring the ownership but that settled case law long declared it to be government land.
BLM Public Relations Specialist Paul McGuire agreed to a one-on-one telephone interview with Breitbart Texas after reading the original report published earlier this week. In contrast with the interview with Texas General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson, McGuire expressed much more confidence about the ownership of the land and indicated little, if any, ambiguity about how or why the land should be under federal control.
“It’s not the BLM making any such claim as to the status of the land,” McGuire said. “That land was a matter that the courts adjudicated decades ago, going back to the 1920s in fact. The Supreme Court settled the matter as to where the public land in the Red River was. So, BLM is really just proceeding on those earlier court decisions.”
SPECIAL: Modern Day Patriots, this is the time to stand shoulder to shoulder with our forefathers in Lexington and Concord. We need the Tea Party now more than ever.
Both McGuire and Patterson agreed about the unique set of political and historical circumstances that led to this situation of confusing and apparently conflicting laws regarding the property ownership and control of land along the Red River boundary between Oklahoma and Texas. However, there is disagreement on a couple of major sticking points.
Commissioner Patterson believes strongly that, as part of the planning process, a survey project must be completed to determine exactly where the boundaries are located, and, if they have moved, what the cause of the movement was as the cause relates directly to ownership changes. Patterson also questions why the BLM suddenly feels the need to manage land they have ignored for decades–if not centuries.
Following is the complete audio recording of the interview with BLM spokesman Paul McGuire:

For direct comparison, the Breitbart Texas interview with Texas Land Commissioner Patterson can be found below.

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/04/25/Bureau-Land-Management-on-Red-River-Not-a-Land-Grab-Its-Already-Ours
- See more at: http://www.teaparty.org/feds-texas-land-land-grab-already-40460/#sthash.TrQ95y9T.dpuf

Saturday, April 26, 2014

NEVADA RANCH STAND OFF ONE COWBOYS WITNESS- LaVoy Finicum- Setting Glenn Beck's representation Straight.





Published on Apr 26, 2014

My personal witness of riding with the Bundys to get their cows. Setting Glenn Beck's representation Straight.

In their own words: Bundy family addresses unanswered questions- (Great simply done article)

Heather Hamilton-Maude
for Tri-State Livestock News

Back to: TSLN
April 26, 2014
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In their own words: Bundy family addresses unanswered questions

“To me, the only reason the federal government would act this way is to have unlimited power. They want to assume the sovereignty, laws and land, and policing power. Not only do they assume these things, they believe they already have them. When they were challenged, their response was to show me I have none of these things,” began Cliyven Bundy of the reason behind the BLM’s (Bureau of Land Management) recent show of force against him and his family’s operation.
The history of grazing fees
It has been 20 years since Bundy paid a grazing fee to the BLM, a major point of contention to some. But the issue is far deeper and more complex than that single statement reads.
“There are multiple angles to explain on this topic. What I would like to express more than anything is that the BLM does not own the land. In other words, it is not federal land, it is state land. A lot of people, even ranchers, think they’re buying grass or pasture when they pay a grazing fee or permit, but that is incorrect. That grass is theirs by preemptive rights by beneficial use, and those rights began when that grazing use began – 137 years ago in my case. What you pay the BLM for is management and range improvements. Of every dollar spent on grazing fees, 12.5 percent is supposed to go the BLM for managing the land, and the other 80-some percent is supposed to come back to the land as range improvements. When you look at the law those are the only two purposes for your grazing fees.
“So, go back 20 years to when I quit paying grazing fees to the federal government. The administrative regulatory pressure at the time was being used to run myself and my neighbors out of business. They came along with a full force and effect decision on the basis of an endangered species, and said we couldn’t graze for three to four months in the peak of the spring. That was followed by another full force and effect decision that said the land was totally closed to grazing. In that process my neighbors, 52 ranching families in Clark County and hundreds of others across the Mohave Desert to the Pacific Ocean, were run out of business. I chose to send administrative notices to the solitary offices and BLM district office in Reno, Nev., stating I was not going to allow the BLM to manage my ranch out of business, and would not pay them for their management services anymore, and I didn’t,” said Bundy.
Upon his decision to stop paying a fee and sign the associated contract, Bundy cleared himself of contract of law with the federal government as stated in the Constitution, eliminating any ties between himself and that government, he says.
“That is a difference between myself and most ranchers. Without a permit I can keep myself clean of their courts, and challenge them on the basis of state sovereignty, asking whether the federal government or the people of Nevada own the land in question. When they’re questioned in this manner, they either have to prove they have the authority, or the other side, Bundy in this case, wins. I consider Nevada a sovereign state with its own law and rights, which I abide by in full,” he said, adding he would have no issues paying a grazing fee to the proper authority of Clark County, Nev., which he has done. Bundy said he has submitted payment to the county. After cashing the check, the county tried to return it but Bundy did not accept the return and the county has the funds in their account as of today.
The blow up
“We have known about the BLM’s proposed roundup for some time, and their reasoning that we were not adhering by their codes or laws, giving them the right to remove our cattle,” said Cliven’s son Ammon Bundy.
However, what the Bundy family was not prepared for was the size, scope and intensity of the BLM’s operation or the response of their friends and neighbors across America, who they refer to as “We the People.”
“Two things surprised me in this. One was that the government would spend that much, I think it was $3 million or more, on this project, and that they actually took over the policing power of the state and county and labeled us ‘domestic terrorists.’ I didn’t expect them to go to force with snipers, ground force and fully armed men. That was a little overwhelming,” said Cliven.
Ammon agreed, adding the agency brought about 200 vehicles, counting the contract cowboys and federal agents, into the area and set up what he referred to as a compound on March 27.
“The hills around the ranch were covered with agents and vehicles. You could see helicopters, vehicles on every road, and wherever there was a larger space between roads they had cameras set up. They literally had the whole place on lockdown, and everywhere they went it was a pack that included a contract cowboy, agents, and five to six armed vehicles following front and back. If anyone stepped off a road, they would immediately go and hassle them,” said Ammon.
Incidents between the BLM and Bundy supporters occurred with increasing frequency, and climaxed on Saturday, April 12 when 300-plus people and approximately 50 horsemen converged on the federal forces in a washout off I-15 with the intent of making them put down their weapons, release the Bundy cattle, and leave the area.
“The second thing that was surprising was how the people rebelled as a whole and said ‘no more’ to the point they actually faced the federal guns and moved them. What a story,” said Cliven.
It was the people, not the Bundy family, who insisted on the release of the cattle during a 9 a.m. public press conference that same Saturday between the local sheriff and the Bundys to discuss negotiations. Ammon explained that the sheriff was neutralized on the issue, and would not even respond to 911 calls placed by Bundy family members or their supporters during any of the altercations with the BLM personnel.
“The sheriff announced at the press conference, following its opening with a prayer and the pledge of allegiance, that the BLM was leaving the area and would stop collecting cattle, but needed a week to get out. There were between 1,500 and 2,000 people in attendance, and they are who raised the question of what would be done with the cattle already collected. The word was the BLM would not release those cattle, and the people wouldn’t have it.
“After a very short conversation back and forth, my father gave the sheriff one hour to communicate that to the BLM. When the cattle weren’t released the people literally got in their vehicles and drove up I-15 to the site where the cattle were held. They were met by approximately 100 fully armed agents dressed in full tactical gear, helmets and everything else,” said Ammon.
As seen in multiple online videos, the group peacefully and slowly converged on the BLM’s blockade, choosing to ignore threats that they would be shot if they came closer, and requests to have an individual come forward alone. Dan Love of Oregon BLM was the head officer, and met them at the portable panel fence with additional threats and attempts at manipulation, Ammon said.
“He was basically saying we needed to back down, and we were replying that we wouldn’t, and the entire time there were weapons on us from about 20 feet away. Then something very relieving happened – down the wash on the BLM side comes one of our sheriff deputies named Tom Roberts with a guard. He said he was there for us, tell him what we wanted him to do. I replied that short of not allowing us to finish what we came to do, we would follow his orders,” said Ammon.
Love “attempted to manipulate” Tom Roberts until Ammon loudly proclaimed that Love did not have any authority, but that Roberts was the authority of the people and who they would listen to, Ammon said.
“Roberts demanded the BLM back down and put their arms down, which they did. He asked us to back off also, then basically had a conversation with us asking what we wanted. We explained we wanted the BLM out of there, and that we would give them 30 minutes to get the first vehicle out. He relayed that and they began backing up and got their vehicles completely away from us. We were extremely happy. At 30 minutes they sent a single vehicle out, then at about 45 minutes to an hour the rest left in a convoy of 107 vehicles and fled to Utah,” said Ammon, adding they left generators running, personal belongings, vehicles and numerous other items behind in their haste to leave.
At that point the cattle were released and trailed down the wash and out of the BLM’s temporary corral.
“Traffic was backed up on I-15 for 80 miles for four hours. There were thousands of people lined up on the freeway and along the edge of the wash. When those cattle came down the people were hugging and cheering and crying – it was an amazing experience,” said Ammon.
Everyone followed the cattle back to the protest site, and immediately began celebrating their victory. But Ammon, his brother and a small group took the time to walk back to the wash and lay down the panels between the wash and the BLM’s compound.
“We took the time to quietly lay down probably around 100 panels to symbolize that our cattle were not going to be stolen, that our people would not have arms pressed against them and that we have freedoms and rights as Americans,” explained Ammon.
Cliven added that while intense, the people had no fear because they knew they were within their constitutional rights as well as those of the Lord.
Going forward
On a personal level, the Bundy family continues cleaning up the damage, caring for injured livestock, looking for additional sick, injured or dead livestock and taking note of the destruction of water lines, troughs and storage tanks. The BLM claimed to have gathered 384 head, but with the dead toll included, the Bundy’s have only recovered 352 head thus far. They remain uncertain whether there are additional dead on the property, they were hauled off the ranch or the BLM’s count was inaccurate.
Ammon said that watching his cattle gathered by helicopter at a run on 90-degree days, with no regard for their health or the separation of cows and their calves was particularly difficult on Cliven. While also a struggle for he and his brothers, Ammon said they were able to stay focused on their goal of breaking the federal government’s pattern of taking control of land and removing the people from it.
“We knew if the federal government was successful in locking down this land and oppressing us by force that it would never end. They drew the line, and we had to cross it. It’s about understanding and then standing for what’s right. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes to make it right. The fight is not just for you, your ranch or even your livelihood, it’s ultimately for our country,” he said.
Cliven added that the current problem in the western U.S. is the fact they have a contract with the federal government through grazing permits. Clearing those contracts and returning power to the sovereign states and counties is what he calls the first step in literally disarming the U.S. bureaucracy.
“The BLM and Forest Service people do not need to have guns. If they want to exercise their second amendment right and carry a gun, they should be able to. But they should not have a government issued weapon they carry to work when wearing their uniform. They work as public servants, and should be acting like boy scouts, not an army,” explained Cliven.
He said that if actions aren’t taken to reduce the power of the federal bureaucracy, he fears for civil war within the country.
“They are already the strongest army in the world – the army within America by the bureaucrats is. They are well armed and well outfitted with the finest equipment available. They just bought how many thousands of bullets, not to shoot at a foreign enemy, but to shoot at American citizens. We can’t allow that to happen,” said Cliven.
To begin the process, he suggested first eliminating any contracts a producer has with the federal government, then working with local and state governments to make necessary changes.
“Call your county sheriff and ask them to take those guns away. This is a big deal for our industry, it should be we the people of the states and counties that own this land, then as ranchers we have preemptive rights by beneficial use for grazing, just as others have similar rights for hunting, fishing, riding, mining, etc.” said Cliven.
Ammon said that he would classify the Bundy ranch as being about the “freest in the entire country,” right now, adding that as of the BLM pulling out it was reopened to 4-wheelers, camping, horseback riding and cattle grazing.
“Harry Reid has been threatening us all week with little comments. He’s calling us violent domestic terrorists, and has said, ‘something will happen,’ in a pretense that seems to want civil war. We are the Bundy Bunkerville ranch domestic terrorists, but we are also, ‘We the People,’ American ranchers who took control back, and we’re proud of it,” said Cliven.