It’s so, so hard to get shot if you’re white, and there’s no better proof than the American sovereign citizen movement, a cadre of moody caucasian fellows, armed to the teeth against an overreaching federal government. And they’re preparing for another showdown.

The Oregonian reports that some of the same people who brought you last year’s horrific Bundy Ranch confrontation, in which militiamen directly aimed weapons at Bureau of Land Management employees over a disagreement on grazing fines, have found a new cause:

The Hammonds are father and son ranchers, due to report to federal prison on Monday. They were convicted in 2012 of arson for lighting public land on fire adjacent to their ranch land south of Burns. They have been imprisoned once and must return for an additional term after federal appellate judges said they had been illegally sentenced the first time.

[...]

They have latched on to the Hammonds as their latest cause to stand against the federal government.

“I am here now trying to empower and motivate the people of this community to take a stand against tyranny and show them that I will gladly stand with them,” [Jon] Ritzheimer said.

You can see Ritzheimer in the above video in which he calls upon “patriots” to meet for a January 2nd “convoy” in Burns, Oregon. They are almost always heavily armed, and stated a willingness to kill during the Bundy conflict. In a letter to the public penned last month, the Bundy family warns the federal government to stay away from the Hammonds:

We warn federal agencies, federal judges and all government officials that follow federal oppressive examples that the people are in unrest because of these types of actions. The purpose of government is to protect the unalienable rights of the people, not to take them away. It is the duty of the people to defend their God given rights if government fails to do so or turns to devour them. Good, civil citizens wish only to live in tranquility and peace, but demand freedom while doing so. We call upon you and all civil servants to effectuate the true purpose of government and change your actions as needed by fulfilling your sworn duty to the Constitution and ultimately to the People.

“We further warn,” the letter continues, “that the incarceration of the Hammond family will spawn serious civil unrest.”

Contact the author at biddle@gawker.com.
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