President* Donald Trump has pardoned two ranchers whose case sparked the armed occupation of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon.Given the fact that the Hammond case has been a rallying point of the far Right, these pardons are going to be seen as what they are: Trump giving the neo-Nazis something to crow about.
Dwight and Steven Hammond were convicted in 2012 of intentionally and maliciously setting fires on public lands.
They believe that Trump is their guy. He is signaling to them that he is.
I'm not a Neo Nazi, and I approve the pardon.
ReplyDeleteThe conviction was bullshit, and so was the increased sentence later.
The fact that a bunch of idiots (not Nazis, you overuse that word) tried to get additional attention with their occupation of the wildlife refuge has nothing to do with Trump.
Yer stretching here. Really.
You don’t believe arson is a crime? Or you don’t believe they did it?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.agweb.com/mobile/article/presidential-pardon-for-two-ranchers-convicted-of-arson/
The armed occupiers changed the refuge's name to the Harney County Resource Center, reflecting their belief that the federal government has only a very limited right to own property within a state's borders.
Nothing to see here, folks. Nothing RW about it. This is just rumor-mongering
on the part of Socialist Commie.
Ok, B., so...
ReplyDeleteRanchers make death threats against Refuge managers between 1986 and 1994.
In 1994 the ranchers illegally try to block construction of a fence protecting BLM lands that they no longer had the right to graze on, and are arrested. The fence was necessary because the ranchers deliberately ignored the loss of their right to graze the BLM lands under a management program.
Rancher is burning off "invasive" plants in 1999, fire gets out of control and burns onto BLM land. Rancher is reminded he needed a permit and warned of consequences if this happens again.
In 2001 a large fire is started at a site where hunters reported the ranchers had illegally slaughtered a herd of deer, and the rancher's nephew testifies it was set to cover up poaching.
In 2006 a controlled burn was happening on BLM land. At night, several illegal backburns were lit without warning camping firefighters who were almost trapped by these fires. The rancher then threatened to frame the firefighters for arson.
The ranchers agreed to plead guilty in 2014 to the two arson charges, understanding the U.S. would ask for 5 year sentences. A U.S. District Judge sentenced them to much shorter terms on the day before he retired. Then the 9th District ordered a resentencing inline with the guildelines (5 year minimum), an order that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Please tell me, B., what about this is bullshit?
As I originally heard the tale, they're good citizens put upon by an unreasonably formal government. As Center relates the story, they're scofflaws who have gotten unwarranted leniency from the Judge who heard the case and, now, from Trump.
ReplyDeleteHow are the National Socialists involved?
Well, let's see, there are a half-dozen Nazis running for office on the Republican ticket right now, and while the RNC and NRSC have pulled support for some of them, they're still Nazis, still Republicans, and still running, one of whom regrets voting for Trump because:
ReplyDelete"The Jewish lobby has Donald Trump locked up. I don’t think the man realizes how naive he appears to the rest of the world. He’s nothing but a puppet in their hands. And we were foolish enough to send this naive, Jew-loving fool into the White House. I’m embarrassed that I voted for him. I’m sorry I voted for him. If I could take the vote back, I would in a minute."
https://www.vox.com/2018/7/9/17525860/nazis-russell-walker-arthur-jones-republicans-illinois-north-carolina-virginia
-Doug in Oakland
These guys belong in jail, the Bundys belong in jail, and anyone who pointed a firearm at law enforcement during the original Cliven Bundy standoff should be prosecuted, but that gets more unworkable every day.
ReplyDeleteI remember when running as a Republican meant you were the law-and-order candidate.
CP88: I stole your comment and used it to whack a troll. I hope you don't mind.
ReplyDelete-Doug in Oakland
The Bundy Standoff was true White People's Privilege in action. For we all know what happens when a Black kid points anything that remotely resembles a firearm at a cop.
ReplyDeleteComrade, it was likely Lots Of Them Versus A Few Of Us, not a good comparison.
ReplyDeleteStill, no LE has video or photos? (News outlets probably would not have provided any).