Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Weekend Contributor
It appears that the militia groups who arrived in Nevada to support Cliven Bundy with his standoff against the Bureau of Land Management have become a cause of concern for some residents, workers, and businesses in the area surrounding Bunkerville.
Horsford talks Bunkerville militia presence with Rachel Maddow
KLAS-TV/News NOW (Las Vegas) reported on April 29th that hotels in Mesquite had suffered financial losses of more than $100,000 due to concerns about armed militia groups patrolling in the area. News NOW learned that Mesquite police were investigating death threats made to hotel workers following a bomb threat earlier in April.
Evidently, the threats multiplied as armed militia groups continued to pour into the area surrounding Cliven Bundy’s ranch. One city leader in Mesquite said that “the entire Holiday Inn Express was evacuated for hours following a bomb threat related to the Bundy saga…” News NOW obtained a police report which showed that the Holiday Inn Express had received at least nine threatening telephone calls after the hotel allowed BLM rangers to stay there. Hotel workers were told to kick out the BLM or they “would not be standing in the morning.” One hotel worker, who refused to go on camera, claimed that he was told by an anonymous militia member that he would be “dragged out in the parking lot and shot”.
“We are not a playground for armed militias,” Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., said during a meeting with area leaders about the militia. Horsford said that he had been contacted by residents of his district who were concerned about the armed militia groups from out of state who were still present in their area. Horsford was told by residents that militia groups had set up checkpoints where residents must prove they live in the area before they are allowed to pass…” He was also told that they had set up a “persistent presence” along federal highways, and state and county roads.
Rep. Horsford wrote a letter to the Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie asking him “to look into complaints that militiamen had been present in Bunkerville-area schools and churches and had set up armed checkpoints on state, federal and county roads, seeking proof of residency from motorists.” Horsford said in his letter, “We must respect individual constitutional liberties, but residents of and visitors to Clark County should not be expected to live under the persistent watch of an armed militia. Residents have expressed their desire to see these groups leave their community.” Horsford added that his constituents were being forced to “‘live under the persistent watch of an armed militia,’ that answers to no particular authority other than its own, and is accountable to no one.” He urged the sheriff “to work with local leaders to ensure that their concerns are addressed in a manner that allows the community to move forward without incident.”
Note: A News NOW crew that was in Bunkerville last Tuesday said it did not find any roadblocks in the area “with militia members checking on people trying to pass.”
The StarTribune reported that Bundy’s neighbors and local authorities have grown weary of the Nevada rancher’s unresolved dispute with the BLM. Bundy has denied that any militia members had set up checkpoints on public property. A group of militia members, however, was reported to have stopped a neighboring rancher who was trucking cattle to Arizona. Bundy said the milita members were just helping his son. “They wanted to ensure that Bundy cattle weren’t being rustled.”
Militias’ Ongoing Presence in Nevada Creates Fear and Friction
Cliven Bundy’s Home on the Range (A Mark Fiore Video)
SOURCES
Concerns growing about militia members at Bundy ranch (KLAS-TV)
Businesses lose thousands in Bundy ordeal (KLAS-TV)
Congressman: Bundy Militia Has Set Up Road ‘Checkpoints’ In Nevada (Talking Points Memo)
Bundy Ranch ‘Militia’ Considered Using Women As Human Shield (Talking Points Memo)
Businesses lose thousands in Bundy ordeal (KLAS-TV/News NOW)
Neighbors grow weary of ‘militia’ remaining with Nevada cattle rancher in federal land dispute (StarTribune)
Nevada Congressman Seeks Probe Of Armed Militia Operations At Cliven Bundy Ranch (Reuters/Huffington Post)
Sheriff urged to clamp down on armed militiamen around Bundy ranch (Las Vegas Sun)
Bundy’s ”Militia” Is Lawlessness of a Different Color (Truth-Out)
Ongoing Militia Presence Raises Fears Among Locals Near Bundy Ranch (Southern Poverty Law Center)
NV lawmaker presses sheriff to probe Bundy militiamen (FOX 5/KVVU-TV)
Nevada lawmaker: Cliven Bundy supporters are setting up ‘checkpoints’ against residents (Raw Story)
The Dark Side Of Cliven Bundy’s Conservative Media-Approved Militia (Media Matters)
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
Paul Shulte
I understand grazing rights.
What part of paying don’t you understand?
Max-1 – I understand paying, but I also understand what his underlying claim is. If the government illegal is holding the land, then they are illegally collecting a fee. This sort of issue has been going on with the copyright of Sherlock Holmes stories. Some fall under the new copyright laws, but the early ones don’t. The estate has been charging royalties for both.
I don’t know if Bundy can win on it, but he is not alone in his thinking.
The Bundy Ranch Militia Is Wearing Out Its Welcome
http://news.yahoo.com/bundy-ranch-militia-wearing-welcome-000700594.html
Excerpts:
“Also, the militia have set up checkpoints on the roads, where residents have to prove they live there before being allowed to drive on. That’s just inconvenient. Bunkerville wants them out.”
…
Meanwhile, some of the Bundys and their supporters have complaints of their own. On Friday, Bundy’s sister, sons and several supporters filed criminal reports against the BLM agents who tried to take Bundy’s cattle, accusing them of impersonating police officers, assault and threatening with deadly weapons. Bundy’s son Ammon said the BLM agents could go and file their own complaints against the people who threatened them.
The police department didn’t appear to be taking the Bundy complaints very seriously, telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal in a statement: “It is not our practice to take crime reports on law enforcement agencies conducting a law enforcement function.”
The BLM’s response was one sentence long: “We welcome Mr. Bundy’s new interest in the American legal system.”
If it were a flow, I’m good w/ that. But the hijacker is like a housefly on crystal meth.
Never mind. The thread was a good education discussion, but it’s now about prostates.
Nick – you just have to go with the flow. 🙂
There’s a good education discussion on the Arizona thread.
Paul Schulte
“Elaine – I have to go with Nick…”
*****
Quelle surprise!
Handing out homework, are we?
Elaine- I don’t do homework and I don’t hand it out, however, you have again dodged the question. Of course, you don’t have to answer the question, but since you made the assertion, you could clarify it for us.
BTW, Nick and I do disagree on things. We are on opposite sides on rearming Japan.
The other anon, YOU are what needs to be nipped in the bud
“I have reads on most everyone here.” -Nick
Don’t we all.
From “Get rid of the Progs” somewhere up-thread:
The ‘Domestic Terrorists’ are the Progressives and the government
This country will have either a Revolution or a Civil War. The Progressives have no respect for states rights or Republics. They want Progressive dictatorships. I personally cannot stand them any more. They are wrecking this country.
So says “Get rid of the Progs”.
Folks would be well-advised to pay attention to what “Get rid of the Progs” just wrote. (We can be pretty sure who it is.)
Let me tell ya: These folks are loaded for bear and they’re already running their “war games” on the streets of the U.S., in the form of old-fashioned witch hunts. The rest of us need to pay attention and nip it in the bud.
Here ya go Paul, see we can play nice.
http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Smilies
Annie – thanks for the emoticons. I will print them out later. 😀 One of the five I already know.
Well, maybe five. But only four I would use on here.
Paul, Remember my warning. This is when ignoring is prudent.
Annie – you know all the COOL emoticons, I know three.
Paul, your emoticons look evil, mine on the other hand….
(jk)
Ah Paul, good try. 😉
I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Thomas Jefferson
I am not baiting, Elaine. That’s a flop. I am using the tools of my trade in ANALYZING what you say. As, I’ve said, this is a poor venue since 80% of all communication is nonverbal. I TRULY want to know how most people here think. There are some I could give a rat’s ass what or how they think. I don’t even engage them. But, it’s not like you are a blank slate to me. I’ve been reading and exchanging w/ you for a couple years. I have reads on most everyone here. The constant name changes make it difficult on some.
Paul, perhaps you didn’t get the memo, but Professor Turley wants us to abstain from personal attacks. Please note, we are all trying here.
I read all types of articles, far left to right and whatever moderate ones I can find. The Daily Beast is a left/far left site. It is not as popular as red meat like HuffPo or Koz, but it’s out there. They have an interesting headline piece today, It’s Not Racist to Hate Government.
Nick,
You can read anything you want into what I wrote. I have no control over your thought processes. You’re in the habit of assuming you know how other people think and of misinterpreting their words. You can try to bait me all you want. I’m done with this conversation.