No One Wants The Militia In Eastern Oregon, Including Everyone They Pretend To Represent

[UPDATE -- See note at bottom]

Why is the militia terrorizing Oregon?  Is it to defend the Hammond family?  Ranchers?  Indians?  The community?  The law?  Their God?  Or is it just a self-serving demonstration to push their own agenda on us?

When the armed Bundy Militia broke into and occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, their justification for doing so was in order to defend the Hammonds from serving additional time in prison for poaching and arson on federal lands and trying to force their abused young relative to hide it.  Ammond Bundy, leader of the invasion, wrote back on December 26th:

An unbelievable amount of effort has been exhausted in prudent methods to correct the wrong that have come upon the Hammonds. When will it be enough? Should we go on forever because we are afraid to do what is our right to do? What will happen to the Constitution and individual rights if we allow these violations to go on without challenge?

One week later, he and his domestic terrorist buddies committed breaking-and-entering and became the latest case in an ever-increasing list of crimes and plots by militia groups.  But even before Bundy carried out the plan, when the militia had come to the area in a charade of being there for a peaceful protest, the Hammonds distanced themselves from the extremists.  In fact, the Hammonds had long since, on December 11, put out a statement through their lawyer clearly stating that they wanted nothing to do with the militia.  From the statement:

[N]either Ammon Bundy nor anyone within his group/organization speak for the Hammond Family, Dwight Hammond, or Steven Hammond.  I wish to report to you that, as recently ordered by the U.S. District Court, District of Oregon, Dwight Hammond and Steven Hammond intend to voluntarily report to the designated federal facility on January 4, 2016, as required.

But why let that stop a terrorist act?  So the Bundy militants decided to change their story.  The next claimed that they were there for all those poor ranchers, the "original occupants" as Bundy put it, who were displaced by the formation of Malheur a century ago by Teddy Roosevelt.  Well, it turns out that the majority of ranchers don't want them there either.  The Oregon Cattleman's Association opposes the occupation and rightly calls it an illegal activity:

The Oregon Cattleman's Association, however, in no way supports or endorses illegal activity against the government. We do support the Hammonds and we are doing so through legal avenues that are in accordance with the law. 

We have no association with the organizations that are participating in the illegal activity against the government. This would include the militia takeover of the Malheur wildlife refuge.

Although, when Bundy said "original occupants," he wasn't talking about the native Americans, was he?  Nonetheless, the Paiute tribe, who occupied the land before it was taken from them, put out a very clear statement opposing the militia occupation, calling them a "group of clowns" and "petty criminals."

Okay, so if they aren't representing the Hammonds or the "original occupants," then, um, they are representing the citizens around there.  Yeah, that's it....  According to the Bundys, they are there to help the community recognize its "rights," to "stand on its own," and to educate residents "so they will come to our side."  But even before the occupation, when the militia was still pretending to be there for a peaceful protest, local people were putting up signs telling them to leave.  Later, after the occupation began and there was increased outcry, Bundy stated: 

One of many signs against the militia put up
by local residents (source)

“This is their county – we can’t be here and force this on them,” Bundy told OPB Monday. “If they don’t want to retrieve their rights, and if the county people tell us to leave, we’ll leave.”

So a meeting was held, in which over 500 townspeople showed up and gave a very clear message that the militia was not welcomed and had to leave.  But when the sheriff personally delivered this message to the extremists, as he has done so on at least two occasions so far, telling them in the nicest of terms that they needed to respect the wishes of the community and leave, Bundy told him he wasn't going anywhere.  

Instead, Bundy formed his own committee of local community leaders, which he dubbed the Harney County Committee of Safety, to examine the issue.  So what did these hand-picked, presumably sympathetic locals tell Bundy?  They told him he had to go!  From an article:

“We feel that any good which may come out of this event has reached its full potential,” Molt said. “We ask that you organize your people, explain that your point has been made and leave in a peaceful, honorable fashion.” 

And yet, the militia still ignored them.

Okay, so if the community doesn't want them either, maybe they can justify their action based on the law?  At one point, one of the militia claimed he would stay "until the Constitution is upheld."  Well, he's free to take it up with the courts.  Last I checked, none of the terrorists are judges or lawyers, so any idea about what is Constitutional is surely poorly debated with these jokers.

(source for comic)

Or perhaps they feel God is the one to decide when they should leave?  After all, they have stated many times that they have taken up this terrorist act because God told them to do so, either by directly "telling" them to do it, or through omens like a flock of geese flying overhead.  Well, it turns out that's not much of a justification, either.  You see, the Bundys are devout Mormons, albeit a very extremist version of the religion.  Unfortunately for them, the Mormon leadership has also put out a statement against the militia's illegal actions:

While the disagreement occurring in Oregon about the use of federal lands is not a Church matter, Church leaders strongly condemn the armed seizure of the facility and are deeply troubled by the reports that those who have seized the facility suggest that they are doing so based on scriptural principles. This armed occupation can in no way be justified on a scriptural basis. We are privileged to live in a nation where conflicts with government or private groups can — and should — be settled using peaceful means, according to the laws of the land.

Hmm....  Well, if all of those justifications aren't valid, what's left?

The truth.  These domestic terrorists, and the other militia group that has now joined them and surrounded the county courthouse, have only one real motive:  terrorize the locals and the nation in order to push their own extreme agenda.

It's time to treat these terrorists they only way they should be treated:  Stop placating them.  Stop giving them a podium.  Blockade them in the compound and prevent more from entering or exiting unrestrained.  Cut off their electricity, water, and phones.  Demand that they surrender peaceably.  Then arrest them and charge them for their crimes.  We as a nation should not give in to terrorism of any sort, foreign or domestic.

UPDATE (1/10/16):  Bundy has changed his story again.  Now he says he and his terrorist buddies did the invasion to disrupt the Malheur employees and to retaliate against the government for jailing the Hammonds.  He doesn't care that he is labeled as a terrorist, because he fantasizes...

“By the same definition that you are using to label us,” Bundy said, “George Washington was a terrorist.”

Nope, Bundy, you're no General Washington.  Not even close.

UPDATE (1/11/16):  HERE you can find an video and listing of the names of each of these terrorists.

The militia now says they are never leaving unless the government completely shuts down the entire refuge and somehow turns it all over to the unnamed ranchers.  From an article:

"Now, remember, we're not walking away from here to have the federal government to come back in here. Absolutely not. That will not happen," Arizona rancher and Bundy camp spokesperson, LaVoy Finicum told KATU News.

And, to underscore that "goal," they have now decided to rummage through all the personal employee belongings and government files in a prelude to removing them from the headquarters, and have, in an act of vandalism, tampered with government videos and files to look for "evidence" of government wrongdoing to ranchers, as well as started removing the fencing on the property, which is needed to stop cattle from wandering into ecologically sensitive areas or from trespassing on areas where they are not allowed to graze.

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