“Sorry this is long but applicable here. By SHIREE BUNDY COX:
I have had people ask me to explain my dad’s stance on this BLM fight. Here it is in as simple of terms as I can explain it. There is so much to it, but here it s in a nut shell. My great grandpa bought the rights to the Bunkerville allotment back in 1887 around there. Then he sold them to my grandpa who then turned them over to my dad in 1972. These men bought and paid for their rights to the range and also built waters, fences and roads to assure the servival of their cattle, all with their own money, not with tax dollars. These rights to the land use is called preemptive rights.
Some where down the line, to keep the cows from over grazing, came the bureau of land management. They were supposed to assist the ranchers in the management of their ranges while the ranchers paid a yearly allotment which was to be use to pay the BLM wages and to help with repaires and improvements of the ranches. My dad did pay his grazing fees for years to the BLM until they were no longer using his fees to help him and to improve. Instead they began using these money’s against the ranchers. They bought all the rest of the ranchers in the area out with they’re own grazing fees. When they offered to buy my dad out for a penence he said no thanks and then fired them because they weren’t doing their job.
He quit paying the BLM but, tried giving his grazing fees to the county, which they turned down. So my dad just went on running his ranch and making his own improvements with his own equipment and his own money, not taxes. In essence the BLM was managing my dad out of business. Well when buying him out didn’t work, they used the indangered species card. You’ve already heard about the desert tortis. Well that didn’t work either, so then began the threats and the court orders, which my dad has proven to be unlawful for all these years. Now their desperate. It’s come down to buying the brand inspector off and threatening the County Sheriff. Everything their doing at this point is illegal and totally against the constitution of the United States of America.
Now you may be saying,” how sad, but what does this have to do with me?” Well, I’ll tell you. They will get rid of Cliven Bundy, the last man standing on the Bunkerville allotment and then they will close all the roads so no one can ever go on it again. Next, it’s Utah’s turn. Mark my words, Utah is next.
Then there’s the issue of the cattle that are at this moment being stolen. See even if dad hasn’t paid them, those cattle do belong to him. Regardless where they are they are my fathers property. His herd has been part of that range for over a hundred years, long before the BLM even exsisted. Now the Feds think they can just come in and remove them and sell them without a legal brand inspection or without my dad’s signature on it. They think they can take them over two boarders, which is illegal, ask any trucker. Then they plan to take them to the Richfeild Aucion and sell them. All with our tax money. They have paid off the contract cowboys and the auction owner as well as the Nevada brand inspector with our tax dollars. See how slick they are?
Well, this is it in a nut shell. Thanks”
Stand With Cliven and Carol Bundy 
This all sounds like it might be true but under preemptive rights you would own the land and thus pay taxes on it. That doesn’t seem to be the case.
There is no such thing as pre emptive rights. That land was part of Mexico, and then became federal public land when Nevada became a state. Look up the Nevada State Constitution. Cliven had a lease to grazing rights, he RENTED it for ten years at a time. At one point studies showed that for the next ten year lease the number of cattle needed to be reduced to prevent severe damage. he disagreed and refused to sign the lease, thus NO rights to be there. The lease was eventually purchased by Clark County and retired, there is no longer a grazing allotment.
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Why didn’t your family just buy land rather than suckle on the public teat. Stealing from the American people for twenty years is a hard position to defend. I bet if the Mormon church owned the land Daddy would have paid his bills. Just one more scofflaw blaiming uncle Sam.
Agreed
Exactly how did he suckle on the public teat?? He paid for the improvements to the land and managed it himself with his own money. Nothing the BLM did helped him at all.
Maybe if you go back and re-read everything that’s wrote here and the post just ahead of this one you might grasp what is going on but you like so many only see Mr. Bundy stealing when in all likely hood he is the victim here not the real thief, the federal government, also you might did up and read about agenda 21. Then you might get some answers.
https://www.hcn.org/articles/malheur-occupation-oregon-ammon-bundy-public-lands-essay
The man broke the law. He was required to pay the fees if he wanted his cattle to graze on that land. The fact that he didn’t like what that money was being used for means exactly nothing. He did not pay, thereby breaking the law. He was ordered by a court of law to pay the fee or remove his animals. He refused to do either, thereby breaking the law a second time. A citizen is not given the option of refusing to “recognize the federal government” in any civilized country, not even the United States. He then broke the law a third time when he and his friends took up arms against the government of the United States. This is called either sedition or outright treason. The history of the land means nothing. His feelings about the BLM or government mean less than nothing. The man is a not a hero, he is thrice a criminal.
Double agreed!
Your ignorance of the law, our Constitution, our history and the federal government is unbelievable.
You attitude is more befitting a sheep than human being. So any law passed by a bureaucrat or a politician must be obeyed as if they were gods? If people in 1776 thought as you do we would still be a colony of England. Do you really believe that some BLM flunky’s authority outweighs the rights of the family that has worked that land for over a century, almost 70 years before there was even a BLM in existence? It was exactly your ignorant attitude that allowed the Federal Govt. to “legally” confiscate the lands of Native Americans. If there is a truly lawless party in this dispute it is the crooked politicians who covet this land for their own agendas which require the removal of the ranchers. You demonstrate why unscrupulous demagogs who infest the ranks of government can continue to hid behind the “law” when it suits their purpose. You need a serious reality check.
The only land they worked for less than a century is 160 acres, the rest is public land they RENTED per a grazing lease. Cliven decided he wanted more cattle there than studies showed could be put there without severe damage to the range and refused to sign a new lease, so he has no right whatsoever to use it.
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Go Bundy!
Sometimes in life you come to a crossroads. One road leads down to a Government that will take care of all your needs. They will determine your needs.
The other road makes one to take a stand and say, “Enough! No more Government telling me what I can or cannot do.”
One road has proven the United States of America is the greatest country in the world. For the people and by the people.
The other road is a Government that has forgotten “WE THE PEOPLE”….if you chose to travel this road you are simply driving straight to hell.
There’s something missing – something no one seems to notice – about this Bundy affair, and it’s VERY IMPORTANT!
Most people will agree that Bundy hasn’t paid his grazing bill – whether owed to the state, the county, or to the BLM is irrelevant.
What is happening here – and we need pay very close attention – is that Cliven Bundy has not declared war upon the federal government; he is not al-Queda, so why is the federal government treating him as if he was ‘the enemy’?
My name is not Cliven Bundy, and I am not related to him by family, but he is a fellow citizen, the same as you and I, and if the federal government is so far gone in attitude against such a decent person as Cliven Bundy, it means they hold the same attitude for everyone. It’s an us against them kind of deal. Like what Pres. George W. Bush said, “Whose side are you on?”
A man not paying cattle-grazing fees justifies the feds to send in a SWAT Team and kill cows?
Hell-low?
What’s next? Late paying your taxes and a SWAT Team shoots your dog, busts down your front door, and pisses in your flower garden?
You have absolutely no clue what you are talking about. There was no swat team and no one trying to do anything to the Bundy family other than fulfill a court order to impound his trespass cattle. BUT there were hundreds of armed followers who kept guns on private contractors as well as BLM employees who were carrying out that order. They were there to protect the private company hired to impound the cattle, not to harm the Bundys.
Shiree, my name is Robert Deihl, but you may know me by my militia name, Whip Holt. This comment is not for publication, just for you and your extended family at the Bundy Ranch. I live in Mesquite and I am a member of the ill-famed Southern Nevada Militia. At least I think I sill am.
I spent over 3 weeks there at the ranch in the militia camp when things began to deteriorate. I suspected Ryan Payne as a government plant but had no actual proof. Then when it was verified that he lied about his being a Ranger, what had transpired during that time fell into place for me. Animosity ruled. Individuals with personal agendas wrested control and led the war among militia members, Oath Keepers, and other patriots. The only people I trusted were those who worked in the mess hall and those camped out north of the Virgin River on 170.
Buddah seems to have a grasp of military protocol, but I find it difficult to trust him with your welfare. Has he been vetted thoroughly? Since there is a LEO among your extended family, it might be good insurance to have Buddah’s history and background checked in depth. If he passes the process, that’s great, and I will be convinced he actually has the Bundy’s best interests at heart. If problems DO turn up in the process he needs to be replaced. My personal circumstances now are the same as they were early in April, and my single most important goal is that The Bundys remain safe. I visited the camp a week ago and took guard relief at the Bundy home. I came back later that week to check on the situation. Shiree, I was appalled. Other than the freeloaders and wanna-bes at Little Dog’s camp, I found there were way less than a dozen to keep the bad guys away. That MUST be corrected, or the battle is lost even now. This is what your adversaries have planned all along. That is why there has been a veritable explosion of rancher in the west’s being attacked by the BLM. They want to spread patriots so thin there won’t be any way for retaliation.
I plan on coming back, but I will be camping with Bill Kualston across the river until such time as I see a vigorous plan of filling the area with fully armed militia who are up to speed on military protocol. I feel the best way to insure that is to require all would-be participants to produce a copy of their DD-214 which they received upon honorable discharge from the US Armed Forces. In addition, there needs to be one individual to act as Quartermaster to prevent theft while providing best use of equipment and supplies. There needs to be one individual to head up Communications, including inter and intra-unit capability as well as internet use. There needs to be one or more people to recruit both semi-permanent and short-term personnel. There should also be a specific chain of command from the lowest ranked “private” through overall base commander. I DO NOT aspire to that position, as I don’t believe I have adequate background. But I WILL take any position that I asked to fill and do my utmost to succeed. You may pass this on to anyone you desire, but I especially want Cliven and Carol to read it.
If this seems to be a tough military approach, that’s what is needed. Like it or not, we are in a WAR! In the wise words of Patrick Henry, “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.” Shiree, we are locked in a battle for our Republic. Cliven and Carol and their families know that, and so I pledge to do my utmost to save our country and the Constitution. I am 78 years old and a disabled veteran of the Korean era. I am hoping to be an example to others that no matter who or what you are, each one who is still a patriot is needed… NOW!
Whip Holt
P.S. I am in communication with the Tomeras and Wayne Hage, Jr.
^ that’s the scariest thing I’ve read in a long time
Who are these “bad guys” you speak of? The govt that sends you you’re social security money every month or the govt that gives you medicaid?
Yes. If you’re not terrified of what our government can and will do, you’re living in lala land….
I’m sorry you believe this pre emptive rights thing. Maybe you should research for yourself the truth. My dad had grazing rights as well and knew darn well he didn’t own the land. Your great grandfather could not buy that land as it was Mexico land and then Public land when Nevada became a state. AND not only that guess what? Clark County did buy that allotment after your dad decided not to renew his lease, they retired it and it no longer exists.
Also, he did not decide against paying fees for the reasons you all keep saying. He was told his new lease agreement he had to cut his herd back on the public land to 150 because it could not support the number he had. That is when he decided to do as he pleased. You all tell such lies and half truths. I am so sick of people believing it.
Shiree, this whole matter is easily solved. I can’t believe all of the trouble you and your family gave gone through when such an easy solution was so apparent. All you have to do is show the government your Great Grandpa’s and your Grandfather’s legal paperwork for their purchase of the allotment and you should be good to go.