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U.S. militia group occupies Oregon wildlife park headquarters

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Heh, at least we all agree they're crazy.

Am assault rifle toting army of crazy people thumbing their nose at the law.

It's going to end in tears.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

So if these guys were Muslims, you wouldn't call it terrorism?

Indeed not.

Can you imagine the uproar from the right if you didn't?

There's no accounting for crazy.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

An extremist militia? They aren't exactly separatists, but almost. This seems to be some sort of armed protest - it would be simple civil disobedience if it weren't for the guns. There is definitely a threat of violence, but I certainly wouldn't call it terrorism.

So if these guys were Muslims, you wouldn't call it terrorism? Can you imagine the uproar from the right if you didn't?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

don't you think the law enforcement might be a bit terrorized at the thought of these idiots on their patch?

Afraid that people might get killed? Sure. But "terrorized"?

Look, we've seen what it looks like when law enforcement is terrorized - take a look at parts of Italy where the Carabinieri have to operate with anonymity lest the Mafia target them or their families. Or the Guardia Civil in Spain back when ETA used to murder them. Take a look at what's going on in Mexico with the Cartels.

What you prefer they were called? Revolutionaries?

An extremist militia? They aren't exactly separatists, but almost. This seems to be some sort of armed protest - it would be simple civil disobedience if it weren't for the guns. There is definitely a threat of violence, but I certainly wouldn't call it terrorism.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

With all due respect (and I mean that) I'm going to have to differ on this one. My answer was part serious - don't you think the law enforcement might be a bit terrorized at the thought of these idiots on their patch? These are the same idiots that pointed their loaded assault rifles at FBI agents during the last confrontation with Bundy and have sworn to respond with violence at any an all attempts to remove them...

What you prefer they were called? Revolutionaries?

One thing I do know for sure is that if a group of heavily armed Muslims had seized a federal building and were making insane demands we wouldn't be arguing about calling them terrorists. Think about it...

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Local law enforcement? Local people? The birds having to share their sanctuary with right-wing jihadi's?

That's not a serious answer to the question and I'm pretty sure you know it.

Look, I'm all for locking these militia nutters up - they have to have broken some laws, on top of which they are dangerous. But don't call them terrorists when they aren't.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Y'know, its kinda nice that these guys all congregated in one spot....

2 ( +2 / -0 )

They are just a bunch of free loaders who want to use taxpayers land without paying the taxpayers what they owe.

They are nothing more than liberal welfare leeches with guns. . . .

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Who is being terrorized?

Local law enforcement? Local people? The birds having to share their sanctuary with right-wing jihadi's?

They've stated their intentions. They will respond to the law or anyone for that matter trying to evict them with bullets.

The FBI need to grow a pair and cut these nutters off at the ankles. Unless you want the anarchy they could well bring.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

You're right. If we start calling actions by white people terrorism, people won't be so quick to think of brown people when 'real' terrorism happens.

Explain to me how this is terrorism, please. Who is being terrorized? How are they being terrorized?

It's not like it's hard to find real examples of white, American domestic terrorism: Timothy McVeigh comes to mind. The Charleston Church shooting. Etc... Etc...

Tell me how you are furthering the conversation by putting this in same bucket as the Birmingham Church bombing. I'm waiting.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Can we please stop with the false equivalence? This is not "terrorism," and calling it so dilutes the power of the term

You're right. If we start calling actions by white people terrorism, people won't be so quick to think of brown people when 'real' terrorism happens.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Can we please stop with the false equivalence? This is not "terrorism," and calling it so dilutes the power of the term and demeans it's victims. This isn't 9/11, its a bunch of idiots - ominously armed idiots, admittedly, but fools all the same - occupying a relatively unimportant building. They didn't blow up a store at the shopping mall, down a plane, or shoot up a school. They didn't take hostages, mail out anthrax, or even make any real threats. It's a protest, albeit a fairly extreme one. It may even end in blood, but that still would not be "terrorism" by anyone's standards.

I must admit, I did thoroughly enjoy some of the hastags like "Y'all Qaeda", "VanillaISIS", and - my personal favorite - "Yokel Haram". Still, we should really stop.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

These redneck racist yahoos want to take the federal land (our land as a country) and distribute it back to the people??

Has anyone here gotten a phone call asking if you wanted a riverside or mountain view acre?

NO, the people they want to distribute the land back to is THEM.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Seems to me that these people believe that they have the right to appropriate public land for their own private use, whenever and wherever they choose. Forgive me for thinking them selfish.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Not just their fault, but Obama's, too!

Yeah! If he wasn't black, the racists wouldn't be dividing the country by race. Damn him for presidenting while black.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Stranger land: "Blackbird - shhh. If you point out racism, the right-wingers will say you're the problem for pointing it out."

Not just their fault, but Obama's, too!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

They should surround these Republican jihadi's with the army and when they refuse to give it up then purge and "pacify" like they did in Fallujha. I trust they like heavy metal?

It was bad enough the first showdown with these nuts when the FBI caved in. People can't take the law into their own hands simply because they are heavily armed. It sets a bad precedent in a country where many a nutter is indeed heavily armed.

And more to the point get them out of there for the poor bloody birds who's sanctuary it is supposed to be....

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Blackbird - shhh. If you point out racism, the right-wingers will say you're the problem for pointing it out.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

A gang of armed men have illegally seized a building and are defying the authorities. The police respond by trying to reach a peaceful resolution. WTF??? Do I see a double-standard here? In America unarmed black men engaging in minor misdemeanors are gunned down by police on a daily basis. But a gang of militiamen armed to the teeth and clearly breaking the law get a free pass. Just send in the SWAT teams and just shoot the hell out of everyone in the building. Kill 'em all.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

"He added that efforts were under way to resolve the standoff “as quickly and peaceful as possible.”"

Because they are white. Had they been black people with only sticks or knives they would all be dead by now, with thousands of rounds fired by gun-happy police, and the black men being called terrorists.

Not with white people though. Instead some here are even blaming this on Obama instead of the criminals who stormed the building!! And this is all not even taking into account Bundy Senior, who is still alive, well, and not paying taxes for his own domestic terrorism. The double standards and hypocrisy are amazing!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Typical racial double standards.

White militia terrorists = treat them gingerly and with respect and listen to their demands

That probably sounds good to write in a sanctimonious, politically correct way but it is contradicted by reality. Just Google militia members charged to see the continuing focus of federal law enforcement agencies on right wing militia activity. And as far as blasting away with multiple rounds, talk to Randy Weaver or the surviving Branch Davidians.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Typical racial double standards.

White militia terrorists = treat them gingerly and with respect and listen to their demands

Street gangs or people of color = police blast away with multiple rounds, then get away with murder

5 ( +5 / -0 )

For some reason, law enforcement tends to treat right-wing extremists quite leniently, so I'm assuming this standoff will last quite a while - just as the presidential election heats up. How Republican presidential candidates address the issue will be interesting to watch.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Occupy Park Street?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

they and others like them pose a much more immediate threat to public safety in the United States than IS does.

The reality is that this group of perhaps15 to 20 militia members are occupying a small building literally in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing but frozen earth for hundreds of miles around little Burns, Oregon.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Damn those terrorist!!! we have to get rid of that scu.....err... wait they are white, honest farmers??

Those poor souls, we need to pray for them they are fighting for our freedom with their will and whims.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

“We have no intentions of using force upon anyone, (but) if force is used against us, we would defend ourselves.”

Oh, OK. Well I'm going to grab my gun and walk into the building where you're at. Keep in mind that I have no intention of using force, but if force is used on me well then I guess it's your fault.

Typical nutjobs. The GOP really needs to police their fringe members and stop pandering to them.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@MarkG

A racial division unseen to the magnitude today ever in my lifetime.

So I assume you're like... 19 then?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I do have some sympathy for the ranchers, the sentences in their cases were completely out of proportion to the offences they committed.

But these armed gangs are another matter completely - they are completely nuts and I tend to agree with Mrgee`s comment above that they and others like them pose a much more immediate threat to public safety in the United States than IS does.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Fair enough. But if you read my original post, you will find nothing in it supporting the Bundy militia, or even mentioning it. So, I don't understand your point really.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Anti government militia group is very polite and informal word. They should be called as rebels. When I watched US TV series NORTH and SOUTH, there were die hard anti government, anti slavery abolishing group who intimidated Abraham Lincoln for backing down. Lincoln was not a Obama. He went ahead with South for civil war for abolishing slavery system.

Obama should be brave enough for following Lincoln toughness for waging another civil war for freeing the USA from never ending gun massacres.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

A little more background, Fizz:

"Neither Ammon Bundy nor anyone within his group/organization speak for the Hammond Family," the Hammonds' lawyer W. Alan Schroeder wrote to Sheriff David Ward.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/oregon-ranchers-reject-cliven-bundy-family-occupation/

1 ( +2 / -1 )

have been desperately attempting to disassociate themselves from these nuts

I think you need to reread it again.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Fizzbit, read the article a bit more carefully. The rancher in question and his son - have been desperately attempting to disassociate themselves from these nuts, so much so that they've rather cheerfully turned themselves in to serve their time.

Rational men with disagreements will solve them in a rational way. Men of Bundy's ilk are not rational.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

WOW..so many here so quick to judge the actions of a rancher. He serves his time for burring 140 acres, yes they told the government what they were doing, and now the rancher is going back to jail. And none of you can smell a political / judicial witch hunt?

And by the way, why is none of the EPA facing jail time for their spill in Colorado?

And did any BP people go to jail for their Gulf Stream disaster?

For all the talk about guns on here, many sure do have keyboard trigger fingers which is actually more dangerous when the truth is important.

But what really should we expect from the MSM? Connecting the dots where none exist, short of intelligent information and facts. Beam me up Scotty, no intelligent life down here.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Time will show how catastrophic the Obama administration was in just a few short years. Fiscally the nation will implode like Obamacare will within two years.

I know they tell you the economy is crap in the bubble, but if you step into the real world, the economy is not only doing quite well, when compared with the economy the Obama administration received in 2009, it's downright amazing that it didn't collapse at the start of the administration. As for your prediction, it's a joke. Fear mongering. And if you'll notice, the Republicans have offered no other argument than fear monger. Never any suggestions about what should be done, only fear about what might happen. That should scare you though - if the only thing your party has to offer is to try to scare people into voting for them, then it doesn't say much for their policies.

A racial division unseen to the magnitude today ever in my lifetime.

This always makes me laugh. "Obama is black, so he's responsible for our hating his race"

8 ( +11 / -3 )

@stranger...

Only with those who are more interested in pushing their political ideology than with the good of their country.

Time will show how catastrophic the Obama administration was in just a few short years. Fiscally the nation will implode like Obamacare will within two years.

A racial division unseen to the magnitude today ever in my lifetime. And a long list of failures. Where's those shovel ready jobs? Hope and change for who? I suppose it will take a village to recover.....Na! have a better idea!

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

Armed White jihadist take over federal building in act of terrorism. The media need to call this by what it is.

What are you talking about? It's not terrorism, it can't be - they're not brown!

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Seems like the Obama Amerika is causing quite a bit of discontent.

Only with those who are more interested in pushing their political ideology than with the good of their country.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

0

Good| Bad

PTownsendJan. 04, 2016 - 08:27AM JST

Or is that whacko?

Depends on perspective, but to me these and the hundreds of other ultra-right white nationalists are flat out whack. Metastasized gun and anti-government memes have hardened their collective synapses, making them the biggest threat the US faces. Rupert Murdoch and those like him who control mainstream media try to convince the US public that the danger is without, when the reality is domestic militias and gangs, both holding huge arsenals of assault weapons, pose the greatest threat to the society.

PTownsend

Is so correct in this view, that's why the government does even respond directly or forcible towards these types of threats as they would to a minority group in the inner city. The ultra-right white nationalist are armed and deep in the ranks. The key reason is well armed ! The government is more afraid of these militias and gangs, then ISIS, Russia, Iran, China or any other imaginary threat in their little minds...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Where in the Constitution does it say that ranchers get to use Federally owned land for free?

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Seems like the Obama Amerika is causing quite a bit of discontent.

-12 ( +3 / -15 )

Or is that whacko?

Depends on perspective, but to me these and the hundreds of other ultra-right white nationalists are flat out whack. Metastasized gun and anti-government memes have hardened their collective synapses, making them the biggest threat the US faces. Rupert Murdoch and those like him who control mainstream media try to convince the US public that the danger is without, when the reality is domestic militias and gangs, both holding huge arsenals of assault weapons, pose the greatest threat to the society.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

If they aren't a well regulated militia, their guns need to be taken away.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Sounds like another Waco. Or is that whacko?

2 ( +6 / -4 )

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