Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Employees Speak Out on Oregon Bundy Mob

In their first response since the standoff began, the staff of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge penned a Facebook open letter addressing Ammon Bundy‘s ‘militia’s continued anti-government occupation of their building.

Beyond keeping the refuge employees from doing their jobs, the town has shown a growing resentment toward the occupiers and repeated requests that they leave Harney County. The letter said that the employees’ response was delayed in order to avoid building up tensions even more, and while it referred to the mob as “illegal occupiers,” the displaced workers…took things rather well, all things considered.

In a community with nearly 40% of working adults engaged in some form of government, we are all touched or involved in the public process. In Harney County, that means we talk.

The letter also went on to say that the most regrettable effect the occupation has had was distracting its employees from their work and their other obligations to the community at large. They did take a slight dig at Bundy’s group, implying that the trespassers were disrespecting the law and ruining productive conversation with their antics:

We can have effective disagreements and either find resolution, find compromise, or simply agree to disagree. But we do it with respect for the rule of law, and know that our areas of agreement and cooperation are infinitely more powerful than the differences we may face. Mostly, we face those differences together with open dialogue and open gates—not intimidation and threats.

The employee letter left things on a positive note though, thanking the community for their support and expecting that this would strengthen their bond with the wildlife refuge.

You can read the letter in it’s entirety here:

[h/t Gawker]
[Image via Facebook]

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