I wouldn’t approach them. But it’s a vast area. If you happen to drive by one of their goofy signs, feel free to add a comment. Bring along a big sharpie!
There’s a photo of their “tyranny” sign here -
The reason no one has done anything with these clowns is politics, after things like Ruby Ridge and Waco happened, they became political hay for decades, especially among the anti government types. I think they are afraid if they force these clowns out of there, it will become political hay in the middle of a presidential election year, where those occupying the place go from being crackpot extremists (ie terrorists, except I guess terrorists only apply to certain groups of people), to being martyrs ‘for the cause of freedom’ and so forth. Funny, the people occupying the place often allude to the good old days (I guess of the westward expansion), when people were free from the government, etc…I wonder if they think about the fact that if they did this in the ‘good old days’, given that the people in the surrounding area don’t want them there, that they likely would end up facing an armed posse of local angry locals who would likely proceed to lynch them.
I’m seriously considering visiting them. I see it as being similar to when I visited and engaged the Westboro Baptist Church protesters a few years ago (which visit, while ineffective, felt really good). As I see it, the Oregon protesters aren’t trigger happy or crazy, and nobody on the law enforcement side wants to fire shots.
i don’t pretend that any good would come from me visiting them, but I believe the risk of danger is so low that it isn’t entering my calculations.
Are the Feds and the sheriff still allowing folks to come and go freely?
You need to have a coat on and unzip it to reveal a t-shirt that says something like, “Third Term for Obama!”. That should get their attention.
Certainly not the t-shirt my wife bought me: “So Many Christians, So Few Lions”. Actually, it’d be fun to wear the t-shirt I bought in the town of Beaver, Utah: “I heart Beaver”, a shirt, incidentally, that my rebel daughter wore to Utah Girls’ State.
@sherpa - here’s a challenge that will leave your brain scarred! The challenger is Kelly Gneiting from Idaho, and he’s after Chris Christie. I can’t even begin… it’s just beyond belief… some of those birds out there… must be the Looony Whale Loon!
@greenwitch - If Christie rises to the challenge I’ll be there with bells on.
This piece on Oregon Public Radio highlights something I have been thinking about- the Federal employees working at the Refuge are locals. My D recently did an internship at a National Forest in the PNW and the people she worked with had grown up in the area and were very, very devoted to the area. They were not outsiders and certainly not tree-hugging hippie liberal types. They loved the land, they loved their towns and they were working hard to do something good in their communities, to preserve and protect both the land and the people. It is these militants who are the outsiders.
http://www.opb.org/news/series/burns-oregon-standoff-bundy-militia-news-updates/oregon-burns-occupation-birds-habitat/
You might not get a chance @sherpa. Something is going down. http://www.opb.org/news/series/burns-oregon-standoff-bundy-militia-news-updates/lockdown-harney-county/
And yes, I am a little obsessed with this story. Maybe because my D just returned from a gig at a very similar place and I can all too easily imagine her there. It makes me rageful.
Uh-oh. Thanks for the heads-up @LeftofPisa . I’m following because it’s fascinating but also because I’ll be really near there next month visiting family.
http://katu.com/news/local/leader-of-oregon-occupation-ammon-bundy-three-others-arrested
Bundy arrested.
Whoooo! I’ve been obsessed with this too. I just checked the Oregon Live web site about 1/2 hour ago and it said that the meeting was going to be in the neighboring county, the one with the wacko Sheriff, and I was hoping they would be arrested en route or something.
Earlier, a would be occupier was arrested when he showed up wanting "to kill the feds"or something.
finally!!
Unconfirmed - Ryan Payne may have been shot multiple times.
Now at least 8 others, plus Bundy are arrested!
Tis a good day.
I love that I learned about this on CC first. 
About ten minutes ago when I first got on my laptop, MSN home page was showing nothing about what was going down, and I thought, “Good, don’t let them get their ten minutes of fame and pity.” But now they’re showing it’s a breaking story and to check back. The USA Today webpage has nothing yet. I’d really prefer these stories not get any traction.
CNN is the one who is trying to make it to the public first.
Lol @intparent I saw it on facebook and immediately came to CC… which of course had already beaten me by quite a bit.
I really should just turn to CC for all my breaking news 