Tag Archives | Ruby Ridge

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Counterpunch: Why Ruby Ridge Still Matters

Counterpunch posted an updated version of my FFF piece on Ruby Ridge.  Here’s an image with the key message from the article: (illustration on the left is by Amy Crehore for a Playboy piece I did in 1995) Here’s a jpeg of most of the final paragraph: And here’s the full piece: Why Ruby Ridge […]

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Enraged Readers Cheer Federal Killings of Gun Owners

My Hill oped, “Fed’s misconduct in Cliven Bundy case stems from Ruby Ridge,” has spurred more than 600 comments.   Some commenters mistakenly asserted that the Bundys or their supporters had fired upon the feds.  Didn’t happen – but that assumption sufficed to justify advocating preemptively killing many people.  Some commenters believe the federal snipers should have slain any private citizen touting […]

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The Hill: Ruby Ridge Spurred Feds’ Bundy Bollixing

The Hill, January 14, 2018 Fed’s misconduct in Cliven Bundy case stems from Ruby Ridge by James Bovard  Federal judge Gloria Navarro slammed the FBI and Justice Department on Monday, Jan. 8, for “outrageous” abuses and “flagrant misconduct” in the prosecution of Cliven Bundy and sons, the Nevada ranchers who spurred a high-profile standoff with […]

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FFF: Why Ruby Ridge Still Matters

Future of Freedom Foundation Why Ruby Ridge Still Matters by James Bovard In the wake of violent clashes between protesters last August in Charlottesville, many people demanded a federal crackdown on suspected dangerous extremists. The federal government has previously carried out similar heavy-handed suppression efforts with disastrous results. Rather than intellectually purifying the nation, such […]

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USA Today: Bundy-FBI Debacle Shows Feds Must be Leashed

USA Today, January 5, 2018 Cliven Bundy-FBI debacle: Another example of why the feds need to be leashed by James Bovard The FBI’s sordid history of withholding and destroying key evidence deserves a reckoning. The Justice Department was caught in another high-profile travesty last month that continues to reverberate through the western states. On Dec. 20, […]

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The Hill: Yes, The FBI is America’s Secret Police

The Hill,   December 11, 2017 YES, THE FBI IS AMERICA’S SECRET POLICE by James Bovard Politifact delivered a “pants on fire” slam to Fox News on Friday because one of its commentators asserted that the Federal Bureau of Investigation “has become America’s secret police.” The FBI has legions of new champions nowadays among liberals and […]

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I Should Be Hanged, Blown Up, or Banished: Reader Feedback

Last week’s  articles in USA Today spurred lots of helpful suggestions from thoughtful readers.  Admittedly, not everyone liked the articles. Oughtsix, a commenter on a gun discussion board, was outraged by the “Ruby Ridge Lessons for Fighting Extremism” article’s subhead (““When the government tries to squash anti-American ideas it doesn’t like, the results are often destructive of […]

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