Dear Editor,
The other evening I was watching Fox Business News. Lou Dobbs was interviewing John O’Keefe the president of the Oregon Cattleman’s Association. John O’Keefe was making the case that in regard to the proposed listing of the Sage Grouse that Malheur County along with many counties in the West had made such a great case the Fish and Wildlife Service saw no reason to list the Sage Grouse. What John O’Keefe of the OCA failed to mention was the regulations adopted by the BLM and Forest Service are tenfold more onerous then a listing would have been. Lou Dobbs had it right when he said the “BLM is out of control.”
To me, the most heart wrenching moment of the interview was the goodbye of the 74 year old man to his bride of 55 years. They will not be able to die in each other arms but in the eyes of prison guards hundreds of miles from their home. What has happened to our nation? Have we no compassion for our citizens? Is the Bureaucracy more important than human rights?
The Hammonds have already paid the price for the trumped up charges. The original Judge Hogan had already ruled a five year sentence would be a violation of the 8th Amendment to our Constitution (cruel and unusual punishment).
When does an Amendment to our Constitution play second fiddle to the ego of a Federal Prosecutor, Frank Papagoni, and the overreach of BLM? Field Manager Rhonda Karges and her husband Chad Karges, the Refuge Manager for the Malhuer Wildlife Refuge another power hungry Bureaucrat, the second Judge on the case Ann Aiken who had no problem being a pawn to the charade.
It is amazing the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals would not protect our Constitution and instead be a party to such an injustice.
All who had any chance to attend the trial spoke of the incompetence of the legal team who were supposed to protect the Hammonds. I have to assume, if the Governor of Oregon, Kate Brown, would make one telephone call on behalf of the Hammonds, they would be released and the Bundy Boys could go home.
Congressman Mark Amodei and Joe Heck need to introduce legislation to correct the 1996 Anti-Terrorism Act so it does not apply to these situations.
There has been an account set up to save the ranch, help the Hammond women and recruit competent legal talent. Money can be sent to Dwight and Susie Hammond, 979 N. Court Ave., Burns Oregon 97720.
John C. Carpenter
PS. The power of prayer is great, let’s say a few.
