Op-ed by R.T. Fitch, author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart“
A Picture is worth a Thousand Words
Cattor chopper hunting for our Wild Horses - Photo by Terry Fitch
Acclaimed artist and videotagrapher Laura Leigh has released a devastating video of a young foal which from the footage appears as if it is being aggressively and dangerously “pushed” and attacked by a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) contractor’s helicopter during the much contested Calico Wild Horse round-up.
After a terrifying chase for miles over volcanic rock, ice and snow the small foal had difficulty keeping up with it’s family and was continually terrorized by the Cattoor’s helicopter at an alarmingly close and dangerous range.
Additional footage shows one foal limping in the BLM pens while another, which is on the ground, was reported by the BLM to have died due to having it’s young “hooves run off” by the Cattoor helicopters.
This is documented evidence of the out of control and deadly behavior of the Obama administration’s Bureau of Land Management.
Please forward this video to the President, the First Lady, the Vice President and every single one of your elected representatives. Our “animal friendly” administration needs to be held fully accountable for supporting known animal abusers within it’s organization.
Warning if you understand, love and/or care about animals you will find this footage to be extremely unsettling.
Use the “SHARE” button below to broadcast this video!
Categories: Horse Health, Horse News, The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
I just read Elyse’s updated blog, her theory for the end of the Calico roundup: no more horses were found on the range. This thought is devestating to me, as is this video
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Katie Fite’s article about the Calico complex said that the horses do go from one HMA to another and over fairly long distances. After the helicopter had been there for weeks it is very possible that horses headed away from their noise. They could be in California or along that border area. We can count them this year and find out and We will know. BLM won’t. mar
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A couple of days ago I sent Sue Cattoor a copy of the St.Francis quote that Lisa LeBlanc had posted. I was so depressed over the treatment of our wild horses and felt it was the least that I could do to make a simple statement for those poor animals that could not speak for themselves. The following email from Sue Cattoor was received by me tonight–
Your quote is so true. That is why we feel good about what we do for the wild horses. We know what happens when they run out of food and water and are left to starve or die of thirst. Every one of us in our organization loves wild horses and horses. We do this job because we feel we can gather the wild horses in the most humane way possible and we know what happens if the wild horses are just all left alone and they run out of food or water and die. We feel good about what we do and know we are helping the wild horses left on the range and we are giving the ones that are caught a chance to either go to a good home or live the rest of their lives where there is food and water. We do feel really bad when something happens to one of the animals during a gather or afterward. But we know we are working with wild animals and no matter how careful we are things beyond our control can happen. Have a good day. Sue Cattoor
There is no response that I can make to this person-a true “vexation” to the spirit.
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“All creatures are created from the same paternal heartbeat of God. Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission – to be of service to them whenever they require it. If you have men who will exclude God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”
St. Francis of Assisi
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She has to be careful as she guarding a multi-million dollar gravy train and her lawyer has taught her to be sickly sweet when people are irate with their blood drenched business.
Remember, we pay the price tag.
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I am absolutely in tears, and I could not even watch this. I am so saddened by all that is happening to our wild horses. The foals, the foals. Oh, my God. They will never see their first birthday. So sad.
It’s not just the horses, either, but the feeling of being completely powerless to do anything. Wild horses that belong to us, the American public, and we have to watch them being murdered before our very eyes. Nothing we can do to stop it. It is the feeling that our “democracy” is broken, that we have no more say in our government, its policies, or decisions.
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/national/news/wild_horse___burro.html
“The plan identifies three strategies to improve the protection and management of wild horses:
*
Managing sustainable herds on western rangelands through the aggressive application of fertility control measures.
*
Establishing new wild horse preserves, primarily in the Midwest and East for horses that must be removed from western rangelands.
*
Providing special designations for selected treasured herds in the West.”
[End quote.]
Who made these decisions?
When I feel this low, I just have to pick myself up and go on fighting. Fighting for our horses, and our country. May God be with us.
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I am with you, Barb. But when I am angry it drives me to go the distance,it gives me strength and I will not relent…nor will you.
The enemy does not know that the more they incite us the more unified and powerful they we become so let’s give these poor horses justice and see this through to the end.
I pledge to you, Terry and I will not give this up until either this situation is rectified or they bury me in the ground.
That is a fact.
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I raise my cold coffee cup to you…
here, here.
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Providing special designations for selected treasured herds in the West.”
[End quote.]
Who made these decisions? I’m with you Barb, who is making the choices? ALL herds in the west are treasured!
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I can only conclude at this point in time that the BLM employees and the Cattoors are SUBHUMAN.
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How did Cattoor get a no bid contract from the government?
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Heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking. Can’t we stop this? Please.
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@Barbara, I got the same letter from Sue Cattoor. Except she complained out Madeleine Picken’s visit in mine and said Madeleine had no right to fly her helicopter into the round up range.
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Shame on Madeleine for flying over public land, tsk, tsk…Sue owns the skies.
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Here’s her letter. Notice her responding about a taxpayer’s rights:
Dear , I am sorry you are getting incorrect information concerning the weaning from the Calico gather. Please go back and read the vet report on the BLM web site. Madeleine had no right to fly into the gather area, move the wild horses and put our pilots inb danger. We feel good about what we do for the wild horses. We know what happens when they run out of food and water and are left to starve or die of thirst. Every one of us in our organization loves wild horses and horses. We do this job because we feel we can gather the wild horses in the most humane way possible and we know what happens if the wild horses are just all left alone and they run out of food or water and die. We feel good about what we do and know we are helping the wild horses left on the range and we are giving the ones that are caught a chance to either go to a good home or live the rest of their lives where there is food and water. We do feel really bad when something happens to one of the animals during a gather or afterward. But we know we are working with wild animals and no matter how careful we are things beyond our control can happen. Have a good day. Sue Cattoor
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Anyone who wants to sent a comment to the Cattoors can email to wildhorseroundups@yahoo.com Sue Cattoor emailed my friend saying they “love wild horses”. Is she delusional or just an outright liar? This is criminal animal abuse sponsored by our government and paid for by OUR TAX DOLLARS. It must stop!
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Sue cattoor is a lier just like her husband is a fellon
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I don’t care how expeditious, either through time constraints, weather, terrain or whatever, these round-ups have to be.
THIS IS MY MONEY THESE FOOLS ARE SPENDING, AND I WANT A BETTER, MORE MODERN PRODUCT FOR THAT MONEY.
If I have to sit and watch these gentle ‘gathers’ from the periphery, if the BLM has convinced every money-managing demigogue in Washington that the round-ups must continue ‘for the health of the herds and the range’, then I, ME, Mrs. John Q. Taxpayer Public, want a company that is intelligent and compassionate enough NOT run an infant to physical ruin or death.
You may have convinced yourself, Mr. Salazar, that you and all the Heads of Departments are American Royalty and have the very best ideas on how things should run – the ends justifying the means. But this is a gentle reminder – you, sir, WORK FOR ME.
Find me a better contractor!
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The Cattoors have a no bid contract with the BLM. No outside bidders allowed. I say it’s time to put Sue and Dave out of business.
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I read the contractor roster; Cook/KD is up next for the Eagle round-up.
So maybe we all oughta sneak up there and give the Wild Ones a ‘heads up’…
What kills me about that area is how dirt-cheap land is. If I had me a sugar-daddy, I’d be up to my pantyline in sand ‘n’ sagebrush, and an open invite for the Wild Ones to hang out at my watering hole during troubled times.
Just let a helicopter do a fly over MY land!
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I have only recently been following the posts here and I have to tell you, I am sick at heart and sick to my stomach. I’ve had to actually walk away from the computer and compose myself. Gathering by helicopter is not humane, it’s torture/abuse! They only do it this way because of the bottom line – money and time. Humane would be gathering via horseback – but then that way there is no way they could RUN any horse – babies or adults – 10/12 miles at a time. Is it so hard to find experienced wranglers these days? The photos I’ve seen so far haven’t shown horses that are in poor body condition, at least not in the numbers that BLM claims, and the foal shown lying down certainly doesn’t show a bad body condition/score. This is so wrong and so sad!!!
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really shocking to see the helicopter almost sat on that foal’s butt! What on earth are they thinking. Those horses are clearly exhausted after a long run yet the helicopter continues to harrass them. WHY! Thank God there are people across the pond who can go and make a record of this, and make sure it never happens again. Good luck! May this all end very soon!
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Laura and all others who had to sit there and watch and record all of this and remain calm when I know they are dying inside, My hat off to you, there is a special place in heaven for you guys. I know for sure I would not be able to contol my emotions or my mouth in the same position. Thank you, the more people who read these posts and see these videos who are oblivious that we can get through to the better. (((Hugs)))) you are angels (male and female!!) My heart broke a logn time ag and sometimes I just have to walk away from the computer for a few hours, but then I realise that that is not helping our horesvand I am back here trying to do what I can.
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There is No way I could be calm enough brave enough to do what Laura did, Ever! If however we can get this into the hands of the media Yes I can and will as an independant furious old lady.Of late we seem to be chipping away at the blinders on the public awareness. God spare anymore babies from being poster shots of BLM stupidity and cruelty! But as I told a friend who fights so hard and feels so drained If there is only one mustang still standing I will fight forever!
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Hey Ellieroo! Me, too…
Are you on my space??? I am NOT on face book at this time… but if you be at my space… come by and ‘friend’ me… mar
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Marilyn , would love to be a facebk friend but too old for all that geek stuff! However pm me anytime have at least got that down! 🙂
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These lies and inhumane atrocities have got to stop!
Please attend if you can or pass the word to those who can!
A ‘TRUTH RALLY” hosted by the “Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates” (AWHOA) is scheduled for February 20th from NOON to 3PM, in front of the Legislative Building next to The State Capitol in
Carson City, Nevada. We would like participants to arrive early, suggesting 11:30 AM. If you are sure to attend, please rsvp to Bonnie, at mattonco@prodigy.net. We are shooting for 100 plus attendance and National Press! Information for lodging and maps can be provided for out of town advocates wishing to attend.
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I have added comments to the DOI page.
I don’t know how to insert the address here – so if someone smarter than I could respond with that web link please.
So go do your stuff, vote add comments, expand, fill in anything else that needs to be said!
We must continue with every resolve in our power and use every tool available. These babies, this whole mess, is just not acceptable.
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There must be a way to consolidate all of the horse advocates into a pac group in order to get legislation actually passed. There are thousands of horse lovers and rescue and welfare groups that do an excellent job. However, if we could just harness all of this energy into one voice, it would be LOUD.
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How do we accomplish this? So many advocates so little nationwide organization. TCF does a bang up job ‘out there’, but there are many of us in the Midwest/Eastern states that have no place to ‘get together’. We need a Tea Party type movement. The “NEIGH PARTY” or something… we could have web-cam meetings?
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This in reference to a St. Francis quote, sent to Sue Cattoor in regards to the round ups.
From: Sue Cattoor
To:
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 6:51 PM
Subject: wild horses
Your quote is so true. That is why we feel good about what we do for the wild horses. We know what happens when they run out of food and water and are left to starve or die of thirst. Every one of us in our organization loves wild horses and horses. We do this job because we feel we can gather the wild horses in the most humane way possible and we know what happens if the wild horses are just all left alone and they run out of food or water and die. We feel good about what we do and know we are helping the wild horses left on the range and we are giving the ones that are caught a chance to either go to a good home or live the rest of their lives where there is food and water. We do feel really bad when something happens to one of the animals during a gather or afterward. But we know we are working with wild animals and no matter how careful we are things beyond our control can happen. Have a good day. Sue Cattoor ————————————————————————————–
Sue Cattor’s email adress: clr@comnett.net
Sue,
The quote of St. Francis may be true…but your depiction ? Your gruesome culling, denying of water to horses after round up (Jan. 31st.) with excuses made by you that clearly contradicts your above statement, the covert operations and constant LIES – the horrific death toll and injuries – are not the MOST HUMANE WAY possible. (clearly stated by the Humane Society in NV) The extremely high death toll and mares aborting…. are NOT due to range and poor body conditions. You love and help wild horses ? Why don’t you tell that to Americans on National TV or Radio ?
– The shootings/executions of foals having lost their hooves due to your “humane” run downs as an act of “mercy” ?
– The refusal of water to extremely exhausted and thirsty horses ?
– The secrecy to the American public ?
– The suffering of foals not given vet care after loosing hooves and denied help by a BLM ?
– The shootings of mares, labeled in the constant fairy tale of “poor body condition” ?
– The endless injuries never mentioned ?
Are you a completely deranged individual disconnected from the reality and the truth, lying for so long you cannot distinguish fiction from reality?
The whining of starvation and no water on range are getting old and are an insult. We all know the facts. The only thing you do feel bad about, is exposure (your rants against Pickens clearly show that) -don’t scapegoat and blame the “wild animals” for the catastrophic failures and fatalities inflicted by YOUR corrupt and ignorant outfit.
Your lame responses are an insult to anyone’s intelligence. The real picture and your statement above are two different stories – I think it’s time you go on national TV and make those claims there – why don’t you ? There are a few who might be very interested in hearing your presentation – I have plenty of connections. Since you feel so good about what you DO, why not tell America on national TV ?
Please let me know. I will forward this and your email above to a few of my broadcasting contacts. I am sure America would love to hear your story.
Monika Courtney
Tax funds sponsoring cruelty under the immunity of government. Who in the national broadcasters/media outlets will have the guts to expose this ? EVER ?
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Night Mare with Burean of Land (Mis)Management street/range. Is it any wonder that the BLM and the “wrangler” thugs just don’t self-emplode with all
their corrupted lying. Harse judgment will become of liars and murdering of the Lord’s creation…
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Call this number every day. We are making a difference. We are on the daily check list at the White House, because of all the calls. Keep calling and let’s see if we can help all these horses The number is 202-456-1111 Talking points. Stop all roundups, investigate the BLM. Have an actual count of the horses still in the wild. Better plan than existing one. Stop wasting tax payers money on unnecessary roundups.
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The Sacred Mustang Clan/hunder Beings
Anumpeshi A.
Group History 3 weeks ago | Unknowing magical living with human race/Sacred Mustang Clan Long ago we came from the Stars Our grandfathers named us Thunder Beings We were honored for our courage,our strentgh, Our unconditional Love and our Spirit of Freedom, We carried soldiers thru battlefields,Calvary and Confederate We trusted the human race,We guarded there Souls We brought to them magik,from the rainbow heavens We have a family just as humans do, We nurture our babies We bring down the heavens,for all mankind to see We await for mans awakening ,thru his Soul eternity We are endless and timeless We danced in stardust long before mankind became flesh bringing down the Heavens,wakaya,wakaya,wakaya
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I beg of you to stop this suffering, cruelty and torture to our sacred thunder beings, The suffering you bring to them is your very own suffering,the families you kill, the colts you run down,the hellicopters you fly them down in to the death of there own breath, Will be your own ending of Breath for you , your children and your grandchildren,We are universal Law connecting as One spirit,One Soul One conciousness, One Law of Peace, and until this Aeon of Horus=War=Mars is overtaken by the transplutonic energy from the cosmos,man will live in a Sea of Blood,his own death and he will take all others down with him,via Atlantis Returns,walk the path of Peace by returning to nurturing all life’s breath on our sacred Earth Mother,wakaya
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The Cattoor’s lie. They are covered in the blood of innocent lives. They exterminate horses. The BLM folks who hired them know this full well because the BLM wants the horses gone. Anyone who has personally seen the horses, the conditions, etc., knows full well that the horses are fine, the range is fine and their “reports” are lies. We are witnessing a Wild Horse Holocaust and the Cattoors are the Shock Troopers. They need to be unmasked for the cruel sadistic creatures they are and stopped once and for all.
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Are you sure those last horses are “foals”? They look awfully big for that age range.
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Just the last one lagging behind, under 1 year. About the same size as the foul who was finally euthanized after days of its hooves painfully falling off from the run. An advocate asked BLM if she could care for it and pay for professional vet, but BLM denied her request – someone will correct me if I am wrong..
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I can’t print the words that come to mind about these monsters. That poor baby was clearly already in pain and absolutely terrified, trying his/her level best to keep up with his family and away from the metal demon literally almost touching his rear end. Our tax dollars are being spent to torture and torment these precious beings, and the BLM gets to decide who and when the public can see them. When did our country become a dictatorship under the direction of the BLM??? Just like BP banning the media from the horrors of the oil spill, this is far worse because WE are paying for it!!
I’m reduced to tears on a daily basis over this madness, knowing that the majority of Americans who do know about this want it stopped, and the others who don’t know should be made aware via the media covering these horrors. I’m at a loss to understand how on earth our politicians can continue to ignore the ever-growing tsunami of voices opposed to this horrible activity. Will it only end after the last wild horse is “gathered” and brutally killed?? All of this so cattle ranchers and big mining corporations can have at OUR LAND for their own greedy motives.
I know I’m preaching to the choir here, and saying the same thing everyone else has said in one form or another. This video simply broke my heart, and I needed to say it yet again, since my brain is absolutely screaming at the absolute horror of what’s being done, not just to this one innocent foal, but to ALL of our precious wild horses.
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Bonnie, thanks for your perspective. And a good choir always needs to practice – right?
Just to answer one question, that is BLM began its own dictatorship over the wild horse and burros in 1974 (maybe 1972) with the very first amendment to the 1971 Act. Then continued with the many revisions since.
This is the problem all the way around as I see it, not just with BLM, but with all government. I have just come to this conclusion since Christmas about the Wall Street mess. Research following family discussion (I mean what is Christmas without politics!) , input from many friends and information provided in many back and forths on the blogs led me to the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act – a simple little document that had one goal, to stop redlining loans to minorities who were savings depositors. In other words, if a minority deposits money into savings in a bank or S & L then that bank or S & L must then provide them with the same loans that any other depositor is receiving. Sounds good and fair right? But then over the years congress revised it until we ended up with the current economic collapse. You can read the main issues about this program on Wikipedia, and I recommend it.
Same thing has happened to our Wild Horse and Burro protections since 1971.
How does this happen? This is my take – for some reason since the early 1970’s at least, we the people became complacent. For some reason we thought, or I should say I thought, once a battle was won it was won. Example – the protections under the Constitution. Anyone think those can’t be chiseled away – think again. Already done – Homeland Security/Patriot Act. And everything will be chiseled away if we are not paying attention.
“Of the People, By the People, and for the People” requires THE PEOPLE TO WORK at it and for it. WE have instead left everything to government, then blame government when we have not done our own due diligence all along. We have only wanted the last one “FOR” the People. Haven’t bothered ourselves with the first two “OF” the People, “BY” the People.
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You are 100% correct about how we got here today. I grew up during the era of fighting for civil rights, women’s rights, and the whole herd of issues that faced our volatile country at the time. I was out on the front lines, fighting for all of those things. Thankfully, I lived long enough to see some of the changes put into place.
Then things started to erode away. The very people who had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me did indeed become complacent. They felt as if they had accomplished what they set out to do, and it was going to be set in stone. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Instead, our policiticians used that opportunity to begin to chip away at our rights and freedoms and put price tags on the rest. Big Agribusiness began to take over the food supply. Mining and oil companies began to put into place laws that made it impossible for anyone to regulate them but themselves. We all went blindly along, enjoying the cheap gas, the fast, gas-guzzling cars, the travel, and all the rest, never seeing the quicksand forming under our very feet, or the price animals and the environment were having to pay for our greed.
I’ve been battling all of those things as well, although now I can’t physically do it the way I used to. I have to do with my words, which have become my weapons in this holocaust being created for not only the wild horses, but for all living creatures and our planet as a whole. Since things were allowed to get so out of hand, and since things have been put into place that preclude many of the battles (such as the name “terrorist” being given to many animal activists now, and then lumping them in with Osama Bin Laden and those monsters to punish), we now have an even harder uphill battle on our hands. It’s that lack of control that sickens me. WE allowed it to happen. WE soaked up the goodies that were coming along, and overlooked the filth that was beginning to grow in the corners of everything we held dear.
I just hope that everyone finally wakes up and realizes we have to DO something. Not just talk about it, but truly DO something to make changes. Once voice may be hard to hear, but millions of voices cannot be ignored at some point. I see the voices growing every day over this issue of our precious wild herds. I just pray we’re not too late.
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Bonnie, you have expanded on this perfectly. I would say though that we were “bought off” – in this way – marketing has become a mind game. I have seen documentaries of how consumers are created and hooked by the use of colors, music, even airburshing in only little hints that the minds eye sees, but our consiuos mind does not, the turn of a phrase. Companies actually pay our coworkers and friends to “promote” their products – but they can never tell you that they are doing that. We really have had NO free will in a long time. And we have had more than “the good life” – it was really better than it should have been – I felt that a few times myself. How does that saying go – “if it seems to good to be true it probably is”. Now we are in this free fall crash.
I spend a good protion of every day roaming the news blogs looking for every tiny opportunity to post links to R.T.s articles and TCF to pump up the BLM story connection to BP, the corruption, the taxpayer cost, etc. Maybe someone will join us that will spark even more, then another. Craig Downer says something like this in one of his videos – “maybe the tipping point will be you or maybe me” I would add maybe someone we have yet to bring in. And of course maybe the tipping point is already underway – I have had that “feeling” for a while now though – a comedian might say that its just gas – in my case “hot air”.
Keep on with the written word! It is mighter than the sword.
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I am happy to see all of the posts here concerning this madness the BLM is running.
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this is the saddest thing i ever saw i am canadian and it even touched me. i emailed to everyone i knew. this totally has to be stopped. and guesss what i’m only in sixth grade
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