Originally Posted by bigswede
There is no need to deem the accidentally spread fire as a domestic act of terrorism. Accident and no criminal charges, at most with a sum to pay for damages. The BLM people themselves burn that land on a regular basis. They even said the fire was helpful in keeping unwanted weeds down.
I'm going to directly challenge several of your claims here, bigswede, as they are directly contradicted by facts.

First, the Hammonds were not convicted of "accidentally spread(ing a) fire" - they were convicted of arson (i.e., a deliberately set fire).

Second, they were not charged with "a domestic act of terrorism." That is a misinterpretation of the law spread by apologists (whether deliberate or not is immaterial). They get there by conflating/confusing the ominibus bill with the specific provisions of the criminal statutes. The Hammonds, as I noted, were convicted of plain old arson.

Third, the claim that "the BLM people burn that land on a regular basis" (emphasis added) is obfuscation at best or prevarication. Initially, as you have previously acknowledged, the BLM owns that land - and as the land owner, gets to control its own property (whether that is in the interest of your argument or not, you can't change that assertion). Additionally, "that land" is deliberately not specific, as the BLM administers more than 247.3 million acres (1,001,000 km2) of public lands in the United States. Finally, the BLM's burns are controlled and specific. In this case, the Hammonds scorched thousands of acres of public lands to cover up their other crimes.

Finally, the assertion that "They even said the fire was helpful in keeping unwanted weeds down" is an outright lie. What is your source for this claim? (I know, but I'll let you try to excuse it.)

A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich