Jon Ritzheimer, a former Marine and self-identified “American patriot who has everything to lose,” took to Facebook this week to blast critics who have sent hate mail to armed militia members occupying a federal building in Oregon.
Led by cattle rancher Ammon Bundy, the group of occupiers has now been holed up in the Malheur Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon, for 12 days in protest of land use by the federal government.
The group sent a plea to their supporters for snacks and supplies, including french vanilla creamer, Miracle Whip, and menthol cigarettes.
Many people responded to the request, but some decided to play pranks on the occupiers.
In a video posted Monday on Facebook, Mr. Ritzheimer displayed some of the lewd objects that were mailed in, including sex toys and what appeared to be a bag of gummy candy shaped as male body parts.
“They spend and waste their money on all of this hateful stuff to send out here to us,” Mr. Ritzheimer said in the video.
“They spend all their money on hate, hate, hate, hate,” he continued before shoving all of the items off a table and onto the floor. “We’re going to clear the table and we’re going to continue to do work and do good for our country.”
In a written post accompanying the video, Mr. Ritzheimer reached out to his family saying, “I am sorry I can’t be there with you. Please look at this as a deployment, only this time I’m actually serving my country rather than being sent over seas (sic) to line the pockets of corrupt politicians.”
In the video he urges other “patriots” to get off the sidelines and join the occupiers in Oregon.
“For the rest of you patriots out there that are still twiddling your thumbs, debating whether or not you should come out, well, now’s the time,” he said adding, “If you want to be a part of history in the making, you need to get out here and you need to show some support. I’m not talking about coming here and being an outside perimeter, come here and be a patriot.”
Last week, members of an Idaho militia group traveled to Oregon to offer their support for the group by forming a perimeter around the refuge. They claimed the perimeter was put in place to both protect the occupiers and the community and to avoid a “Waco-style situation.”
Mr. Ritzheimer has gained media attention in the past for organizing several anti-Muslim rallies and threatening to arrest lawmakers who supported the Iran nuclear deal.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.