If the was a hero in the Bundy Ranch standoff it was Nevada Assemblyman John Ellison who when most other Nevada political leaders were heading as far away from the range war as possible, Ellison charged in and just may have prevented the standoff from exploding.
“Everybody was saying that it wasn’t in their jurisdiction.” Ellison said in an interview with the High Desert Advocate. “That was the biggest load of BS I ever heard. There were 100’s of federal agents and 100’s of protesters all on Nevada land all armed and it wasn’t in our jurisdiction to make sure people stayed safe? Come on.”
The five foot two inch little giant made it his business to get Clark County and Las Vegas Metro officers to the scene despite the reluctance of their administrations.
“I don’t really have an opinion on the Bundy case, except to say as a rancher I know the difficulties of dealing with the BLM,” he continued. “What I was a afraid of with all those guns around both from the federal agents and with some of the protesters was that a shooting war would start by accident. I think the presence of local deputies and officers put a fusion between both sides.”
The deputies and Ellison’s presence at several stand offs may have been a factor that kept passion cool and could have also factored into the BLM’s decision to retreat from the fray and return the cattle back to Bundy.
“I really don’t think this is over by a long shot,” Ellison observed. “The BLM got embarrassed and they could be back.”
However Ellison’s public and prolific support of Nevadans may have spurred his more cautious colleagues to take note and perhaps stand up and be counted should the need arise again.
“We were elected to defend the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Nevada,” he added. “That is our jurisdiction.
Named the most conservative legislator for 2014, Ellison represents the largest district in the state. Despite the vast area he is running unopposed on the November ballot.
[…] as possible, Ellison charged in and just may have prevented the standoff from exploding.” [CTV] Assemblyman Ellison might have wanted to join the more cautious members of his party and […]