Bayou Renaissance Man has taken some time to sort through the fog of this situation, and there is an awful lot of fog.
For me, it is clear that the rancher Cliven Bundy isn't as pure as the driven snow, but even then, the issue now is more the proper limits of government force that should be used to force compliance with their will.
Snipers, tasers and snarling dogs are not the usual tools Americans think of when the imagine their police enforcing the law against an otherwise law abiding and productive American.
A further issue that resonates is the use by the government of regulations defined and enforced by bureaucrats, such as here with the supposed enforcement of the environmental law as it applies to a desert tortoise. It's clear to anyone that the tortoise has lived quite happily with cattle for as long as they have been on the range, and before that when the buffalo by their millions thundered across the plains. It is clear this is but a subterfuge for the government to harass the rancher. Americans know that they could be the next target of a faceless bureaucrat's selective decision to enforce their own interpretation of the black letter law, and they don't like it one bit.
Finally, there is the issue of Harry Reid, and his connection with the expulsion of all the local ranchers off their land. Who knows at this point if there is any corruption involving him in this instance, but for sure he didn't get as rich as he is due to his congressional salary. If it turns out that he has been using his power and influence as a senator to enrich himself for years on the backs of normal Americans, then there will truly be hell to pay. One should keep in mind that as soon as the potential corruption angle became public, the BLM suddenly decided that all the confrontation they seemed to be courting was no longer acceptable, and they let the ranchers cattle go and disappeared themselves.
Anyway, go and read the Renaissance Man's summary of the situation, and keep your eye on the story.
I read BR's summary and thought that it was well done. Bundy has done his best to inflame the situation. I heard him on Fox News. The truth is that the Federal Government has jurisdiction over BLM lands and Clark County has concurrent jurisdiction. I understand that there are shades of abuse and those have to be handled separately. Bundy knew what the fees were for grazing his cattle on public land. He chose not to pay them. That's wrong in anybody's book.
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