On January 23, 2007 the Rapper Mims released a
track, MIMS - This Is Why I'm Hot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwyE3WJ4AWo).
As it relates to the title above, “Hot” means
angry, perturbed, and vehement. To that
end it is critical, in my view, to elevate and discuss the actions of the
self-labeled militiamen (that is citizen carry firearms, to be clear) who came
to Oregon, and who have broken into and taken control of the Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge facility near Burns, Oregon.
"The Fish
and Wildlife Service and The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) have received reports
that an unknown number of individuals broke into the facility over
the weekend. In their reporting the Wildlife Service and BLM (not to be
confused with Black Lives Matter; ironic though) noted while the situation is
ongoing, the main concern is employee safety. The agencies confirmed that no
federal staff members were in the building at the time of the
initial incident. Authorities pledged to continue monitoring the situation
for additional developments.
The
aforementioned irony in the usage of the acronym BLM revolves around the
contentious & suspicious way in
which the Black Lives Matter movement has been discussed by numerous media
outlets. It is fair to say there is an
uproar stemming from some corners anytime the group is mentioned. Much of that ado has to do with the arms’
length nature in which BLM deals with black-on-black violence. Yet, BLM does not promote arming African
Americans; rather it promotes sacred nature and value proposition of black and
brown lives, which too often are prematurely ended by gun violence perpetrated
by operatives of the state, most often police officers. It must also be noted, that many of these
victims are unarmed.
At the
Wildlife Refuge, the occupying “militiamen” were heavily armed, and boldly
asserted that they will be staying as long as it takes to achieve their
objective. Moreover, they added that
while they do not intend to use violence, (they are armed and) they would
defend themselves. The leaders of this
so-called militia come from a family familiar with takeovers and standoffs with
the government. Ammon and Ryan Bundy are
the sons of Cliven Bundy, who led the 2014 standoff with government officials
in Nevada in 2014 over his cattle’s grazing access. That conflict included firearms as well.
So the
questions that troubles many African Americans about this situation is why are
these men not characterized as terrorists?
Why are media and officials not bandying about worlds such as
insurrection, revolt, or anti-government insurgents?
Considering
this is a group of unknown size and undefined firepower that has taken over a
federal building with plans and quite possibly supporting equipment to
facilitate a years-long occupation – and when the group’s representative
articulates that they would prefer to avoid violence but…are prepared to die –
the notion that officials are choosing to employ such nuanced language is, for
lack of better phrasing, astoundingly enlightening. After all, given the apparent nationwide
trend of law enforcement officers fearing for their lives, even when the black
suspects they happen to be dealing with are unarmed, and their being forced, as
a result, to escalate the response continuum to maximum deadly force, this
fearless, convivial mode of associating with the Bundy’s armed alliance is
perplexing, at the very least.
It is
virtually unfathomable that none of the major media outlets, or any of the
local officials has opted to use the words insurrection or revolt. If for instance, a group of black Americans
took possession of a federal or state courthouse to protest the police, what
are the odds such a sober, balanced, and unemotional tone would carry the
day? Black Americans outraged about the
death of Tamir Rice at the hands of police or concerned about the absence of a
conviction in the George Zimmerman case have been frequently and inaccurately
lumped in with criminals and looters, described as “thugs,” or marauding wolf
packs where drugs are obviously in use, according to one national cable anchor.
Suppose a
group of armed Muslims took possession of a federal building to protest calls
to surveil the entire group? Would they
not be likely to endure even harsher consequences and repercussions?
Yes, it is
appropriate to note that there have been no reports of violence, injury, or
anyone being held inside of the facility against their will. Yet.
Some experts are theorizing that the strategy federal and local
officials are using is one designed to let the media storm die before taking
action. This ostensibly will permit some
of the intensity around the issue to recede, and for calmer heads to
prevail. I’m willing to wager that
Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Jonathan Ferrell, and Jonathan
Ferrell, just to name a handful, would all have appreciated such a state
sponsored decompression period before their fateful encounters with authority
became fatal.
I can
appreciate the need to avoid inflaming the situation through the use of
irresponsible language. That sort of
judiciousness is appropriate always. Still, it is equally justifiable to remember
the event that led to this takeover. A
number of folks reacted to the decision to charge a father and son rancher duo,
Dwight Hammond, Jr., and son Steven Hammond with arson under the Antiterrorism
and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996.
The charge, for which they both were convicted, carries a 5-year jail
term. I reiterate they were convicted!
Acquaintances
of the Hammonds may very well disagree with the government’s decision to charge
and prosecute the pair, accordingly. But
what of the outrage that inures from black Americans being far more likely than
whites to face serious charges and jail time rather than misdemeanor penalties
for resisting arrest? Where has the lock-step
adherence to careful and delicate language been during all of 2015 when unarmed
black Americans were disproportionately more likely to be killed by police
officers than others?
But let us
also note, in addition to the apparent incongruity prominently displayed in
this situation, the Hammonds are not numbered among the Bundy’s armed
alliance. Both Hammond men have
surrendered to authorities so that they may serve the balance of their 5-year
terms. Ammon Bundy, one of Cliven son’s,
and the occupation organizer, has repeated two themes. The occupiers are armed and prepared to die,
and they anticipate holding the facility indefinitely.
The precisely
limited and incredibly soft language choices of media and governmental
officials seem to extend beyond simply deliberate phrasing. The characterization of the events in Oregon
reflect the business as usual shape of our collective assumptions about the
relationship between race and guilt. – or religion and violent extremism – in
the United States.
If one is
white, his activities and ideas are thought to stem from a font of principled
and committed individuals. Because this
is deemed the baseline presumption, group suspicion and presumed guilt are
readily perceived and described as unjust, unreasonable and unethical. I’m sure you have noted, the occupiers in
Oregon are assuredly all or nearly all white.
Yet, that has scarcely been mentioned in media reports. You may also have noted that nothing close to
similar can be said about coverage of events in Missouri, Maryland, New York,
Illinois, Ohio, or any other place where questions about policing have devolved
into protests or riots.
In Charleston, there was extended debate about
whether to indicate that shooter Dylann Roof’s racially motivate shooting spree was an act of
terrorism or even violent racism?
In San Bernardino, a number of news
organizations rapidly hinted at and then began using the term Islamic extremism
to describe the mass shooting in that city.
It appeared almost reflexive.
The sometimes coded but increasing overt ways
that some Americans are presumed guilty and violence-prone while others are
presumed to be principled and peaceable unless and until provoked – even when
armed – is remarkable. That is the story
of…”The Oregon Standoff: This Is Why We’re Hot!"
I’m done; holla back!
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