This ain't those Bundys

Apparently in Nevada some apples don't fall all that far from the tree. Remember ol' Cliven Bundy? C'mon, you remember:  the rancher who has been breaking federal law since the Clinton administration by refusing to pay for his cattle grazing lease like law abiding citizens around him do?  The common scofflaw, the mention of whose name gave all the NRA members a stiffie for about two weeks. That paragon of good old American  independence who stood up to the "gummint" when they came to legally seize his cattle. The old asshole who should have been jailed for threatening federal law enforcement officials for simply enforcing a law that was on the books for aver 40 years? Oooh, him, yeah right, we forgot about him after his 15 minutes of fame.

Well, it turns out that Cliven Bundy has a son, Cliven Lance Bundy (goes by Lance, wouldn't you? Really...Cliven?) who is also a felon. Apparently Lance has the same regard for the law and other peoples' property as his daddy, except Lance doesn't use it illegally, he steals it! Lance Bundy now faces arrest in a separate criminal case stemming from his felony conviction on burglary and weapon theft  charges.

Cliven Lance Bundy, 34, said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press that he knows he’s named in a contempt-of-court warrant issued July 8 in Las Vegas for failing to appear before a Clark County District Court judge who oversees a drug diversion program.  “I’m trying to get ahold of my counselor to see what I’m supposed to do,” said Lance Bundy, who is not currently represented by a lawyer. It appears that  Lance ought to "get ahold" of himself and show up in court. It seems Lance chose to have minor outpatient surgery instead of go to court, an appointment he has missed not once or even twice, but three times. Court records show Bundy missed several previous hearings, and that officials said they were unable to reach him to notify him of court dates, although he says he was at his parents' home. 

Lance could face up to eight years in prison for his crimes, which he says were a result of his addiction to opiates, having  attributed his conviction to an addiction to opiate pain killers, and alleging  he has been getting counseling. One has to wonder how the elder Bundy would have felt if instead of his white son, the crime had been committed by a person of color who used the "addicted to opiates" excuse. Would Ol' Cliven still think court ordered counseling was adequate punishment. I think we all know the answer to that question.

 Apparently the Bundy's of Nevada are as dysfunctional as the Bundy's of TV land.  Unfortunately they are  nowhere near as funny.