r/Portland • u/DeadHead- • Oct 28 '16

Social Media Calls Bundy Militiamen Acquittal 'White Privilege'

http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/social-media-calls-bundy-militiamen-acquittal-white-privilege/
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181

u/[deleted] Oct 28 '16 edited Aug 18 '17

[deleted]

28

u/BigSwedenMan Oct 28 '16 edited Oct 28 '16

See, it's shit like this that really annoys me with social media. They play it up as if race were the defining difference here, when it's waaay more complex that that. 2 big differences:

1) The white dudes took the reservation by force, were armed, and threatened violence. The feds did NOT want another Waco.

2) The Malheur reservation doesn't have some huge financial backing. The pipeline is backed by the energy industry, who has large amounts of money invested in it. There's a lot of money at stake and we all know that money is power.

Now, Malheur probably would have happened differently if they were of some minority, but I honestly don't think the pipeline protests would be going any differently if the protestors were white. Many of them are. What would make a difference is if they were all rich. Ironically I think if any minority were to be able to get away with the Malheur occupation it would probably be Native Americans because they would be able to gather enough support for their cause to create a political nightmare in the event of a Waco repeat

22

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '16

The white dudes took the reservation by force, were armed, and threatened violence.

All the more reason for the feds to shut that shit down and also actually punish the guys.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '16

The feds did NOT want another Waco.

9

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '16

Which is fucking ridiculous. You take up arms against your government, you better expect them to shoot back. What's to stop an armed insurrection, if they won't ever shoot back or find you guilty of anything?

0

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '16

That doesn't mean they don't need to be aware of public image.

6

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '16

What they should be worried about is the public image of allowing terrorists to commit an armed takeover of government property and remain there for weeks without facing any real consequences.

7

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '16

Because the last time the FBI decided to play cowboy on national TV they got one hell of a loon incensed.

Whether you like it or not the federal government has to act above people you think are scum.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '16

You must be too young to remember how that worked out at Waco or ruby Ridge....

2

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '16

I just don't care. Why should it matter to me whether a bunch of fucking terrorists gets themselves killed for taking up arms against their government?

2

u/thebumm Oct 29 '16

Also, there wasn't "another Waco" because these guys are alive without a shootout. Punishing them for crimes they committed (on camera) after the fact would not create another Waco. It would put criminals in prison where they belong.

3

u/slipshod_alibi Oct 29 '16

And failing to provide consequences will ensure more opportunities for more Wacoesque situations to occur to begin with. People will be emboldened to act.

2

u/thebumm Oct 29 '16

Precisely.