Cliven Bundy vs. Government land management

[HairOfTheDog]

What do you think the outcome would have been if those men had been black?

I don't think a group of armed black militia men would have been allowed to occupy the federal property and been free to come and go in the first place.

I did not understand why LE didn't employ more aggressive action to end the occupation earlier on, but was glad that they didn't shoot up a bunch of occupiers without expiring other options. When the occupiers were charged with serious crimes, I figured maybe LE had played their hands just right.

In light of the verdict, I'm back to wondering if by allowing those assholes to point loaded weapons at them, and destroy Native grounds, and disrupt an entire community, and giddy up on down to the market anytime they pleased...LE made the mistake of normalizing their criminal actions in the eyes of a significant portion of the potential jury pool.

Anyway, still waiting for more details from the federal prosecutors.

I did just see where one juror made a statement to the effect that the jury didn't necessarily agree with the Bundy gang, but that they felt the prosecutors failed to prove the intent required to support the 'conspiracy' charge. Without 'conspiracy' the charges of 'illegal possession of firearms' also flew out the window because that charge required the occupiers to be in the commission of a crime when they were bearing arms (I think).

The juror indicated that the presence of armed law enforcement at the refuge was more impeding to refuge workers than the presence of the occupiers. He also noted that the jury felt the prosecutors were arrogant and wondered why they hadn't chosen a lesser but more appropriate 'criminal trespass' charge (which I agree should have been charged as well).

Here's the juror's written statement: http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standof...regon.html