In Memory of Jason Patrick
Jason Patrick lived a life dedicated to caring for others. A selfless friend, he was always the first to lend a hand. He became known as a hero to many.
From the Bundy Ranch to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge Occupation, Jason Patrick stood in khaki pants, a dress shirt, and a blue blazer looking out of place. He appeared more ready for a courtroom than for the desert or cold weather and the crowds of people, reporters and skeptics he was addressing.
"The federal government has no right to own any of these lands. That’s it," he stated firmly. "If we don’t abide by the Constitution, which limits what the federal government can do, then we have no rule of law, we have no country.”
Jason wasn't a cowboy, nor did he pretend to be. He wasn't a physically fit outdoorsman or a gun enthusiast. His was however devoted to the Constitution. He saw it as the last defense against a government he believed ruined everything it touched.
After his roofing business in Georgia failed during the 2008 economic crash, he came to believe that the endless wars and crony capitalism had destroyed the middle class. He felt that "too big to fail" government programs had only exacerbated the problem, pushing wealth further away from ordinary people.
Like many others, he was fed up with a government that sent young people to die in wars that profited a wealthy elite, whose own children would never serve. Jason’s father, a Vietnam veteran, had carved out a homestead for their family in Virginia. He recalled, “we were off the grid a long time before that was ever a thing to be.” He said his father died from cancer linked to Agent Orange exposure when Patrick was just 12, and his mother struggled for years to get veteran’s benefits for their family.
Jason Patrick lived a life dedicated to caring for others. A selfless friend, he was always the first to lend a hand. He became known as a hero to many.
Once, when on what was supposed to be a leisure trip to Atlanta, a sudden snowstorm fell on the city where Jason sprang into action. He single-handedly pulled numerous people out that were stuck their stranded cars, including a woman who was eight months pregnant. He also provided critical aid to several individuals experiencing medical emergencies in the chaos.
It is a tragedy that some of our most beloved heroes leave us all too soon while those who cause harm to others continue on.
Jason is dearly missed. His memory lives on. "Go rest high on that mountain, son, your work on Earth is done. Go to heaven a-shoutin', love for the Father and the Son." - Vince Gill.
(Thanks goes out for those whose quotes I've referred to respectively 🙏)
Image: Western Travels ☆ Jason Patrick, Puget Sound, Washington. November 2022.