- No, of course they didn't really say that, but the implications
are all there. In a weekend Associated Press article, they gave it the
title "Rising antigovernment sentiment in rural Oregon County",
then gave several reports about western counties taking action - against
the United Nations. While they went on a tirade against several places,
what better way to update you on how the Sagebrush Rebellion is going.
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- Our first thumbs up goes to the good folks of Grant County,
Oregon. By about a 2-to-1 margin, residents approved a measure banning
the United Nations in the county and another allowing people to cut trees
on federal land, whether or not the U.S. Forest Service approves. Let's
hear it for the Great State of Jefferson.
-
- According to the Associated Press, backers of the two
ballot measures 'blame' federal timber policies and environmental restrictions
that they say are keeping them off public lands that had given them jobs
as loggers, mill workers and ranchers. Of course, there is no other authority
(except federal timber policies and environmental restrictions) preventing
them from logging the land. It'll take some work, but we'll keep an eye
on it and see how soon John Ashcroft will try to have Grant County labeled
as a terrorist organization.
-
- Grant County Judge Dennis Reynolds says people of the
county are willing to go to jail over the issue. If the county was full
of black people, they would be called 'civil rights activists'. But since
they're white, would rather work and be productive instead of on the federal
dole, and dare to practice 'democracy' in their own county, they'll get
pasted with the dreaded 'antigovernment' label, while reporters will lie
in wait for the next batch of kinder, gentler eco-terrorist to show up.
-
- Roger Williams, deputy supervisor of the Malheur National
Forest, which 'protects' more than a million acres of public forest land
from the public, hopes to avoid conflict.
-
- "We're looking into what we can do to relieve some
of the pressure that led these people to put this measure on the ballot,"
said Williams.
-
- Just another day in the Sagebrush
-
- Not to be outdone, California ranchers in San Bernardino
County, chafing at cattle grazing restrictions imposed to 'protect' the
threatened desert tortoise, were supported recently by Sheriff Gary Penrod
who canceled an agreement that gave Bureau of Land Management officers
authority to enforce state laws on federal land.
-
- How dare that Sheriff? After a federal judge ruled in
the ranchers favor, the BLM tried to confiscate cattle anyway. This must
mean that a Sheriff exercising his authority within his own jurisdiction
is antigovernment as well.
-
- Nice going, Sheriff Penrod, and nice role modeling for
other Sheriffs as well.
-
- The AP listed three more cases of those ornery, rebellious
westerners:
-
- Klamath Basin, where farmers and others last year came
close to downright conflict with the Bureau of Reclamation over a mostly
successful campaign to kill the livelihood of over 1400 farmers and ranchers
with a decision that worthless fish had more rights to water than farmers.
-
- Jarbidge, Nevada residents in northeast Nevada defied
the Forest Service by attempting to rebuild a washed-out stretch of road
in Elko County, work the Forest Service said would threaten the bull trout.
The confrontation lasted months, and bull trout tastes like Washington
State salmon.
-
- And of course, La Verkin, Utah - the county that will
resubmit a similar anti-U.N. measure on the ballot next year. An anti-U.N.
ordinance was approved in July but repealed by a new Town Council. Organizers
are hoping to revive the measure on the 2003 ballot.
-
- William Luers, a former U.S. ambassador and now president
of the United Nations Association of the USA, said the anti-U.N. sentiment
is absurd. "The United Nations absolutely has no capacity, resources
or forces to take over anything in the world," Luers told the Associated
Press.
-
- And with the Grace of God, westerners will keep it that
way. It's called "democracy".
-
- Bud Trowbridge, whose grandfather settled in John Day
in 1862, said he's ready to use force to protect his property from the
United Nations.
-
- "We're trying to avoid a fight. But we still got
our guns," he said.
-
- See, and you thought things were hopeless out there.
-
- And by the way, the man who once dared to take an 'antigovernment'
stance by convincing several U.S. Forest Service employees to vacate the
area (with the help of a bulldozer) will be honored on "Richard Carver
Appreciation Day", that will take place at the Elko Convention Center
in Elko, Nevada on June 22, 2002. It will start at 11:00am PT. The appreciation
party will include a pig roast with all the trimmings.
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- Just another day in the Sagebrush Rebellion.
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- Join in.
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- http://www.sierratimes.com/02/06/03/arjj060302.htm
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