by Cathy Geibel | TLB staff writer/reporter
Reflections of a visit to Harney County, Oregon.
Returning from Harney County where I visited the Malheur Wildlife Refuge I received the news that there had been arrests made and a death reported in the apprehension of the Bundy’s on their way to a meeting with the citizens and sheriff of Grant County, Oregon. It was torture being in and out of cell service as this situation unfolded. Sadly, by the time I got home I learned of the death of LaVoy Finicum. And it got worse. I learned from local sources in Burns that he was in the process of surrendering with his hands up and asking for the safety of the women in the group. Let there be no doubt, no matter how the “official” version of this spins out, LaVoy Finicum was murdered.
LaVoy Finicum
I met LaVoy Finicum on Monday January 26. I spoke with him, thanked him for representing us in this fight to restore the Constitution. He appeared tired and worried. My heart went out to him and with tears in my eyes I implored him not to be killed. He took my hand in both of his, looked me in the eye and said “It’s in God’s hands”. He asked me to pray for them, I promised I would. 24 hours later he was gone. The man I met was soft spoken, deeply religious and committed to restoring the Constitution.
The vacuum… the anguish… the lies
I sit here vacillating between sadness, shock and a deep inner rage. I keep hearing them called “armed militants” when in reality they are United States Citizens exercising their Constitutional Rights. I watched the FBI/Harney County press conference and listened to embattled sheriff Dave Ward say “The occupation at the refuge and actions of some of the folks down there have created a lot of stress in our community,” He also said “It hasn’t been isolated to the refuge, a point that gets missed in the media coverage. Some of these folks spent a lot of time in town trying to stir some issues. If it was a matter of just waiting out some folks to get out of some buildings, we could have waited a lot longer but this has been tearing our community apart.”
“It’s time for everyone in this illegal occupation to move on,” he said “There doesn’t have to be bloodshed in our community.
“When we have issues with the way things are going in our government, we have a responsibility as citizens to act in an appropriate manner. We don’t arm up and rebel. We work through the appropriate channels. This can’t happen anymore. This can’t happen in America and it can’t happen in Harney County.”
Not elected, but appointed
Excuse me Sheriff Ward! Tell that to our Founding Fathers. Tell that to the the citizens, soldiers and militias of the Revolutionary War which gave birth to this great nation!
I spoke to many citizens of Harney County/Burns during my visit and many felt Ammon Bundy and his companions were HEROES! In a place wrought with corruption from the county to the federal level people felt they finally had a VOICE! Indeed, there were members of militia groups peacefully empowering Harney County residents to file complaints against the local government including you Sheriff Ward and need I remind you that you were appointed, not elected. And YOU sir WERE the law in Harney County as outlined in the Constitution. You had the the Constitutional responsibility to protect your citizens but instead you cowed to a Militarized FBI and perhaps Homeland Security. I contend sir that your citizens were NOT afraid of the Bundy’s or the Militias but of the massive “military” presence. Hundreds of militarized law enforcement for a handful of Patriots. I felt ZERO fear when visiting the Malheur Refuge but I DID feel fear walking the streets of Burns with geared up, automatic weapon carrying, intimidating “soldiers” standing behind barricades.
Oregon SWAT team in place
Miles around the town of Burns and the Malheur Wildlife Refuge there are armed barricades where local residents must not only show identification but proof of ownership or residence to pass. So tell me, WHO is causing fear? This is nothing short of Martial Law everyone. And we will see more of this if we allow this Federal Government to go on unchecked. THAT was what those brave men and women who “occupied” that refuge were attempting to do. And I for one thank them and pray it has lit a fire in every citizen of this great nation.
*********
Cathy Geibel is a TLB staff writer/reporter and a resident of the State of Oregon.
Thanks to Mark Connors News Channel for footage of the press conference used in this article. (TLB)
Leave a Reply