The coddling of the white terrorists is a disturbing and shameful display of white privilege

[morningfog]

If the Bundys were black or Muslim this would have ended days ago, and likely with dead bodies.

But since they are white, they get press conferences and access of visitors while the authorities stand by and watch.

[valerief]

1. Yes, but the most important part of them isn't their skin. It's their firearms plus their skin.

The synergy of both elevates them to a godly status. Our wardens (oligarchs) are telling us to worship white men with guns. That's their message via their media. Some of us don't swallow their jizz as easily as others, though.

[MohRokTah]

2. This has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH "WHITE PRIVILEGE"!!!

This is all about SYSTEMIC WHITE SUPREMACY!

[KingCharlemagne]

17. You and I may not agree about much and may, indeed, disagree profoundly, but on this

we are in full 100% accord!

For those who remember the history of the Black Panther Party, this episode is a shameful reminder that there are, in fact, two Americas.

[stupidicus]

26. imposed and maintained no doubt, by a largely white oligarchy that doesn't exist

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10769041/The-US-is-an-oligarchy-study-concludes.html

[KingCharlemagne]

48. What's your point? - nt

[mountain grammy]

40. EXACTLY!!!

[Bubzer]

45. +1

And stupidity...don't forget stupidity. Those "protestors" should occupy a different federal building for their protest.

[blackspade]

47. +1000

[Kablooie]

3. Just wait till the militants decide to give up and go home.

And no one is charged with a crime at all.
Just good old boys having some fun.

That's what I feel is going to happen.
Let the terrorists live to terrorize another day just like the Wall Street bankers.

[Bettie]

19. They won't be charged with anything

because their type never sees consequences for their actions.

Old man Bundy still hasn't paid his fees. He and those of his ilk have learned that they owe nothing if the refuse to pay. All they have to do is show up with guns and everyone will back down and tell them that it's all "real good".

They are the modern version of that old Twilight Zone episode, except they don't need to wish anyone into a cornfield, they just need to say "I want..." and they get what they want.

[lark]

36. You know that terrorism as defined by the oligarchy only is for those of darker colored skin.

Right?

White people that kill or take away others rights or destroy government (read, all of our) property are "lone wolfs", "mentally ill" or some other BS. They want white folks to have lots of guns, so white folks (MEN, that is) get away with any gun usage and get excused. While a brown person doing the same would send all the MSM into screaming headlines of 'TERRARISTS", MUST HAVE MORE WAR WEAPONS. It's all a ploy to keep us on a war footing and maintain the white male oligarchy.

[Nye Bevan]

4. So President Obama and Loretta Lynch would have ordered the Feds to storm in with guns blazing,

if some black people had occupied a visitors' center in the middle of nowhere?

I guess I have more faith in them than you do.

[cali]

11. Absolutely not but how about blocking people

from coming and going?

[el_bryanto]

28. I don't think it would have gotten to Obama's desk if it had been black folk

I think somebody local - hot head deputy or something like that - would have opened fire and that would have been that. If it had actually gotten to this stalemate with Obama calling the shots you might be right, but I really don't think it would gotten that far.

Bryant

[1StrongBlackMan]

38. Absolutely correct. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Once enough forces show up

The county des not have them. It is called a perimeter. It is standard in swat operations. And then wait them out, establish communications and get them to surrender.

My local cops do this often by the way

[noiretextatique]

43. The mayor who dropped a bomb on MOVE was black eom

[Iggo]

5. That's the fact, Jack.

[Hortensis]

6. I see it more as a display of how authorities

are supposed to proceed. I don't believe THIS should be what disturbs any of us.

Please note a couple of differences between this and some of the tragically handled situations before demanding all be handled just this way:
1. The feds are handling this, and they're handling it according to federal regulations on a federal budget. They're not one or two ill-suited local cops who'd never have made make the cut for more desirable law enforcement jobs, who are often inadequately trained and paid, and who tend to reflect the standards and culture of their local departments.
2. This event is out in the boonies. There are no neighbors to hurt, no neighboring houses to disappear into, etc. There is no private owner who has lost the use of his property while this continues. Time available is generous and can be easily used as a primary tool.

[phantom power]

7. We, all of us, have lost that property.

I think it's weird that taking federal land, that belongs to all of us, is somehow supposed to be taken less seriously than taking somebody's private property.

[Lizzie Poppet]

10. Another reason to be patient and end this peacefully.

An attack on the seditionists could badly damage the facility they're holding, and that facility is the center of refuge operations. It will be needed in the Spring, when the majority of the refuge's bird population starts to arrive. Plus, it's a lovely old heritage site build by the CCC...irreplaceable architectural history.

[phantom power]

13. I think everybody is in favor of "peace" but I personally think there's a limit to "patience"

Yes, by all means, let's avoid a shootout. But how about making some fucking arrests? Evidently these guys are just coming and going as they please. It makes no fucking sense.

[Lizzie Poppet]

15. Sheriff Ward stated that the FBI assured him there will be arrests.

I think that's one of the reasons Ward has been so patient with the seditionists: he knows they'll have to answer in court (particularly the ones suspected of hatching the plan...they'll probably be charged with Seditious Conspiracy, and that's a felony. Carries a 20-year max term, too...

[Orrex]

50. Or three years probation and a stern warning.

[The2ndWheel]

22. That's stretching it a bit

We haven't all lost that property. In theory, yeah, we, the people, etc. But, come on, everyone isn't feeling a "loss" like that. Last month, did anyone feel great that nobody was sitting in that cabin protesting whatever? Was it on the top of everyone's mind how that place even existed? Same if a CVS gets looted or whatever. The people complaining about private property are trying to get you to feel it the same way, but nobody really does, because it's not your CVS.

We try to universalize so many things, so that we can get more people agreeing with whatever we want them to agree with, but human beings don't work that way. It's all about you, those you know, and your most immediate surroundings. Horrible things happen all over the world, but people still go to work every day. Unless that horrible thing is happening to you or where you are, then it changes things. Other people still go to work though.

[Bluenorthwest]

18. You are being very unfair to the local law enforcement, which is not in charge of this fiasco

This is a county larger than Vermont by 800 square miles. The Sheriff started his job on Jan 1st, replacing a Sheriff who had served 26 years there. The Sheriff has two deputies. The largest city is Burns, they have 3 cops including the chief. The Sheriff has spoken strongly against the insurrectionists, Oregon has promised charges will be filed.

The local authorities are not second rate nor ill suited to the job nor are they or the locals siding with the insurrectionists, they are simply not large enough or equipped enough to respond to what is going on there.
If you add in the Oregon State Police, it's still not enough. The State has 400 officers for the entire State, obviously they are not on duty 24 hours and obviously there is a limit to how many can be sent camping in Harney county.

The Feds need to let the public know they are calling the shots. I'm sick of seeing the locals kicked around for decisions they are not making and for actions they could not take without the Feds.

The Federal authorities need to step up and take action, not fuck up like they did in Nevada.

[Hortensis]

51. Blue, I wasn't speaking of THESE locals. I was

referring to the ones who have shot down unarmed children, asphyxiated peaceful peddlars, viciously crippled and murdered prisoners via "rough rides," and so on.

Phantom Power, we haven't "lost" that property. It's right there, and we'll regain possession and arrest these guys (carefully, so we don't lose this historic and valuable property). They know and accept that they're going to be arrested; they're holding out to have on "their terms." Although that's unacceptable to the vast majority of us, it's critically important that we do not indulge our own desire to have everything on our terms by abusing our authority and power. THAT is exactly how most unjustifiable police murders happen.

I told my kids again and again as teenagers to NEVER, EVER challenge the authority of a cop, not matter what. We're white, but I grew up poor and understood in a way our more privileged children never could that bad cops are among the most dangerous people on the street. We the People should never be them.

[Lizzie Poppet]

8. I don't agree.

These guys aren't getting a pass (from being killed) because they're white. They're not being attacked because local law enforcement is made up of actual sober-minded adults and not badly-trained children posing as cops. The Sheriff recognized that there was a way to end this without anyone having to die. Allowing access is a brilliant psychological move: it's probably the biggest single influence in not allowing the tension and conflict level to ratchet up to the point of gunfire. Reducing psychological polarization and "conflict mentality" is a much more modern and successful way of ending these kinds of incident without bloodshed.

If the seditionists had actually shot at anyone, their whiteness wouldn't have saved them.

[ananda]

21. I think the point is that ...

... LEO is "rational" and "humane" when it comes to whites, and "rational" and "aggressive" as towards thugs and terrorists when it comes to black and brown people.

That's how it looks to me, anyway.

[Lizzie Poppet]

52. Depends entirely on which LEO, obviously. (nm)

[WillowTree]

9. So, would you prefer another Waco or Ruby Ridge?

[phantom power]

12. Nobody wants "another Waco" -- how about just arresting them? They're criminals.

[WaitWut]

37. That's what they were trying to do in Waco.

[Tommy2Tone]

41. They tried to arrest the Branch Davidians in Waco

and that is when they torched themselves. Over the years law enforcement has changed their policy to wait them out.

My problem here is the nuts in Oregon are coming and going as they please. They go to town and last night MSNBC reported that the leaders of the felons were at a high dollar restaurant in town drinking high price wine and eating fancy foods.

Again a bunch of white terrorists are making the federal government impotent.

[Lizzie Poppet]

53. No shortage of DUers who have expressed essentially that very wish.

In fact, the bloodthirstiness I've seen expressed over this incident has been a bit nauseating.

[morningfog]

14. Of course not.

[alarimer]

16. Do you seriously want them to go in with guns blazing?

When that is done, it often ends badly, with dead bodies, as you say. We don't need that. The government certainly doesn't need another Waco to fan the flames of right-wing resentment.

It is true that this is being handled quite differently and in my opinion, appropriately. The grown-ups are in charge here.

The answer is that the feds or cops should not shoot first, ask questions later, no matter who is involved, and to make every response more like this, rather than shoot up everyone, just to avoid the appearance of treating people differently on account of their race or religion.

[KingCharlemagne]

20. And if they were Native Americans (the land's original owners), fuh-geddaboutit - nt

[world wide wally]

23. Cutting off their amenities and supplies was a great idea...

Letting them come and go to replace them is beyond stupid

[Shrike47]

24. I think the authorities are handling this pretty well, and at the same time, I'm furious. Shoot 'em.

My emotional and rational sides are having trouble coordinating.

[TeddyR]

30. I can't imagine why anyone

Would actually want these guys shot. Arrested, yeah. Shot, nope.

[Enoki33]

34. The authorities may indeed be handling

it correctly. It is the perception of privilege mediated by the media that is inexcusable. We have here another blatant example of institutional bias. Notice I did not say 'racism'. That is a very powerful word that should be used only when clearly justified. Again, we have a problem with media professionalism.

[jalan48]

25. This is an example of "Coup d'Etat" think.

A small group of individuals with limited public support decides it's necessary to take over the government to protect other Americans from a tyrannical government. It's interesting how much air time this is getting because the more these people speak, the more their idea of a "takeover" becomes an acceptable part of the public discourse. It may seem crazy and far fetched now but the seed has been planted. Contrast this idea to that of a an organization like Greenpeace or a movement like Occupy where the objective is draw attention to specific activities taking place and through acts of civil disobedience change those activities of say, large corporations. Greenpeace/Occupy demonstrators are not armed and not asking for an insurrection against the government. This type of militia "protest" is a qualitative leap in social change practices.

[MynameisBlarney]

27. Trump just sent his best guy out to Oregon to help the terrorists.

Pretty sure that's aiding and abetting.

[Democat]

29. Was David Koresh black or muslim?

Maybe the government learned lessons in the past.

Amazing how so many DU members want to see a massacre in this case.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Not white privileges but white supremacy

Let's use the right term here

[WaitWut]

33. People that are protesting for social change...

Generally pick places to protest that will cause a problem. Successful protests force the protested to act.

The chickenshit's in Oregon are just like any other bully. They want to look tough, but are afraid of the conflict with a true opponent. These dumb asses are just looking for a little fame and probably some cash from the "true patriot's."

Meh, I say cut the power, and let them freeze. Eventually everyone will get bored and go home.

[Omaha Steve]

35. Yes it is!

K&R!

OS

[TIME TO PANIC]

39. No doubt about it.

If they weren't Wasps they would have been shot. I think the Feds should build a wall made of cinder blocks around the perimeter.

[packman]

42. From all the ridicule they are getting thru social media

I , on one hand, hope that they have a long, cold, miserable stay in that shack. However I have to agree they are getting a lot of leeway on their "occupation".
Unfortunately I think they are on a learning curve and realize now they should have taken a higher value take-over and that will be their next target. These assholes are media whores.

[Matrosov]

44. They're actually undercover feds

which is the reason they aren't being attacked now and they weren't prosecuted after the 2014 standoff in Nevada.

At least that's what the right-wing conspiracy nuts are now starting to say. Supposedly this is a false flag event meant to inspire other militias to attack the government, and when that happens, "Chairman Nobama" is going to suspend the 2016 election and stay on as President indefinitely.

I'm still waiting for them to explain why Jade Helm in 2015 didn't result in President Obama declaring martial law in Texas and suspending the 2016 election already, like those same conservative whackos claimed back then would happen.

[byronius]

49. They always think of something, don't they?

My god! We're trapped in Nobama's Matrix!

If only some angry black guy would come along and break us out of these pods! Red pill or blue pill?

Wait, it was RU486? I'm female and pregnant? Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!1!



J.K. Rowling's got nothing on these tale-spinners. They just can't take it, this actual future.

[blackspade]

46. Yep. White privilege at it's 'finest'

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

54. It's a display of political cowardice.

[840high]

55. I don't want bloodshed.