Ruby Ridge: When Officials Realized That We Scare Them

[J.P.]

"....a strong case can be made that it also pushed the federal government to fear many of the people over whom it rules."

All they gotta' do is scrap the automatic payroll tax witholding system......

 

[Mr10mm]

I hope evey one knows this was all over a sawed off shotgun. I guess he should have paid his $200 stamp tax. All I can say is WOW!

 

[sanjuro893]

Gerry Spence kicked some serious ass for Randy Weaver. He's never lost a case.

GERRY SPENCE! God, I couldn't remember his name for the life of me. I used to have a fringed leather jacket just like his back in the day.

 

[BikerHT]

Gerry Spence kicked some serious ass for Randy Weaver. He's never lost a case.

^^^ Yes! ^^^
I've done a lot of reading about this case and Mr. Spence. I sure hope for an attorney of his integrity and caliber should I ever need one!

 

[racing1g]

I hope evey one knows this was all over a sawed off shotgun. I guess he should have paid his $200 stamp tax. All I can say is WOW!

Technically yes.....but there was more to it. Cliff note version: ATF informant came to him to buy two shotguns and asked to have the barrels cut off. Weaver said no but the informant pushed the matter and Weaver needed the money. ATF comes knocking, told him to be an informant on the AB or go to prison. Weaver said hell no and never showed up for court, and the rest is history. All over an informant luring him into a trap. The shotgun barrels were 1/4" too short as well.

 

[cinco]

Reminds of a quote I ran across a while ago on the subject, can't remember who said it or what documentary I heard it in. The gist is "When you've got four guys sitting in a room talking about making bombs, and three of them are federal agents, what have you got?"

Technically yes.....but there was more to it. Cliff note version: ATF informant came to him to buy two shotguns and asked to have the barrels cut off. Weaver said no but the informant pushed the matter and Weaver needed the money. ATF comes knocking, told him to be an informant on the AB or go to prison. Weaver said hell no and never showed up for court, and the rest is history. All over an informant luring him into a trap. The shotgun barrels were 1/4" too short as well.

Unfortunately, this seems to be a common thread amongst many of the foiled "terror plots" that the government uses to justify its policies and bureacracies. Government agents actively encouraging and facilitating the acts. In some cases developing thier own plot and then recruiting and encouraging the illegal activity.

For example: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/op...pagewanted=all

Terrorist Plots, Hatched by the F.B.I.

THE United States has been narrowly saved from lethal terrorist plots in recent years - or so it has seemed. A would-be suicide bomber was intercepted on his way to the Capitol; a scheme to bomb synagogues and shoot Stinger missiles at military aircraft was developed by men in Newburgh, N.Y.; and a fanciful idea to fly explosive-laden model planes into the Pentagon and the Capitol was hatched in Massachusetts.

But all these dramas were facilitated by the F.B.I., whose undercover agents and informers posed as terrorists offering a dummy missile, fake C-4 explosives, a disarmed suicide vest and rudimentary training. Suspects naïvely played their parts until they were arrested.

 

[ez bake]

Technically yes.....but there was more to it. Cliff note version: ATF informant came to him to buy two shotguns and asked to have the barrels cut off. Weaver said no but the informant pushed the matter and Weaver needed the money. ATF comes knocking, told him to be an informant on the AB or go to prison. Weaver said hell no and never showed up for court, and the rest is history. All over an informant luring him into a trap. The shotgun barrels were 1/4" too short as well.

That's the story I've heard as well, but I've never seen the source for it (didn't Randy testify in court that the shotguns were "cut-down" after he sold them to the ATF informant?).

There is a lot to learn from that whole situation (both for citizens and the government).

 

[Kid Glock]

kinda long, but interesting testimony before senate investigation: Testimony of Randy Weaver (Sept. 6, 1995)
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/weaver/randytestimony.html

little off topic but if you've not seen it... an interesting video documentary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco:_The_Rules_of_Engagement

 

[carry guy]

...a strong case can be made that it also pushed the federal government to fear many of the people over whom it rules.

The basic problem is the attitude of the Feds that they rule over us, rather than seeing us as their employers.