By Alex Chantilas ’18, Contributor
Since January 2nd of the New Year, a group of Militiamen has been occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Princeton Oregon. Their intentions for doing so have been made clear yet after digging deeper, they become more complicated.
The group, led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy, claim that the government has been unfair and even tyrannical to its people. They claim that once the government gives over the lands that the militia now inhabits to the ranchers, miners, and the general people they will return to their homes. The militia is prepared to stay for years in order to use the refuge as a place for patriots all across the country to be housed. The whole thing started when two men were arrested for arson. Dwight Hammond, 73, and Steven Hammond, 46 served their sentences given to them by the judge of their trial. After being freed, federal judges told them they had been illegally sentenced and must serve a term of at least 5 years. Admittedly, this is a pretty awful deal for them, but this is what the militia uses as a prime “symptom” of the “tyranny” and “oppression” that the people of the United States are currently undergoing.
One of the most interesting things about this whole ordeal? The militia isn’t even made up of locals. They are a travelling band that commute across the United States and get involved in various localized fights or standoffs against the federal government. Even better—the Hammonds no longer want the militia’s help…anymore. Originally it is suspected that the sanctuary was supposed to be a place for the Hammonds to seek refuge from federal prison. Yet, after federal prosecutors warned them, the Hammonds refrained from making further contact with the militia. The Bundy brothers are also reported to have met with local residents in order to recruit support, all of whom turned the offers down. In other words, the efforts of the occupation aren’t really working.
So far there has been no action on the government’s part against the occupants of the federal land. This is for a number of reasons including that they are probably slowly dealing with this in order to ensure that the confrontation ends peacefully. They can take this time because no people are in immediate jeopardy. The militia simply inhabits an empty building with no hostages or any clear demands. Although these things are true, these men still have a potential for danger. They are known to be armed and have stated that they aren’t afraid to kill or be killed if they have to. It’s very possible that the reason the government is taking their time addressing this threat is that other standoffs have ended in bloodshed. Events like the Ruby Ridge confrontation and Branch Davidians standoff have taught the federal government to bide their time until coming forward with the perfect diplomatic solution.
Sources:
http://time.com/4167006/oregon-militia-standoff-ranchers-fbi/
http://www.vox.com/2016/1/3/10703712/oregon-militia-standoff
https://www.rt.com/usa/328845-oregon-armed-militia-standoff/
Image Source: http://www.newyorker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Stokes-Oregon-Militia-Updated-Wish-List-690×460-1452808170.jpg
