No, I don't want them shot! I don't want them to shoot me or my friends either!
The stand-off between the trespassing cowboy and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in southern Nevada makes me sick to my stomach. And I find myself so befuddled by friends who would express support for the cowboys against the enforcement of federal law. I can only imagine it must be the result of those trying to stir this up to serve the god of this world - - money. (If you can't take the hint, I'm referring to FoxNews and other conspiracy theorists. I know many on the left serve the same god too. Oh, and money=property, IMO.)
Sure, my caveats and disclosures still apply. I work for the Department of the Interior which includes the BLM. I know some of the BLM Law Enforcement guys in Nevada. I consider them my friends and men of honor in sustaining and upholding the Constitution of the United States. I don't have that kind of respect for people who rush to a confrontation and aim their guns at federal law enforcement officers who are doing their duty.
Sure, we can get into endless philosophical debate about what is constitutional and what is not - whether all government is evil because it uses force to coerce, etc. Such debates leave me empty and ill. Anyone can see where I stand by perusal of this blog even if I am occasionally inconsistent and sometimes even change my positions or ideas.
I can't convince anyone. If anyone is interested, the most coherent responses to the cowboy vs. BLM controversy that I have seen can be found at the Atlantic and in a letter to the St. George News (from southern Utah, not far from the stand-off).
The BLM called off the round-up and de-escalated the confrontation. That was smart. We don't want to make another phony-patriot martyr.
Oh, there is some more good news. Today was April 15th, tax day. I saw absolutely ZERO tea-partiers demonstrating outside the federal building where I work - a free-speech zone. I guess they were all down at the ranch.
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| Wake up, indeed! |
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to disagree as many do. You can even be passionate (in moderation). Comments that contain offensive language, too many caps, conspiracy theories, gratuitous Mormon bashing, personal attacks on others who comment, or commercial solicitations- I send to spam. This is a troll-free zone. Charity always!