A year after the Cliven Bundy standoff, the Oath Keepers militia defended a mining claim in rural Oregon county, in a push called Operation Gold Rush. The dispute became a showdown that helped lay the groundwork for subsequent Sagebrush Rebellion events. But it was also a reflection of the economic travails of some Western rural areas, where withered county budgets have left residents without law enforcement. Into that void has come a wave of new militias. Read Tay Wiles’ feature on the connection between the rise of Sagebrush militias and rural downturns and listen to her speak with KDNK Radio.
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