Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, "profoundly disappointed" with the verdict in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge trial, on Friday cautioned her workforce across all land-management agencies to "take care of yourselves and your fellow employees. The armed occupation in Oregon was and continues to be a reminder that employees in all offices should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to your supervisor and, where appropriate, law enforcement officials."
"While we must respect the jury’s decision because we believe in the rule of law and our system of justice, I am profoundly disappointed in this outcome and am concerned about its potential implications for our employees and for the effective management of public lands," the secretary said in an email to all Interior Department employees.
The verdict Thursday, in which a jury in Oregon acquitted Ammon and Ryan Bundy and five others on charges stemming from a 41-day occupation of the wildlife refuge in January, drew condemnation from such organizations as the National Wildlife Federation and the Center for Western Priorities.
“This outcome is simply outrageous. All Americans watched in horror for nearly six weeks as domestic terrorists occupied one of America’s great national wildlife refuges by force and terrorized the refuge’s dedicated public servants, their families, and local residents. This was not a peaceful protest; this was occupation by gunpoint and it assaulted the very foundation of our democracy, our Constitutional principles, and our shared public lands heritage," said Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the wildlife federation.
“These criminals prevented Americans from enjoying the wildlife that belong to all of us, destroyed refuge infrastructure, degraded wildlife habitat, and desecrated archaeological treasures. In a democracy, disagreements must be resolved through collaboration, debate or the courts, not by brute force. The danger is this decision will embolden vigilantes who take the law into their own hands and threaten the safety of the dedicated employees who manage our public lands. We stand with the women and men of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and strongly encourage the Department of Justice to appeal this decision if possible. We call upon Congress to stiffen the penalties for illegal occupations of our public lands and strengthen protections for public servants managing them.”
Secretary Jewell, who along with Deputy Secretary Mike Connor visited Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in March to meet with refuge employees, said in her email that it "was painful to hear from employees who had devoted entire careers to public service and were worried about their safety as they carried out their important missions on behalf of the American people. It was disheartening to walk room to room and survey the damage and destruction caused by occupiers to the natural, cultural, and tribal resources."
"...As we digest the jury’s verdict, our foremost priority continues to be the safety, security, and well-being of people who comprise the federal family and those visiting America’s public lands," she added. "I am absolutely committed to maintaining a safe work environment that allows employees to uphold the laws of the United States and carry out our mission of responsible public land and water stewardship for the benefit of all Americans. That will never change."
Comments
Well when those terms get so diluted, everyone will be acting like one. Then the words will have no meaning.
Rick, and just what is it to "act" like one? Simply to be called one and dare respond? Example:I have recently heard the assertion that Donald Trump is another Adolph Hitler. Excuse me, but there is no comparison. Hitler had an army long before he was "elected" Chancellor. Where is Mr. Trump's? He has every right to respond to such careless, ahistorical assertions, and to call them what they are. However, the minute he does, he gets called racist all over again.
As I said in another post, those waving the bloody shirt had better know exactly what they are waving. A civil rights activist throughout the 1960s and 70s, I was very careful what I said. Just because someone did not "come around" as quickly as the movement wanted was no reason for me to call them a racist. As history taught me then--and continues to teach me now--these verbal shortcuts are a slippery slope. EC is right. The more we use them, the less effect they have--and often the wrong effect. In the end, people dig in and never come around. Who are you to call me a racist, when your candidate is just as bad?
As Peggy Noonan writes this morning, both political parties have let us down. Let's not be too smug about the "superiority" of our party until each of us strives to make our party better. If Secretary Clinton had been indicted on July 5, we could have had Bernie Sanders. He was ready, willing, and able, until all of those "super delegates" did him in. And the Democratic National Committee. Please think of that before calling Mr. Trump anything. It was still the Democratic Party--and their bloody shirt--that gave Mr. Trump even a ghost of a chance.
What really scares me is that the amount of ugly venom flowing in our country these days is beginning to rip apart long friendships. It's even affecting church congregations and other similar organizations. We are seeing it here, too.
What ever happened to sensible discourse with respectful disagreement?
I've had some very disturbing incidents recently that make me very fearful of what may happen if Trump loses the election. I've long known five men who make no secret of their arsenals and boast that they won't hesitate to use them "if necessary." I've heard one saying that it may be time "for blood to run in the streets." Get on line and there is an almost endless list of hate-filled ultra right websites calling for rebellion or "restoring" America to a "white" nation.
If that is not terrorism (or at least threatened terrorism), what is? Not all terrorists wear beards and pray to Allah. Many of them sprinkle the word "Jesus" liberally into their rants.
Not long ago, in a campground not far from Oregon Caves National Monument, I had an experience with one who certainly is bordering on the edge of sanity. A couple of weeks ago, I was so disturbed by comments made by a man who lives not far from me that I called the police. The detective I spoke with advised that I call an FBI agent in Salt Lake. When I did, I could tell by some of the questions he asked that this individual is already known to them. To some people, this "government surveillance" might be "big brother watching" or a "violation" of our Constitutional "rights." To me, it seems like just common sense. I'm close enough to get nailed by a stray bullet when this guy declares war on America.
I've never seen as much outright and widespread hatred as there seems to be now. And I'm one who went marching in the south in 1961 and lived through the Vietnam protests a few years later. Somehow, today seems a lot more ugly.
Yes, I'm scared.
Could endless lies and deception by those that hold the highest positions of power in DC playing us like never before be a factor (understatement)? Anyone here read Alinsky and who his star pupils are in today's DC? Am quite sure there some of the well read people on here have but might not have paid much attention. In any event there needs to be a serious correction. What should folks across America think when they hear exactly what these politicos think and say about the citizens via Assange who should be The Man of the Year! Both party's need to change. The corruption is beyond belief and is operating without a sense of dire consequences. Im sure the Pardon Pen will be very active and that is probably why there is so many operate with apparent impunity. I personally believe Obama is operating far past any historic limits on his power. Corrupted everything he has touched which is obviously the case with the Clintons as well. Republicans turned their backs on the voters that empowered them enabling Obama to continue the deception and lies at every turn. I have to think Trump would be far better than most think.
Obama has ran a scandal free administration. Keep up with the delusions, trail. You're sounding more and more nuts with each post.
Someone like Trump will bring nothing but scandal after scandal, and be an abomination to the exectutive branch. I can just imagine how many times he will overstep his bounds, at which point impeachment would become a real probability. I wouldn't expect trump to last long as a president.
Let me get this right. You say Obama has run a scandal free administration? Pure as the wind driven snow? If I hear you right and I hope I haven't, you are definitely what Mr. Gruber, the architect of Obamacare, was quoted as saying that he was depending on the stupidity of the American People to make it happen. That's what he said, sir. You are the example, if I heard you right, putz.
You obviously wrap that tin foil hat around your head so tight that it's stopping the flow of oxygen from reaching your brain.
Yes, the Obama administration has ran a scandal free administration. You obviously know little about government and all you ever have here is posting conspiracy theories from backwood kook sites. The AHCA has already gone through the riggers and even a conservative supreme court ruled it's legality. If you think the AHCA is a scandal, than you're a dolt.
You obviously wrap that tin foil hat around your head so tight that it's stopping the flow of oxygen from reaching your brain.
Yes, the Obama administration has ran a scandal free administration. You obviously know little about the process of how our government works, and all you seem to hav is posting conspiracy theories from backwood kook sites. The AHCA has already gone through the riggers and even a conservative supreme court ruled it's legality. If you think the AHCA is a scandal, than you're a dolt.