Back In The Day . . .

they would hang you (if they didn't shoot you) for stealing someones cattle. In the new, progressively more wussy United States, we just call it an acceptable federal response to a grazing dispute centered on whether the federal government has yet again illegally taken someones grazing rights.

Authorities began rounding up some 400 cattle from Laney's 146,000-acre Diamond Bar Ranch last week after a judge found the rancher and his ex-wife, Sherry, in contempt of court for grazing cattle in the Gila National Forest in violation of earlier court rulings. . . . .

While many ranchers in the West lease federal land for grazing and other uses, the Laneys, who bought the ranch in 1985, do not hold a lease for the Gila land. They contend they have grazing rights based on historical use of the land predating the forest's creation in 1964.

Thank god there are still men out there willing to stand up for whats right and protect whats theirs.

It took four officers to wrestle a kicking Kit Laney, 43, to the ground Sunday night, according to a federal criminal complaint released Monday. . . .

Laney yelled profanities while charging his horse toward three Forest Service officers who were guarding an enclosure holding some of Laney's seized cattle.

The complaint said one of the officers injured his knee and shin when he was knocked off his feet.

Laney then taunted the officers and tried to remove fencing the government is using to temporarily hold his cattle, the complaint said.

"Whenever the officers approached Laney, he guided his horse in their direction, threatening to ram or trample them," according to the complaint.

Laney was also accused of using his leather reins to thrash one of the workers conducting the roundup. . . .

After Laney dismounted, one officer used pepper spray but Laney, wearing spurs on his boots, started kicking, the complaint said. Four officers finally subdued him on the ground.

Kit, if I was still practicing, I'd love to represent you. In the meantime, if you ever come to D.C. the beers on me.