Oregon Rancher Tells Bundy: Get Lost!

Harney County rancher Georgia Marshall on Wednesday

The occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge being led by Ammon Bundy and a few dozen cowboys continues, even though the people of Harney County don't want anything to do with them or their "cause."

At first, the occupiers said they were there to support the Hammonds who are serving jail time for arson on federal lands.  The Hammonds, through their attorney, have made it clear they do not support the Bundy Brigade.

The latest from Mr. Bundy is that he will not 'go home' until local ranchers begin to assert their rights over federal lands.

On Wednesday evening, rancher Georgia Marshall made it clear what she thinks of the armed jerks who have moved into her county and who want to tell her how to live.  

She spoke of the progress local ranchers have made through an organization called the High Desert Partnership.

"We are the poster child of the ranching community, of the environmental community, of the government community!  Have we ever had anybody put together a refuge plan in this god d*mn nation? Hell, no. we haven't!  But it happened here and it happened in Harney County... (Don't) destroy everything we're doing because we have to make a stand for everything in the god d*mn past."

"This is our time now!  It is not what we did 100 years ago or 60 years ago or 30 years ago!  It's our moment right now.  We don't know our future, but I'll tell you what, it's better than what we had.  Let's try to keep going...I'm proud to be a rancher and I'm not going to let some other people be my face!  I am me!  This is my home!"

what eye thynk:  Ammon Bundy's promise to stay until Harney County ranchers assert what he and his family sees as their rights just backs up the opinion I voiced yesterday when I wrote: "What they're really doing is attempting to force everyone to believe in their cause--they're fight for Daddy Bundy's right to graze his cattle on federal land without paying for it."

According to Harney County residents, Ammon Bundy spent a good deal of time in their area recently trying to gain support for his crusade to assert their rights.  They weren't interested then and, if Ms. Marshall is any indication, they aren't interested now.  It has been reported that most of the people holed up in the wildlife refuge, including Mr. Bundy and his two brothers, are from outside the area.  No matter what the occupiers claim, this is not a civil protest against the treatment of the Hammonds or for the ranchers of Harney County.  The Bundys are there for themselves, the joiners are there to play cowboy...period.

Imagine if Georgia Marshall and a couple dozen Harney County out-of-towners showed up at the Bundy ranch in Nevada and vowed to stay until Clive Bundy paid his overdue $1.2 million bill to Washington.  Now that would be a civil protest I could get behind.