The militia group that has taken over a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon has suddenly thrust the Bundy family back into the national spotlight, but members of Cliven Bundy’s clan have been trying to recapture the glory of the infamous 2014 standoff at their ranch in other incidents across the west over the last two years.
Bundy and his sons have continued to protest the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in disputes in Oregon and Utah, and they have pushed for legislation to reduce the federal government’s authority over land in Nevada.
Recapture Canyon, Utah
Shortly after the standoff at the Bundy Ranch, Cliven’s son Ryan (pictured above) joined another protest against the BLM in Utah in May 2014. Ryan Bundy was among dozens of activists on ATVs who drove through Utah’s Recapture Canyon to protest the BLM’s 2007 decision to close the canyon to motor vehicles over environmental concerns. The Bundy family also promoted the protest at Recapture Canyon on the Bundy Ranch Facebook page.
Oregon gold mine
Two members of the Bundy family joined activists at a gold mine near Grant’s Pass, Oregon, in April 2015. The militia members gathered purportedly to protect the co-owners of the Sugar Pine Mine during a dispute about property and mining rights with the BLM. The owners of the mine had called on the Oath Keepers to protect the mine, but said they were determined to keep the situation from devolving into an armed standoff.
Nevada bill to bolster state’s rights to own land
In March 2015, Cliven Bundy attended a hearing in Carson City, Nevada, to rally in support of a bill to boost the state’s right to own land. The bill, sponsored by Republican Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, would have required that the federal government seek the state’s permission before using land within Nevada. Cliven Bundy’s son, Ammon, urged supporters to join the family to rally in support of the bill.
Nye County, Nevada, resolution to remove BLM from county
Cliven Bundy worked with officials in Nye County, Nevada, on a resolution to remove the BLM’s authority over land in the county, the Pahrump Valley Times reported in January 2015. The resolution, written by Nye Commissioner Donna Cox, supported “any and all actions to legally relieve the federal government of ownership, control and jurisdiction,” according to the Pahrump Valley Times. A post on the Bundy family’s blog told supporters that the federal government had been “seeking even more power over the Nye County people by claiming further control of the lands and resources.”
Gun rights rally in Washington
Ammon Bundy was scheduled to speak at the ‘I Will Not Comply’ rally against expanded gun background checks in Washington state, but he did not show up for his speech.
These questions were all settled in 1865. Someone needs to inform the Bundy family.
Kill em all and let God sort em out.
One positive result of this idiocy is that there has only been one piece about Trump today.
So, they’re addicted to the spotlight of media attention.
They’re just like the Kardashians.
Except with guns.
And no one, ever, ever, wants to see what they look like scantily clad.
(In fact, I’d like to forget that I ever mentioned the very idea. Can someone pass the brain bleach, please?)
Okay…I’m coming in late to this. Been “off-line” for the last few days in a blissful cabin with no internet or cell service. I highly recommend a getaway like this for all, for the record. So, what the shit is going on here? I don’t get the Bundy kid’s gripe. They took over a wildlife refuge in protest of two arsonists? So, they are okay with arson? This sounds like an awful, boring, pointless story.