Arbitrary & unfair overreach of big government on display in Oregon

To The Daily Sun,

In Oregon, armed militiamen have overtaken federal land. Those who only read headlines, now this. They may even be aware of the "is it terrorism/what if they were black" debate. But the real story we need to discuss is the protest's inspiration. The ranchers, especially Steve and Dwight Hammond.

Convicted of setting a fire on private land (with the intent of killing an invasive species) that spread to federal land. Now the attorney general has forced them return to prison, years after their release. Further investigation reveals the arbitrary nature of this action. It reveals a history of harassment by the federal government, whose acquisition of private land around a federal wildlife refuge was resisted by local ranchers.

In the 1980s the harassment was diverting water to the area, flooding those properties. The 1990s featured unexplained revocations of grazing licenses and the blockage of roads. Now the federal government incarcerates citizens, even as it commits the same actions (in reverse) causing private property damage and the death of livestock, but no federal officers ever face charges.

Arbitrary and unfair overreach is the consequence of a big government, and that is just cause for protest, armed or not.

Ryan Smith

Northfield