It's startin to look grim now! More terrorists are providing support and showing solidarity with the Cowboy Crusaders, eh?:
Quote:On Wednesday, the Washington Post reports, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) delivered vegan jerky—made of soy, seitan, and shiitake mushrooms—to the Bundy gang.
A PETA spokesperson, Lindsay Rajt, told the Post that one “hardcore carnivore” particularly loved the animal-free jerky. “He tried the hickory smoked primal strip,” Rajt said. “He said it tasted like salmon and he loved it.”
http://gawker.com/peta-brought-the-oregon-militiamen-vegan-jerky-and-they-1751479619
Quote:
“The FBI said that 1,100 criminal acts have been committed since 1976 by the Animal Rights Movement and that "animal rights and eco-extremists" are "the FBI's No. 1 domestic terrorism priority."
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=1680849&page=2
I hear-tell some Oregon milita gang has made it to the compound, too, eh? Now this might call for some ACTION, doncha think!?
They're still demanding that the Hammonds be released. The locals might descend on the courthouse, openin fire, who knows? Only Obama can save us now. He needs to issue a pardon!
Quote:In theory,
those on the left who care about vanquishing mandatory minimums could have used the news story about the Hammonds to broaden awareness and opposition to the practice. Libertarian intellectuals oppose mandatory minimums.This might have served as a rallying cry for opponents of mass incarceration.
Quote:"While federal management of public lands is legitimate and occupying a federal facility is unjustified,” a left-leaning publication might have editorialized, “it’s easy to see why the Hammond case struck some observers as unjust. The notion that judges are there to exercise discretion based on context––that it’s odious to force them to give severe sentences even when judge them to be ‘grossly disproportionate’––is exactly what criminal-justice reformers have long argued. There have been bipartisan reforms on this issue before. Let’s abolish all mandatory minimums for good through the civic process, not counterproductive armed protests.”
Instead, many left-leaning commentators are savaging the protestors in ways that can’t be exaggerated.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/oregon-mandatory-minimums/422433/
Only Obama can bring us together, I tellya.
.
If Hogwarts was in America
1. Everyone's patronus would be an eagle.
2. It would be sponsored by Wizards of the Coast and Gatorade.
3. The nurses/healing spells would be privatized so only the upper-class students could afford to use them.
4. Avada Kedavra would be a constitutional right, but you can only use it if you pass a background check, and then only for self defense, or for hunting.
5. They wouldn't teach defense against the dark arts, because "the only 100% defense against the dark arts is abstinence from all magic".
6. Obviously the mail would be delivered by eagles.
7. Quidditch would be renamed and a new sport named Quidditch that has nothing to do with the original sport would be created and become the national game for the wizard school(s).
8. It would be under constant harassment from Christian fundamentalists.
9. You would need to take out massive loans to attend.
10. Students wouldn't go shopping for their crap in some back alley marketplace; there would be a Mall of Wizardry with department stores. Or perhaps a Witch-Mart.
11. Care of Magical Creatures would cover Sasquatch and jackalopes.
12. Bigger portions of food at the banquets.
13. Protests demanding that everyone have the same looking Patronus so as not to make someone feel less important.
14. The school would be under a pervasive sense of surveillance, with a zero tolerance policy for illicit magic on the back of every student's mind. You could get suspended just for pointing your finger in the shape of a wand; forget actually casting anything outside of the classroom. You think the administration would go 5 years completely ignoring the rise of radical Dark Lord fanatics? Anyone who even sneezed and it sounded like Voldemort would be ratted out by their peers and placed on a No Broomstick list.
15. Ron could not afford to go.
@layman,
Quote:Do you want to modify your unqualified claim that what Moore says is "true," Ollie, and/or that Hitchens has "nothing" and has merely been brainwashed by "neoconservatives?"
Hitchens had nothing factual in your quote, only insults. And 3 falsehoods only, in a movie that makes thousands of assertion, is very very low. So yeah, he spoke the truth 99% if the times... Is that enough of a qualifier for you?
And then, who checks the fact-checkers?
Quote:
Section 1. "On the day George W. Bush was inaugurated, tens of thousands of Americans poured into the streets of D.C. They pelted Bush's limo with eggs."
"Shouting slogans like ‘Hail to the Thief' and ‘Selected, Not Elected,' tens of thousands of protesters descended on George W. Bush's inaugural parade route yesterday to proclaim that he and Vice President Dick Cheney had ‘stolen' the election." Michael Kranish and Sue Kirchhoff, "Thousands Protest ‘Stolen' Election," Boston Globe, January 21, 2001.
"Scuffles erupted between radicals and riot police while an egg struck the bullet-proof presidential limousine as it carried Mr. Bush and wife Laura to the White House." Damon Johnston, "Bush Pledges Justice as Critics Throw Eggs," The Advertisers, January 22, 2001.
See also film footage.
Section 1. "The inauguration parade was brought to a halt and the traditional walk to the White House was scrapped."
Bush made one concession to the weather -- or to security concerns: He stayed in his limousine nearly the entire length of the mile-long inaugural parade, waving through a slightly foggy window. He got out to walk only for a brief distance when his motorcade reached the VIP grandstands in front of the Treasury Department and the White House. Doyle McManus, et al., "Bush Vows to Bring Nation Together," Los Angeles Times, January, 21, 2001.
Bush's limo, which traveled most of the route at a slow walking pace, stopped dead just before it reached the corner of 14th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., where most of the protesters had congregated. Then it sped up dramatically, and Secret Service agents protecting the car on foot had to follow at a full run. When they reached a section of the parade route where the sidewalks were restricted to official ticketholders, Bush and his wife, Laura, who wore a flattering electric turquoise suit, got out of the limo to walk and greet supporters. Helen Kennedy, "Bush Pledges a United US," New York Daily News, January 21, 2001
http://www.michaelmoore.com/movies/fahrenheit-911
Oregon ranchers reject Cliven Bundy family occupation
Last Updated Jan 3, 2016 9:09 PM EST
BURNS, Ore. - A group of angry anti-government protesters have occupied a building at a national wildlife refuge in Oregon in what they say is an act of solidarity for a pair of ranchers facing jail time for burning government land.
However, the Hammond family, the Oregon ranchers at the center of the dispute, say they don't want them there, reports CBS affiliate KOIN in Portland, Ore.
Ammon Bundy - the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who was involved in an armed standoff with the government over grazing rights - told The Oregonian on Saturday that he and two of his brothers were among a group of dozens of people occupying the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Ammon Bundy posted a video on his Facebook page asking for militia members to come help him. He said "this is not a time to stand down. It's a time to stand up and come to Harney County," where Burns is located. Below the video is this statement: "(asterisk)(asterisk)ALL PATRIOTS ITS TIME TO STAND UP NOT STAND DOWN!!! WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! COME PREPARED."
The Hammonds said they have not welcomed the Bundy's help.
"Neither Ammon Bundy nor anyone within his group/organization speak for the Hammond Family," the Hammonds' lawyer W. Alan Schroeder wrote to Sheriff David Ward.
In an interview with reporters late Saturday night that was posted on Facebook, Bundy said he and others are occupying the building because "the people have been abused long enough."
"I feel we are in a situation where if we do not do something, if we do not take a hard stand, we'll be in a position where we'll be no longer able to do so," he said.
Bundy said the group planned to stay at the refuge indefinitely. "We're planning on staying here for years, absolutely," Ammon Bundy said. "This is not a decision we've made at the last minute."
Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward told people to stay away from the building as authorities work to defuse the situation, the Oregonian reported.
"A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution. For the time being please stay away from that area. More information will be provided as it becomes available. Please maintain a peaceful and united front and allow us to work through this situation," Ward said in a statement.
An Idaho militia leader who helped organize the earlier march said he knew nothing about activities after a parade of militia members and local residents in Burns walked past the sheriff's office and the home of Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven.
About 100 protesters gathered Saturday, January 2, 2016 in Burns, Oregon, for a rally in support of a local father and son facing prison time for arson.
KOIN
Ammon Bundy's father, Cliven Bundy, told Oregon Public Broadcasting on Saturday night that he had nothing to do with the takeover of the building.
Bundy said his son felt obligated to intervene on behalf of the Hammonds.
"That's not exactly what I thought should happen, but I didn't know what to do," he said. "You know, if the Hammonds wouldn't stand, if the sheriff didn't stand, then, you know, the people had to do something. And I guess this is what they did decide to do. I wasn't in on that."
His son Ammon told him they are committed to staying in the building, Cliven Bundy told Oregon Public Broadcasting.
"He told me that they were there for the long run. I guess they figured they're going to be there for whatever time it takes_and I don't know what that means," Cliven Bundy said. "I asked him, 'Well how long can ya, how long you going to stand out there?' He just told me it was for long term."
In an interview with The Associated Press at the wildlife refuge Sunday, Ryan Bundy, Ammon Bundy's brother, said the protesters' ultimate goal is to turn the land over to local authorities so people can use it free of federal oversight.
They want to "restore the rights to people so they can use the land and resources" for ranching, logging, mining and recreation.
Ryan Bundy says the federal government has been "tromping on people's rights and privileges and properties and livelihoods."
"I understand the land needs to be used wisely, but that's what we as stewards need to do. A rancher is going to take care of his own ranch," Ryan Bundy said.
Beth Anne Steele, an FBI spokeswoman in Portland, told The Associated Press the agency was aware of the situation at the national wildlife refuge. She made no further comment.
Some local residents feared the Saturday rally would involve more than speeches, flags and marching. But the only real additions to that list seemed to be songs, flowers and pennies.
As marchers reached the courthouse, they tossed hundreds of pennies at the locked door. Their message: civilians were buying back their government. After the march passed, two girls swooped in to scavenge the pennies.
A few blocks away, Hammond and his wife, Susan, greeted marchers, who planted flower bouquets in the snow. They sang some songs, Hammond said a few words, and the protesters marched back to their cars.
Dwight Hammond has said he and his son plan to peacefully report to prison Jan. 4 as ordered by the judge.
Dwight Hammond, 73, and Steven Hammond, 46, said they lit the fires in 2001 and 2006 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and protect their property from wildfires.
"Remember: It's not about me, it's about America and somehow we have to get the wheels back on this wagon because they are flying off," Dwight Hammond told KOIN. He said he feels his upcoming prison term is a life sentence.
"I'm not very happy about that. Just don't know what to say," Hammond said. "It just seems like a little overreach for having burned 127 acres."
The two were convicted of the arsons three years ago and served time - the father three months, the son one year. But a judge ruled their terms were too short under federal law and ordered them back to prison for about four years each.
The decision has generated controversy in a remote part of the state.
In particular, the Hammonds' new sentences touched a nerve with far right groups who repudiate federal authority.
Ammon Bundy and a handful of militiamen from other states arrived last month in Burns, some 60 miles from the Hammond ranch.
In an email to supporters, Ammon Bundy criticized the U.S. government for a failed legal process.
© 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
I know Sheriff Dave Ward is doing his best, yet I can't help but think that
Andy Griffith would have had this whole issue settled in a half-hour.
@bobsal u1553115,
From an excerpt of one of Bobsal's posts:
Morale at Oregon Standoff Collapses After Militia Member Goes AWOL, Drinks Away Donation Money
Dylan Hock | January 7, 2016
The week-long Oregon standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, already the butt of many jokes, is already falling apart due to infighting between group members.
According to a Facebook video that he has since removed from his profile, Cai Irvin, one of the gunmen holding down the federal bird sanctuary, claimed that one of the “patriots” walked off the camp to stay in a hotel and drink away the donations he raked in to be part of the insurgency.
The man in question is identified as Joe O’Shaugnessy, otherwise known as “Capt. O,” allegedly a member of the Arizona militia. Capt. O had been arguing with others at the occupation and ended up checking into a motel room Wednesday night where other pseudo-supporters have been staying.
Infamous anti-Muslim organizer and fellow Arizonan militant John Ritzheimer, also present in Oregon for the standoff, went over to the motel to confirm O’Shaugnessy’s desertion. Ritzheimer found him drinking alcohol paid for with the donations given to him by fellow “patriots” wishing to support the effort, according to disabled National Guard member and group spokesperson Maureen Peltier.
“Ritzheimer did call me – he’s ******* pissed, he’s mad, he’s upset. He told me to tell all of you that Joe O’Shaugnessy is a deserter and a coward,” Irvin said.
Since several of the militants have been seen in the local area dining at restaurants even as the standoff remains underway, the fact that Capt. O went to stay at a local motel wouldn’t have sparked too much surprise, nor indicate anything out of the ordinary was afoot. However, Ritzheimer’s message indicates O’Shaugnessy may be the second “deserter” among participants of the poorly-planned Oregon standoff. One of the insurgents who has already run off under the pressure is Brian “Buddha” Cavalier, who likely fled in shame after the media reported that he had lied about being a Marine, with the Marine Corps itself revealing that they had no record of his service.
O’Shaugnessy also argued with his fellow “revolutionaries,” taking issue with the fact that women and children are present at an occupation where the militants have been attempting to goad law enforcement into a gunfight to the death.
But despite the tiffs and miffs between the group and O’Shaugnessy, members of the militant group say they feel betrayed by Captain O, who had also been party to the standoff at the Bundy Ranch last year.
Having learned of Captain O’s recent fiery thirst, Irvin said:
“It’s like finding out there is no such thing as Santa. Come on, man.”
O’Shaugnessy, however, is not exactly wallowing in his crowdfunded beer. Instead, he’s written a small statement on his Facebook claiming the Malheur militants are now running a “smear campaign” on him, presumably for calling them out on the presence of women and children at a would-be gunfight and storming off. Captain O said:
“Because I have been vocal about not supporting the actions taken by the individuals inside the compound apparently they have desired to launch a smear campaign against me. Even though I am one of the only Patriots on the outside doing everything I can to try and prevent this from turning into another Wako [sic] And making sure to protect the safety of all involved. To what I say my reputation is sterling.”
With two prominent members already gone or seemingly ousted, it seems this standoff may end with a whimper rather than a bang.
http://usuncut.com/news/oregon-standoff-member-caught-drinking-donation-money/
@Blickers,
Well, Captain O can't help it, he's Irish after all and whenever the Irish get together, there is booze involved.
This standoff has become the most ridiculous, embarrassing militia take over ever, especially being in a bird sanctuary where they're probably driven off by avid bird watchers and crows.
There are certainly bigger fish to fry than giving these nutcases even more publicity. As I said before, freeze their assets and that will be the end of their standoff.
@Olivier5,
Quote:Hitchens had nothing factual in your quote, only insults. And 3 falsehoods only, in a movie that makes thousands of assertion, is very very low. So yeah, he spoke the truth 99% if the times... Is that enough of a qualifier for you? Smile
And then, who checks the fact-checkers?
OK, Ollie, thanks for making my point for me. You do not, can not, will not ever look at the truth of a situation. You simply interpret things in a manner that suits you. There is a difference between a factual error, and a lie, OK? It's one you refuse to see/acknowledge.
Examples:
1.factual error. I think you are 50 years old and tell someone that. I am wrong, you are actually 51 years old. I was wrong (factual error) but I wasn't lying, because I thought I was right.
2. Deception: I know you are 51, but I tell people you are 17, and they believe me. I have deceived them, DELIBERATELY. This is a deception, not a mere "factual error."
So you ignore all the "deceptions" (according to this liberal writer) and act as though they didn't exist and cite the factual errors.
And then, you blow those off too, as possibly non-existent "who checks the fact-checkers?."
This is why it's impossible to have any honest discourse with you.
"I’m an Oregon rancher. Here’s what you don’t understand about the Bundy standoff."
From the Washington Post yesterday -
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/01/08/im-an-oregon-rancher-heres-what-you-dont-understand-about-the-bundy-standoff/?postshare=5461452339977912&tid=ss_tw
The piece is just a whinefest and I only read a few paragraphs, then jumped to the comments:
Nearly all are smack-downs of the writer. Some are brilliant. This one stood out...
Terry Reed
5:29 AM EST
Keith, from what I can tell, your main complaint is not about the land that you own and control, but about the federal land that you don't own and control. Apparently, you seem to have a sense of entitlement that is beyond comprehension to the rest of the non-ranching population, even going so far as to call the government regulation of government land "aggressive," a "siege." and demanding "autonomy" over government land. In effect, your arrogant* complaint is that the government and not you or your fellow ranchers has the final word about what happens on federal land. The rest of the country would be sympathetic if your complaint was that the feds are controlling your land, but it's not your land is it? You even complain about the inconvenience of having to lobby the feds at the hint of and change in regulations about federal land, saying that they are, "regulating us out of business." Do I have to say the obvious, that "federal land" IS NOT your business? Also, assuming for a moment, that you are truly a conscientious and environmentally responsible rancher, does that mean that the rest of the ranchers are too? It's not your land, you don't have the final say, you will never have the final say. Get over it, and stop whining. By the way, what would be your reaction if your neighbor set his cattle loose on your land, and with armed men took over one of your buildings while demanding "autonomy" to do what they want with your land? You ranchers need to wake-up and smell the coffee.
@CalamityJane,
Try to keep a lid on the nasty, racist stereotypes of the Irish. According to
this article at the Wall Street Journal, the republics of the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe lead the list.
That was really a snotty, nasty remark.
@CalamityJane,
Well, it's as good a final solution as any, I suppose.
I'm curious. How many here would be opposed to Obama granting a pardon or otherwise acting to reduce the sentences of these two convicted ranchers?
The trial court judge said he did not believe that the mandatory punishments required by the "Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996" were intended to apply to the Hammonds' "prescribed burn."
1. How many here would call what they did "terrorism?"
2. How many here think that any sentence less than 5 years would be "unjust?"
3. How many here would oppose a presidential commutation of the sentence, on whatever grounds?
Anyone care to respond to these questions?
@layman,
Quote:Anyone care to respond to these questions?
Heh, it's not surprising that the mere act of asking a question immediately gets "down-voted," is it?
@layman,
It seems your posts are popular here - in a negative sort of way. LOL
@cicerone imposter,
cicerone imposter wrote:
It seems your posts are popular here - in a negative sort of way. LOL
Heh, nor is it surprising that a sneering assessment of "popularity" immediately gets 6 "upvotes" either, eh?
This site puts little value on discussing issues. It's about "popularity."
Who knew? Besides everyone, I mean.
@layman,
Actually, it's about content.
@cicerone imposter,
cicerone imposter wrote:
Actually, it's about content.
You mean "popularity of content?" Yeah, well that too, but not just that.
@layman,
Think of it like Jr. High school. Remember when Mary Jane Rottencrotch would whisper to her friends and they'd all look at the one kid and snicker? It's like that here with the thumbs up/down. It really means nothing except someone has a crush on you and they have no idea how to express that feeling so they thumb down your post.
