Ammon Bundy: The Anatomy of a Knucklehead

Bundy claims to be watching out for us all. Almost all of us don't like it and want him to stop.

Fantasies of the James-Younger gang? Partly.

Ammon Bundy is securing his place in history -- however slight -- as a leading knucklehead of his day. His beefs are just as slight and misplaced as his grasp of who gives a shit, missing that most, even those in the Oregon county he purports to have come to rescue, want him to go away.

"Love the people here in Harney County," Bundy says. "I have met so many good people. We are so grateful for the food and supplies that they have given us and how they have kept us and how they have fed us with barbecues. They have come and entertained us."

Most in the community have actually been very vocal that they want Bundy to leave.

That's right, and the people of Harney County have made it clear from day one. Now the militia-type occupiers seem to be escalating their snack-in for no obvious reason or strategic advantage:

Talks with inside sources as well as a media event Saturday at the refuge indicate the Bundy militia is making new grabs at federal land, expanding its presence near the Malheur Refuge, and forming extralegal judicial and legislative bodies in Harney County to displace the existing government, even as its external support and options appear to dwindle. It is also building fortifications with railroad ties and concrete barriers.

In the latest development, Burns, Oregon — the town nearest to the Malheur Refuge — cancelled a planned community meeting on Jan. 25 after threats by militants to protest and block the event. The previous week many residents in Burns were angered after Ammon Bundy and his supporters showed up with guns to one of the community meetings that have occurred regularly since the Bundy militia seized the refuge.

We've seen this stuff before, not surprisingly a couple of years ago from Bundy's father, Cliven Bundy, a welfare cheat who thinks the federal government should feed his cattle for free. The elder Bundy attracted armed and dangerous knuckleheads to his cause, and the feds wisely gave way.

Unfortunately, this has emboldened militia types and erstwhile cowboys to hope to play bang-bang shoot-shoot with someone or another for some reason or another. (Oh, yeah, they want control of federal lands, in this case a wildlife refuge set up by Teddy Roosevelt.) Again, the feds have wisely avoided another Ruby Ridge or Waco.

But something has got to give. If Bundy stands down and everyone goes home, good. If they don't, uh oh. One way or another, the feds must reassert themselves by arresting the offenders, who by now have been well documented.

Peacefully, we hope.