When You Think About It: The Ol' Land Grab

F LoBuono

In a recent NY Times article (1/4/2016) regarding the take over of a Government building and adjoining land in Bend, Oregon by a small band of heavily armed protesters, one of the participants, Ryan Payne, was quoted as saying, "People have talked about returning land to the people for a long time. Finally, someone is making an effort in that direction".

Well, When You Think About It, his statement is completely contradictory. First, the quote: "people have talked about returning the land to the people". The whole point of the Government owning the land means that it is to be reserved for ALL the people - NOT just the ranchers, NOT just the farmers, NOT just the miners, etc. - ALL. The Government maintains control of PUBLIC land so that it CANNOT be abused (i.e. OWNED) by one single entity OR family, regardless of how long that entity (or family) has been associated with that land. It belongs to all of us and the Government directs their efforts towards that end. Who has given the right to the Bundy's (ranchers who also have a beef - pun intended - over grazing rights and are the prime instigators of the current crisis) and the Hammonds (the subject of a recent conviction of abusing Federal lands) to claim ownership of land that was NEVER formally theirs? AND, that land is reserved for the proper use by EVERYONE. In other words, the Bundys and the Hammonds are not THE people. They are just greedy land grabbers who want to snare as much PUBLIC land as possiblefor their OWN means - and, then hide under the guys of freedom and patriotism!

Second, "someone is making an effort in that direction". Who the hell is SOMEONE? In this case, as it is in many others, it's a single entity (i.e. a family like the Bundys or the Hammonds) that convinces  others that their cause is the cause of freedom. BULLSHIT. The result they seek will not benefit the Country at large. To the contrary, it only benefits THEM.

So, When You Think About It, they are just so full of shit.

That is All!