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3 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 Mail Tribune 100, Jan. 5, 1916 ... Police say it's likely that homeless man died from exposure ... Grandma says: ‘Wake up, World’ ... Mail Tribune 100, Jan. 5, 1916 ... Police say it's likely that homeless man died from exposure ... Grandma says: ‘Wake up, World’ ... OUR VIEW Our View: Armed insurrection is not an act of patriotism MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 5, 2016 @ 12:01 am Posted Jan. 5, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Just don't call them patriots. The decision of a small band of armed militants to seize control of the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns in protest of the sentencing of two ranchers on federal arson charges has ignited a vigorous discussion of the men, their motives and, not least, what news outlets should call them. Recommendations range from the serious — protesters, militia members, domestic terrorists — to the silly: Y'all quaida, Yeehawdis, Vanilla ISIS. They call themselves patriots; more on that in a moment. First, the background: Two Burns-area ranchers, Dwight Hammond and his son, Steven Hammond, were convicted of arson for setting two fires that burned public land in the wildlife refuge in 2001 and 2006. Arson on federal land calls for mandatory minimum sentences of five years in federal prison, but the trial judge decided that was excessive and imposed lesser sentences. Dwight Hammond served three months and Steven spent a year behind bars. Federal prosecutors appealed the sentences, and the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Hammonds must serve the full five years. The U.S. Supreme Court declined their appeal, and they were resentenced n October. They turned themselves in Monday afternoon at Terminal Island in San Pedro, Calif., as they had been ordered to do by the court. It's legitimate to argue that the five-year sentences were harsh, not unlike many mandatory minimums that remove discretion from judges. It's also worth noting that the Hammonds themselves honored the rule of law by surrendering on time. That's more than can be said for the supporters of the Hammonds who came from outside Oregon, staged an armed takeover of some unoccupied government buildings and vowed to fight to the death if federal agents attempted to remove them by force. The militants are led by Ammon Bundy, son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who staged a standoff with Bureau of Land Management officers over cattle he was illegally grazing on public land. Ammon Bundy and his cohorts claim to be upholding the Constitution by their actions because they believe it is illegal for the federal government to own land. Despite years of court rulings to the contrary, Bundy and others cling to a twisted interpretation the Constitution to argue that millions of acres of public land should be turned over to states and counties so natural resources can be extracted without federal government interference. Now they have broken into buildings belonging to the public and vow to remain there. So they have committed burglary at the very least, making them criminals in the eyes of the law. Their stated intent to "take back" federal land and shoot at federal authorities who defy them would amount to armed insurrection if it comes to that. These are "patriots?" Merriam-Webster defines a patriot as " one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests." That doesn't apply to Ammon Bundy and his ilk. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 5, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » 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. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. 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