The arraignment of Ammon and Ryan Bundy grew tense, according to the Associated Press Friday as both brothers scoffed when asked to enter pleas in a case regarding their involvement in the 2014 Nevada, Bundy Ranch standoff.
Brian Cavalier, Blaine Cooper and Ryan Payne also refused to offer pleas at the arraignment after, according to the Associated Press the defendants asked the court to read the charges against them verbatim, which took more than 90 minutes.
“I will not be entering a plea today,” Cavalier said, according to the AP. The news outlet reported that instead Cavalier pulled out a small copy of the Constitution and gave it to federal prosecutors.
Ultimately, the judge offered a “not guilty” plea for the Bundys and the co-defendents.
According to the Associated Press, the scene in the court room was chaotic at times as 12 court marshals oversaw disruptions coming from the crowd in support of the defendants. Outside the courtroom, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Bundys had a cadre of support including state lawmaker Michele Fiore, a conservative who helped negotiate the end of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge standoff in Oregon, a standoff the defendants in the Nevada case also have ties to.
“We really need to get these patriots released,” Fiore told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We want to make sure our patriots know we stand with them.”
Patriots? Only if that’s another name for sociopath. Jail will at least protect others from their violence.
This comes to mind, I know it’s only grifting that keeps them going.
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above
Don’t fence me in
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love
Don’t fence me in
Let me be by myself in the evenin’ breeze
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever but I ask you please
Don’t fence me in
Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies
On my cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise
I want to ride to the ridge where the West commences
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
And I can’t look at hobbles and I can’t stand fences
Don’t fence me in
Sounds to me they need to add charges of contempt. Kind of how I feel about these rednecks as well.
Civil disobedience comes with consequences. If they have ever read Thoreau or Ghandi, then they would be aware of this. However, since they are only just a bunch of rednecks thinking this is the way to get free stuff, they probably aren’t seriously considering that part of the outcome of their escapade.
I find it interesting how some people seem to think the COTUS is akin to a crucifix presented against a vampire. They have no understanding of the document, and simply think by presenting it, it awards them or protects them. If any of them bothers to read it, without selectively ignoring whole passages, they’re going to be in for a shock.