Senator Orrin Hatch, Utah = Response to a letter of frusteration over Bundy & Malhuer vs Radical Militant Federals.

I sent Orrin a letter detailing my/our frustrations about the seemingly lack of effort on the part of DC to  reign in the generations of Terror applied to the Ranchers of Western America and the People from Federal agencies and their militant enforcers. I did not expect a response from a venting letter. So here is his response, I did not save the one I sent him.


If anyone would like to respond to Orrin, feel free to do so here. http://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-orrin

Dear Stephen:   Thank you for writing with regard to the recent occupation of federal facilities  in protest of federal land management. I welcome the opportunity to respond.   Please know that from the very outset of the protest activities in Oregon, my sincere hope has been that protestors, locals, and involved authorities peacefully resolve their differences.  Most recently, I was saddened by the deeply unfortunate loss of life amid an arrest of a small group of protestors. In response, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office is leading an ongoing investigation into the incident with help from the Bend and Redmond Police Departments and state police stationed in Deschutes County. At this time, as a federal legislator, I must respect the constitutional separation of powers and allow the legal process to run its course.   Make no mistake, like many Utahns, I maintain decades-long frustrations with federal land management agencies and the expansive and bureaucratic control of most lands in the West, including two-thirds of all the land in Utah. Over time, unfair and ineffective federal land management practices have proven the need to reconsider the current top-down federal management of public lands, particularly when it is almost entirely guided by out-of-touch bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. To this point, I have always supported and championed lawful legislative efforts  that would transfer control of our public lands to the states, and I will continue to use my position in the U.S. Senate to advocate for policies that increase access  to our public lands and promote greater local authority over their management.    Let me be clear, the recent developments and continued occupation of federal facilities in Oregon are extremely troubling, and I cannot support actions that threaten violence and endanger the general public, government workers, or the hardworking law enforcement community. With that said, we must recognize that we are a nation founded upon the rule of law—including the freedom of speech—and I encourage focusing efforts on creating solutions to these longstanding issues rather than encouraging dangerous standoffs that foster entrenched division. Moving forward, it is my hope that the authorities and the remaining protestors can find a non-violent resolution to this situation.   Again, thank you for writing. Rest assured, I will continue to monitor this situation closely and will certainly keep your comments in mind.   Your Senator,   Orrin G. Hatch                                                                                                            United States Senator