The Bundy Ranch Standoff

The Bundy Ranch Standoff: April of 2014

Bureau of Land Management fueds with Bundy family over unpaid dues

 

In April of 2014 the Bundy Ranch in Mesquite, Nevada had a run in with the federal government. The Bureau of Land Management claimed Cliven Bundy owed taxpayers over $1 million dollars in grazing fees. Bundy paid these fees until 1993, where he claimed he didn’t owe the government anything because his family had been using the land since the 1800s. The BLM took action to enforce a court order and seize nearly 1,000 head of Bundy’s cattle. The officers were then met by a united group of family, friends and armed militia from all over the country, attempting to protect the land. That is when the BLM used helicopters and other means of force to “round up” the cattle, ending in a gruesome scene with several cattle dead, including bulls, cows, calves and aborted unborn calves. This incident raised eyebrows and concerns about whether the government overstepped its boundaries, and whether they were inhumane to the animals.

As a livestock producer and an individual who practices good animal husbandry, I  have a few concerns on the events of that day in April of 2014. 

Did the BLM know how to handle the cattle? Why were so many cattle killed? Why were some cattle buried in shallow graves? Was evidence of animal cruelty being hidden by the government officials? Many of my questions remain unanswered. 

When a bank forecloses on a house, they don’t destroy the property inside the house or the house itself. There is enough supporting evidence to conclude that the BLM did not know what they were doing, and should have had animal husbandry experts come in and remove the cattle safely and calmly. But instead they shot bulls down from helicopters, ran pregnant  cows in 90 degree heat until they collapsed and aborted, and left wet calves in corrals separated from their mothers while they were ran down. The events of the Bundy Ranch Standoff were inhumane, aggressive and too emotional. This story died out without the answers known to the public. That story has a lot more to it than just some dues owed to the government.

More information on the Bundy Ranch Standoff can be found at the links below: 

 RT Question More
St. George News
NPR