But they’re allowed to leave and people are allowed to enter. So, it’s not that hard if you can send Billy-Bob to McyD’s every day, or just having his brother-in-law stop and drop some off.
Except that eventually they are going to wonder why they are huddled around a bunch of empty buildings in a frozen desert.
Well sure, but I don’t see why law enforcement is allowing them to basically do whatever they want. What’s to keep them from just going home and then pulling this shit again someplace else? I mean that’s practically what has happened. It’s like they’re testing limits and finding they can basically do whatever they want and no one will do shit about it.
That my feeling. It’s not like this is the first time with this group. I am glad to see they are saying they will at least have some consequence… the second time around.
Has this actually happened? Have any of them actually come and gone or has anyone delivered anything to them?
So now that they are going through files, tearing down fences and accessing federal equipment, does that qualify as more than a peaceful not doing anything protest? Also, there are workers on leave and working form home, so that building apparently is accessed in the winter by staff, not abandoned no matter how you change the definition of that word.
But at least they’re calling a meeting to talk to the locals.
The group tore down a stretch of government-erected fence near the refuge Monday to give a local rancher access to the range. The armed men also have accessed government files and equipment.
I’d have to know more about what exactly this means before determining the severity of their crime.
They apparently stole a bulldozer (or other piece of heavy equipment) and used it to knock down ~ 60 ft. of fence and fence posts.
Did they burn stuff, break windows and steal stuff from the local buildings?
I get they are idiots who hopefully will at some point be peacefully arrested. But the alternative seems to be to send in a swat team, is that what everybody wants?
I think that the ideal is simply sending in the police to politely put handcuffs on everyone and then take them gently off to get processed through the legal system. I’m not sure how likely that is, as it requires both sides to be willing.
If that was your data they were rummaging through, would you feel differently? What kind of private information of yours are you okay giving access to a private militia?
And because there’s another group of people there who aren’t really interviewed or talked about much.
As long as SWAT promises to gun all the militia members down, it’s fine with me.
I mean if armed people destroying property isn’t a reason to use a SWAT team if needed we might as well not have the fucking things. If I take my M1 down to the park and start smashing a bench I can pretty much guarantee you I’ll end the day in jail or dead, and we don’t have a SWAT team in this town and I’m white as hell. I’m not sure why these fucks get special consideration that no one else does.
Bring 200 friends and a few news cameras and you will get off with no charges.
And possibly snacks.
This isn’t the building where they keep the citations for skinny dipping, is it? I need to make some calls…
They should be cited and punished with whatever punishment covers the destruction of public property, and should have to pay to replace it.
In terms of the bulldozer, sounds like they just kind of requisitioned it for the task. Assuming no damage to it, I wouldn’t really care much about that.
In terms of whatever files, I’m not sure i care much. They presumably aren’t assume person’s private information. If they are some kind of private personnel files, they should be punished appropriately.
Hopefully they know something about heavy equipment. I know a logger than had some teens that went a joy ride on their heavy machinery in the woods, tens of thousands of damage to the equipment and the land. Once again, these are not the minor things you seem to think they are. But hey, you can always give your address so I can requisition your car. Don’t worry, I won’t damage it. You’re not making any requirement for fuel, so I fill it up either.
Like I said, assuming no damage to the bulldozer, requisitioning it to damage the fence isn’t really the same as stealing it. I’d focus the punishment on the fence damage.