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If you know about the protest going on in Oregon currently, then consider yourself among a lucky few. Most people I strike up a conversation with have no idea what the “Oregon standoff” even means. News stations such as NBC News (see link below) and CNN are only now seriously covering the protest during its third day after internet accusations of unfair, and frankly racist, journalism. Let’s consider the situation. Armed protesters are currently occupying a federal building, Malheur Wildlife Refuge, in Oregon in protest of the federal government convicting two ranchers, Dwight Hammond, Jr and his son Steve, of domestic terrorism for arson of federal owned land (see links at bottom). I do believe these men have every right to protest their government’s actions according to the first Amendment…but the way they are doing it is important to consider, as it is not “peaceably,” which the first Amendment makes crucial. Over 150 men (according to Esquire up to 300 men) carrying semiautomatic weapons is not a “peaceful” protest. And the news stations giving this story very little attention can be considered as having a racist agenda; consider the press coverage during the Ferguson shooting, or Baltimore riots.
The shooting of unarmed Michael Brown received nationwide coverage that prompted protests in the area for weeks. The story of over 150 gun-toting Caucasian men occupying a federal building…offers very little press. Which begs the question, why is the press much more concerned with the protests of the African American community than the Caucasian community in America? The Baltimore riots were heavily covered by CNN, Time, USA Today, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Huffington Post…the list goes on and on. There are few news stations giving serious coverage to over 150 Caucasian men protesting with weapons.
Most news stations, such as ABC News, describe the protest as a “peaceful protest.” If this group of American armed men were any other race beside Caucasian, the news would not call it “peaceful.” And let’s be honest here…if you are carrying a weapon in a protest, how is that peaceful? The threat is implied. It seems to me that these Oregon protesters could take a lesson from Henry Thoreau, Gandhi, or even Martin Luther King, Jr. Henry Thoreau inspired Martin Luther King, Jr as well as Gandhi with his movement of civil disobedience: “If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to choose.” Civil disobedience done right does not require semiautomatic weapons. Martin Luther King Jr’s “sit-ins” and Gandhi’s marches against British rule have one thing in common: no weapons were held by any protester. If weapons were held by the protesters, I highly doubt peace would have lasted. The fact that the press lacks coverage of the protest of multiple armed Caucasian men, but will widely cover, and by doing so increase attention of, the protests over the controversial deaths of two African American men, speaks volumes of racist intent in the media. It speaks volumes of how African Americans are perceived as violent in American culture if gun wielding Caucasian men are considered “peaceful protesters.” If there were over 150 gun carrying African Americans protesting in Oregon, news stations would definitely call that domestic terrorism, or worse. It is fair for these ranchers to civilly protest federal laws…but the lack of press coverage and the fact that most people consider these men “peaceful” has me wondering what is considered violent, and what is considered peaceful in America, and maybe changing our culture of racism and violence should start to become bigger priorities.
Sources: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/wtf-is-happening-in-the-oregon-militia-standoff-explained-20160103
http://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-monitoring-situation-oregon-national-wildlife-refuge/story?id=36075007
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a40914/oregon-bundy-militia/
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-seeks-peaceful-end-armed-standoff-oregon-federal-building-n489606
http://usuncut.com/news/oregon-militia-standoff-double-standards/
https://freedomfightertimes.com/videocast/major-alert-oregon-standoff-currently-underway-oregonunderattack/#
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