Letter: ‘Patriot’ not a term that applied to wildlife refuge occupiers

Happy that the so-called “occupier” saga in Oregon has drawn to a close. I’m not a fan.

At one point in my life, I wanted to be a cowboy too. Unlike the lamebrains who have taken up so much media attention, I simply bought a ranch with my own money. I didn’t assert any imaginary constitutional right to be a cowboy for free on U.S. government property. I paid for my cattle, their feed, and their medicine with my own money. I slaughtered them and either sold the meat or ate it.

I was never under the impression that the government had to support me in this endeavor. All the while, I was heavily armed, as a holdover from my childhood, but I never felt the need to flag down a passing FBI agent and threaten him or her with my arsenal.

Before I did any of this, I served many years in the military. Thus, I am pretty certain that I know that the term “patriot” is all about, and it sure didn’t apply to this gang of freeloaders.

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Letter: ‘Patriot’ not a term that applied to wildlife refuge occupiers."