Family, Friends Support Jake Ryan

PLAINS — Over 100 people gathered at the VFW hall on Sunday night to talk about Jake Ryan, the perceived encroachment on individual rights by the federal government, and how the community can "get the country back."

Jake Ryan was captured in Washington last month and awaits trial in Oregon—he will be detained until his trial. Ryan has not been released on bail due for reasons that he is a "flight risk" and a "danger to the community," according to the judge.

Mark French had everyone bow their heads for prayer. He asked God to watch over the Ryan family, many of whom were in attendance.

Jake’s father, Dan, sat in the third row and remained quiet.

“We ask for peaceful ends,” French said. “There’s no place for God’s people to have fear. He’s the supreme judge.”

The night was a series of rallying cries for a loss of what many thought were their freedoms.

Youtube videos were shown on large screens in which a commenter Stefan Molyneux said that this is no longer America as it used to be known.

“Government will initiate…and we either comply or die,” Molyneux said.

“This is the essence of government power.”

Molyneux compared what happened to the ranchers in the Oregon standoff to the courtship of a woman by a man.

“Sometimes you do things you don’t want to do,” he said, referencing white people courting and making sure “minorities are happy.”

“Where is the reciprocation?” He asked.

Roxanna Ryan later said the video shown was not the one that was intended.

Next was a representative from Nevada, Michele Fiore, who was connected by conference call.

Fiore talked about the Ryan situation but spoke mostly about a larger issue of the role of government in an individual’s life.

“The government is acting lawless,” Fiore said about Jake Ryan’s arrest and detainment and the entire Oregon standoff.

“It’s time we take America back,” she said. The people in attendance applauded her comments.

“These things are just now coming to light,” she said about her beliefs of government abusing power. She used people being incarcerated as an example.

“Seventeen percent of the country is incarcerated,” she said. “Now, if you take those numbers and add up those that are just detained and haven’t been through the system. We’ve got a problem.”

She said the people at the VFW Sunday night were “the heart of America.” And she offered ways to “take back” the government.

“We’ve got to vote. We’ve got to be educated. If you aren’t registered to vote, I feel sorry,” she said. “Because we’ve got to clean house.”

For Jake Ryan, Fiore said the charges might be stacked up against him and make it difficult to be released without serving time in prison.

“It’s a chess game,” she said. “You know I speak my mind…but some of these people shouldn’t be breathing,” referring to criminals who murder people.

Fiore encouraged everyone to write letters to the judge in Oregon.

“The government has conspired, and we’ve got to do something.”

The room feel silent. In her closing remarks she offered a simple phrase:

“Stay strong.”

Following Fiore’s closing remarks, Jake Ryan’s oldest brother Justin, stood up and spoke to the large group of people. Visibly emotional at times, Ryan spoke on his brother’s behalf.

“We’re a tight-knit family,” Ryan said. “Not that we’re without problems, but we’re close.”

Ryan described his brother as quiet, passionate, and someone who “loved to be outside.”

Ryan held tears from his eyes as he talked about his brother’s arrest and subsequent detention in Oregon.

“They say he’s a danger to the community…” and he looked around the room full of faces. “I ask you…this is the community. Is he a danger?”

Many people voiced “No” and shook their heads in disbelief.

“I hope if anything happens to you all, we’d be there to help you,” Ryan said. “We help each other in this community.”

When Ryan finished he returned to sit in the crowd.

Next, another youtube video was shown. It was by Gavin Seim—eight minutes of a speech about the “tyranny” that he thinks the country has become, and “the fall of America.”

“It’s with a heavy heart I say this,” Seim said.

“The government declared war, and blood has been spilled. We need to stand principled. Break down the machine of tyranny.”

“Again I say it is with the heaviest of hearts,” he said, “this isn’t a sinking ship; this is a sunken ship.”

Other speakers stood up to speak about how their land has been taken from them by small degrees—either by alleged force or coersion— or, as one person said specifically, that the government is trying to get the mineral rights in Montana, and is using “common folks.” The person citing the Rock Creek Mine in Noxon as an example, and pulled out a map to show the plan. “What is it that they know? He asked. The room became quiet as he spoke.

Later in the night, it was time for the Ryans’ to get up and say a few words. Dan Ryan was very emotional when she spoke about his wife.

“She’s the first one up and the last one to go to bed,” Ryan said.

Roxanna, slender with long gray hair took the microphone and was the softest speaker of the night—and her message was different than everyone who proceeded, both in theme and emotion.

“Our nation…” she said, pausing, “needs to return to the light.”

“Become a free people,” she urged. “No more being victims.”

She suggested turning off the TV and getting to know people again.

“Get to know your neighbors,” she said.

“Some days feel like years,” she said about missing her son, and worrying about his future.

She offer her son’s words she always remembered he said.

“There was a time when I talked to him that I thought it was going to be ‘goodbye,’” she said, referrring to the time Ryan was  to leave.

“Jake just said, ‘live free.’”

She paused for a moment and said, “We thank you for coming out tonight.”