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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Community gathers to mourn slain Seaside officer ... Work expected to begin by summer on Highway 62 bypass ... Josephine County man arrested on drug, child neglect charges ... Community gathers to mourn slain Seaside officer ... Work expected to begin by summer on Highway 62 bypass ... Josephine County man arrested on drug, child neglect charges ... OUR VIEW Our View: Malheur occupation ends without a bang Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News The last of the misguided Malheur militants finally faced reality Thursday and departed the federal property they had occupied since Jan. 2. They accomplished none of what they set out to do, all of them face federal charges for their actions, and one lost his life. The armed group, led by Ammon and Ryan Bundy, sons of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, took over buildings at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge after a rally in Burns to protest the sentencing of Harney County ranchers Dwight and Steve Hammond for setting fires on federal land. The occupiers demanded the Hammonds' release and called on the federal government to turn over control of refuge land to county residents. In a related development, federal agents arrested Cliven Bundy late Wednesday when he arrived at the Portland airport on his way to the refuge. He faces charges related to a standoff at his Nevada ranch in 2014, when supporters trained rifles at federal agents who had impounded Bundy's cattle because he owes the Bureau of Land Management more than $1 million in grazing fees. To avoid bloodshed, the federal agents retreated in that case, which remains unresolved. Federal agents also showed tremendous restraint in the Malheur standoff, to the frustration of many observers. Authorities were determined to avoid a repeat of the bloodshed at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and Waco, Texas, in which a total of 78 people died. The FBI deserves credit for that hands-off approach, which allowed the standoff to come to an end with the loss of only one life. The Malheur occupiers attempted to justify their illegal actions with a twisted interpretation of the Constitution. They claim federal ownership of public land is illegal, despite years of court rulings to the contrary, and they insist that millions of acres should be "returned" to state and local governments that never possessed it in the first place. In fact, the American public owns that land, and the federal government manages it on our behalf. Disputes over that management are properly addressed in Congress or in the courts, not by armed rebellion against the legitimate government of the United States. What is most disturbing about the Bundys and their fellow occupiers is not their fanciful delusions, but the fact that many Western residents share them, including some elected officials who ought to know better. Those supporters were essentially supporting an armed rebellion against their own government. We can look around the world and see the state of countries that have succumbed to that level of violence and divisiveness. Democracy works through the power of the people — all the people, not just those with guns. Those who would let violence be their calling card are neither supporters of democracy nor of the ideals that have kept this country united and strong. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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