Oregon Rancher Standoff Reflection

 

Oregon Rancher Standoff

      The Oregon Rancher Standoff started when a militia protested against the government about land regulations. The government has been taking people's land without basically their permission. In Harney County, ranchers Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven were condemned of arson for setting fires on federal lands. The disagreement among rancher Cliven Bundy and the United States Bureau of Land Management on a $1 million unpaid grazing fees led to a standoff in Nevada. Western militant states protested for the pending re-imprisonment of the Hammonds in 2015 which they considered as unjustified. An armed protesters took over the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refugee. They would not stop protesting until they had rights to their lands and more for cattle business. The militants encouraged ranchers to stop paying the federal government grazing fees. They believed that the government is too much and is abusing their power and empowering over the citizens.

        This reminds me of the Boston Public School walk-out where students protested against budget cuts. Even though only one person got arrested for throwing a bottle at a police and the police threatening to tazer the students, it was not as bad as the Oregon Rancher Standoff because it did not have any deaths involved. The ranchers should have not overreacted and instead calmed down first. Then they should have dicussed the situation at hand in a civilized mannered and protested "peacefully". They should have put signs and petitions around towns and states. And if it did not work they could have took it to the Supreme Court, if it was doable.