The success of the day rests on the shoulder of those people who stood tall and vowed to defend what they believe in. I’m just happy I was there to film it all.
What I witnessed on Saturday in Nevada was as heroic as it was sad. The heroism was on the part of the Bundy family and their supporters. The sad part was on the side of the BLM who felt it necessary to point M16 riffles at the American people for the sake of saving a rare turtle? Please.
I stood there with my camera and watched the protestors say a prayer. A feeling came over me. I sensed the situation was going to turn nasty. I could see conviction in their eyes; I could hear a nervousness in their voices. This was real and they were there to fight for more than cattle. They were fighting against a big government which tends to overreach and underserve. I did not want anyone to be hurt, myself included. And so I felt the situation needed someone to diffuse the bomb that was ready to explode.
I decided to break away from the crowd alone. I walked toward the BLM’s guns knowing that I had the most powerful weapon on the battlefield, a Panasonic camera. I also knew that I was from New York. Meaning, I had no emotional tie to anybody at the rally. I didn’t know any of the cops or BLM members. And so maybe if I could be a voice of reason things would soften a bit. And they did.
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