So, Cliven Bundy's a racist? I still stand between the Bundy family and the armed federal bureaucrats who would kill them if they could.

From Will Grigg: "Alleged racist Cliven Bundy, seen here dropping everything to play with a little brown child."

While I was at the Bundy Ranch on the 19th, I heard that a New York Times reporter who turned out to be Adam Nagourney was in camp seeking an interview with Cliven Bundy. I sought him out and found him and his photographer at the stage area that had been used the day before down by the river for the barbeque. The regular 1:00 PM press conference was in session, and the NYT was the only "press" there, although these sessions have lately been the vehicle by which folks who come to visit get to ask questions of Mr. Bundy.

I knew instantly that Nagourney's presence meant trouble because the NYT only sends regulars like him when the Mandarin class wants to craft a narrative. I was standing to the rear of the crowd while this was going on, so I didn't hear much. After it was over I approached Nagourney about the speeches that would be given at five o'clock, including my own regarding the Jenny Award. I gave him my card. He demurred, saying that he had a deadline and wouldn't be able come to back for the Oath Keeper presentation. He did seem quite rushed. I was perplexed when the article didn't appear the next day, or the next. I should have realized that he already had his story and that the editors were merely reworking it to seek the maximum political damage that it could do to the "enemies of the people" such as Rand Paul

.

Finally, the Grey Lady grunted, strained, and produced this misshapen meme-progeny: "A Defiant Rancher Savors the Audience That Rallied to His Side."

Then began the howling, and the running in all directions away from Cliven Bundy as if his hair was on fire. The corrupt Senator Palpatine immediately jumped on it with both feet: Harry Reid Issues Statement On "Hateful Racist" Cliven Bundy

April 24, 2014 | Press Release

“This is not a game.”

Las Vegas, NV – Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement today on racist comments by Cliven Bundy reported by the New York Tim

es.

“I used to live in North Las Vegas and it is home to some of the hardest-working people I have ever met – men and women who embody the American dream by working hard every day to build a better life for themselves and their families. By contrast, Cliven Bundy has spent decades profiting off government land while refusing to pay the same fair use fees as his fellow ranchers. Today, Bundy revealed himself to be a hateful racist. But by denigrating people who work hard and play by the rules while he mooches off public land he also revealed himself to be a hypocrite.

“To advance his extreme, hateful views, Bundy has endangered the lives of innocent women and children. This is not a game. It is the height of irresponsibility for any individual or entity in a position of power or influence to glorify or romanticize such a dangerous individual, and anyone who has done so should come to their senses and immediately condemn Bundy. For their part, national Republican leaders could help show a united front against this kind of hateful, dangerous extremism by publicly condemning Bundy.

“The bottom line is that elected officials and those in positions of power or influence have a responsibility to unite behind the basic principle that we are a country of laws, and that whatever our differences, it is unacceptable for individuals to use violence or the threat of violence to advance their radical views.”

My initial reaction was not very charitable. I told a friend, "It takes an awful long knife to slit your own throat and those of the people standing next to you in one slash." Some of my best friends were equally pissed off, with one saying, "I don't despise him because he's a racist, I despise him because he's stupid." But another long-time friend provided more wisdom: "Cliven Bundy may be a racist but that's beside the point." Which is exactly true.

With my problems of being on the road, changing computers, etc., others beat me to this observation, notably William Grigg: For Progressives, “Thoughtcrime” is Worse than Mass Murder.

And Pat Dollard discovered that the Nagourney story was not entirely honest in the full context of Mr. Bundy's remarks: "HOAX EXPOSED: Full Clip Of Cliven Bundy’s Non-Racist, Pro-Black, Pro-Mexican, Anti-Government Remarks Vs. NYTimes’ Deceptively Edited Version."

Perhaps the best reaction came from Kira Davis: “Who cares? He could believe Bette Midler is the 12th Imam, it doesn’t change the fact that the government has sent SWAT teams to collect a tax bill from a free citizen." Here is the video link and here is the YouTube video:

Now as I have written before, my anti-racist credentials are second to none, having fought the Aryans, the Klan and other FBI-controlled creatures for decades at street level, where it costs. I also am painfully aware of the demonization that is always used to justify the federal murder of innocents like Sammy & Vicki Weaver ("white separatists") and the Davidians ("child molesting religious fanatics").

So when they say that Cliven Bundy's a racist, I have to respond that I still must stand between the Bundy family and the armed federal bureaucrats who would kill them if they could. That is my job as a member of the armed citizenry and I will be there until Cliven Bundy demonstrates that he doesn't want me there or the threat is past. This is not in the end about public relations (although such incidents make that more difficult), but about principle and principle is a hard task master.