Militiaman and patriot movement member Jon Ritzheimer has posted a video for his family protesting the lawful treatment of Dwight and Steve Hammond for encroaching on federal lands and burning them.
The thirteen-minute video suggests he plans to occupy federal lands and fight to the death, rather than suffer the tyranny of the rule of law. The Hammonds were convicted by a jury, and appealed the conviction on the grounds that federal minimum sentences were unconstitutional. They took their case all the way to the Supreme Court, who declined to reverse the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that the minimums were indeed constitutional. In October, they were sentenced to five years in Federal prison.
Ironically, he spends much of the video holding a pocket Constitution, which is the document authorizing federal jurisdiction over the land he claims to be defending and occupying.
"The oppression and the tyranny that's taken place in Oregon -- we know it's taken place all across the US -- the Bundy Ranch was prime example. And we the people need to take a stand," Ritzheimer says.
He then goes into a lengthy rant about how poorly the legal system has treated the Hammond family.
"They are not terrorists....This oppressive, tyrannical government who really has no jurisdiction here...this is Hardy County's land."
"The Hammonds were not tried by a jury of their peers. There's an indictment with no signatures on it."
Ritzheimer then decides to stand as judge and jury, vowing, "This is a cruel and unusual punishment. But this federal government comes in here and says no, that's not enough, they need to do a minimum of five years."
And then, the call to arms. "It's real simple, Dwight. Do you want to die in prison labeled a terrorist by these oppressors or do you want to die out here with us as a free man? I want to die a free man."
"If you do not spearhead this and take a stand, it's going to set a new precedent across the U.S.. They get stronger and think they can continue to go around and bully we, the people. But when we unite and you take that stand there's no stopping us."
Ritzheimer reiterated the trouble the Hammond family has seen at the hands of the government.
"This Hammond family has been so oppressed. They've even been threatened with harsher prison conditions if they get caught communicating with people like myself or Ammon Bundy, who spent hours and hours and hours begging and pleading with the sheriff trying to educate them and empower them, letting them know this is the supreme law of the land."
As he finished that diatribe, Ritzheimer held up a copy of the federal Constitution, before vowing to die defending it.
"I am 100 percent willing to lay my life down to defend against tyranny in this country."
At the end, there is a call to arms.
"We need real men here...Americans who have the intestinal fortitude to come here and take a stand and say enough is enough."
And then the goodbye to his family.
"To my family, just know that I stood for something. Don't let it be in vain. I love you."
This is a coordinated outside militia effort. Pete Santilli, who was the one fomenting the online froth in 2014 during the Bundy Ranch standoff, has video of the meeting which he live-streamed earlier today.
Take note of something here. 2014 was an election year, and Bundy Ranch happened. In 2015, nothing much. It's now 2016, and we have a coordinated operation intended to foment hate against the federal government.
It's not by accident.
