At what point does a desire to avoid violence become a greater wrong than the need to preserve the functionality of one of the nation's most important wildlife refuges?  We permit police to exercise violence in the apprehension of armed criminals every day.  They typically get it done in a few hours, maybe a few days. It is a mistake to think that the rural location of the current criminal actions allows indefinite waiting.  

If the record snowpack on Steens Mountain melts quickly and refuge staff is not in place to manage that flow, roads and bridges used by ranchers, birders, hunters, anglers and everyone else will be damaged or destroyed. The fish screens representing years of work to prevent carp damage upstream from Malheur Lake will be gone. 

Who will pay the costs of damage to the refuge and its functionality? Is is really worth millions in damage to public infrastructure to indulge the self-gratifying fantasies of a few stray extremists?