The Bundy capture of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge has everyone in a stir.
Speeches on the floor of Congress, editorials, letters to the editor, and millions of discussions/humor over tea and crumpets.
The Bundy gang uses an illiterate and tortured interpretation of the Constitution to establish a cow-estate. With their Constitution pamphlet in their breast pocket, they define their view of democracy replacing one person — one vote universal voter registration at DMV with brandishing high powered rifles, ammunition, and flak jackets as voter qualifications.
I suspect their delusion of total success is making Bunkerville, NV, the capitol, replacing the National Mall with rangeland.
They have put themselves in quite the predicament. I applaud those working to ending this armed insurrection without the loss of life, patience is the Law’s advantage.
The gang claims victory from the Nevada standoff, but I am highly certain appropriate authorities have liens on the cattle and land.
The Bundys cannot get cash without resolving their existing court judgments.
The U. S. government doesn’t want or need cows, they will just impound cash from their sale.
The government gained no advantage from the death of federal officers. Had Clivan and crew committed the crime of assaulting federal officers, they would now be in prison.
Presently, the insurgents are holed up in a virtual prison 30 miles south of Burns pretty close to Nowhere, Ore.
They have all crossed state lines to commit felonies, some are already felons in possession of firearms. Their list of crimes is long.
The only way out of their present position is in handcuffs or in a body bag. Staying at the refuge buildings is quite boring and constraining. Already, one member has used his new-found authority over a federal truck to resupply in Burns.
I am highly confident he is now in jail. A federal judge is not likely to approve bail because of high risk of yet another armed standoff. Their cow-estate will become a few square feet of jail cell.
Perhaps we should provide them with the current edition of “The American Constitution, cases, comments, and questions” by Lockhart, et al. published by West Publishing Co.
All of them will have plenty of time to study it in detail. Perhaps they will emerge in the distant future wiser and with less hubris.
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