MAYBE these ranchers are asshats, maybe. All I know, when I see this sort of response from the people of the US against federal facist forces, it makes me proud to be American. We don't live in Russia or Nazi Germany. There are too many instances when American citizens are staring down the barrel of a government issued weapon. This has to, MUST change. No more Ruby Ridges, No more Wacos. No more using paramilitary forces against the US people. Americans are tired of this and they WILL fight back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bD61YFxUga4

FTP

Lots of these "Rangers" ie Federal Law Enforcement are former SPECOP guys. Makes me sad to think they'd be ok, opening fire on American citizens, the same they swore to protect and defend by taking an oath to uphold the Constitution.

I am not a tinfoil hat nut guy, but aggression like this, paramilitary forces when normal law enforcement channels or adminsitrative actions would better serve the purpose and throttle down the potential violence, are not the answer. Could the feds have won, if the confrontation came to shooting? More than likely, they were carrying lots of firepower, had snipers, air assets, etc. But I don't think that crowd would have dispersed. There would have been lots of dead Americans, killed by their own government, lying out in the open for us all to see. They won't risk that, yet.

That is why it is so important to reign in these agencies. I'd like to see the dissolution of all the fed agencies armed task forces, except for FBI, US Marshals, etc. The conventional law enforcement groups. These "reaction forces" are there for one thing: to employ SPECOP tactics against US cilvilians and kill them. Unacceptable in a free country.

So in your world, anyone and everyone that has a disagreement with their taxes or their permits or licenses or any other .gov requirement should just refuse to play and the.gov should just let them be???
I think you are glorifying an idiot.

We would all like to think that it's noble and courageous to stand up to the evil forces of government, but this db has been in violation for over 20 years. Apparently the administrative and normal law enforcement pathways did not work, as the asshat ignored them. The escalation is his own doing and if anyone were to get hurt or killed, then the responsibility would be solely his.
And if the dead were a bunch of foil hatters who seek any justification to take up arms against the US Government, so much the better. In fact, I feel that those people that showed up armed to support this rancher in armed combat against the government should be prosecuted. They are worse than idiots, they are dangerous idiots. At least they will likely all be included in a few more databases....

Didn't the oath these SPECOP guys took state that they would defend the country against all enemies, foreign and domestic....?
In my world, rushing into a tense situation with your armed militia buddies hoping for a chance to shoot a federal agent qualifies you as a 'domestic enemy'...

__________________
On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

Perhaps you might be right if there were not so many instances of the Feds viewing almost any confrontation as a "nail" for their "hammer". regardless of the ranchers various sins, I don't think it was appropriate to send in the reaction forces, armed like they would be in Iraq. It sends the wrong message and actually enflames situations. Those who stood up against the feds will almost certainly be targeted and rostered and investigated. Its sad to think that our govenment will do that. And, "against all enemies, foreign & domestic" is what they swore to uphold; however, those people were not domestic enemies. They are the people of this country, tired of repression and excessive force and control from a federal government that they see as corrupt. The founding fathers predicted this and tryed to put in place protections against it, not thinking that the congress itself would have become a despotic organization, that, instead of representing the states, colludes with a strong central government to corral power at the federal level.

Taking up arms against the government definitely makes you a 'domestic enemy'

Claiming that your 20 years of scofflaw activity is actually a legitimate response to repression is a matter of opinion.

The bottom line is that this douche bag has been using public lands for personal gain without paying for it for 20 years.
He has neglected to participate in the appropriate forums where he could express his opinions on the matter. This despite numerous 'invitations' to come to court and air his grievances.
Then, when the feds state that they will start removing the illegal cattle, he responds with armed resistance.
Guy's lucky he's not 6' under already.

__________________
On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif