Just because the natives did not think of land as property the immigrants from Europe did, it did not give right for the USA to claim it as federal land. You can call it stealing or colonisation or what ever, but it was not free for the taking.
If this view is not correct, why did we have indian wars and phony treaties?
This is what the Bundys recognises. They settled in the area in good neighbourly spirit with natives, but the federal government has shown it respects none of them.

Calling the reservations their first owned land is like calling prison their home.

In Nevada the federal government claims to own more land than in any other state of the union, 84.5%! On a map the Rockies states stand out; Utah 57.4%, Oregon 53.1%, Idaho 50.2%, Arizona 48.1%, California 45.3%, Wyoming 42.3%, New Mexico 41.8%, Colorado 36.6%, Washington 30.3% and Montana 29.9%.

Compare that to New York 0.8 % Maine 1.1% Massachusetts 1.9%, Connecticut 0.4%, New Jersey 3.1%, Pennsylvania 2.5%, Delaware 2.0% and even Texas 1.9%!
All according to the Federal Real Property Profile of 2004.

Do you see any imbalance in the respective states physical ability to rule over their own territory?

Last edited by bigswede; 01/17/18 01:38 PM.
Cowardly men always plot to label Freedom as anarchy!