On Jan. 2, a group of armed citizens broke into the headquarters of a federal wildlife refuge as the start of an ongoing standoff in protest of what they believe to be government tyranny. Led by Ammon Bundy, the white — mostly male — group points to the sentencing of ranchers Steven and Dwight Hammond as the catalyst for the standoff. The Hammonds were convicted of committing arson on federal property in Oregon, allegedly in an attempt to cover up evidence of poaching. Bundy and his fellow armed militants argue the federal government should not have ownership of lands like the wildlife refuge. Rather, they believe the land belongs to the public, and government ownership prevents people from “reclaim[ing] their resources.”
Garnering little support, the group has quickly become a national laughing stock. They have been the punchline of countless jokes on late-night television, and when they have asked people to send food to sustain them through their standoff, they have received dildos from dozens from people all over the country, in addition to other mocking gifts. The state government, meanwhile, has done little to address the situation.
At first glance, it seems like a good sign that no one is taking the Oregon protesters seriously. After all, it is absolutely absurd that a group of racist, vocally anti-Muslim people would take over a wildlife refuge and expect to achieve any kind of result. But while the whole situation is undeniably ridiculous, it is no laughing matter. They are serious about their claims, they are armed and they have stated that if law enforcement or others try to force them from the building, they will defend themselves. A group that makes threats of violence should not be allowed to persist with a bag of dildos as their greatest obstacle thus far.
When the county sheriff went to meet with the group, he greeted Bundy with a handshake. Law enforcement has expressed a strong desire to reach an entirely peaceful outcome with the Oregon protesters. Of course that should be the goal — a nonviolent outcome should always be the goal. But that is not how other disaffected groups have been treated nationwide. Consider the Black Lives Matter movement, which, on the whole, has been a nonviolent one. Protesters in this movement have faced countless threats, in addition to allegations that police officers have beaten them or even encouraged drivers to run them over.
A local Native American tribe in Oregon has also complained about the general inaction toward the protesters. “If I, as a native person, a person of color, were to go down there and do the same thing, they would have hit me on the forehead with a baton,” one tribe member argued. “Because they’re white people, I feel that they’re being treated differently.” The tribe has also made the compelling point that if the Oregon militia really wants to debate to whom the land belongs, the most obvious rightful owners would be the Native Americans themselves. After all, they were there first. The tribe sees the standoff as desecration of sacred property.
It is amusing to send gag gifts to the Oregon militia and treat them like the absurdity they are. It is admirable for law enforcement to seek peaceful negotiations with protesters. But the level of human decency that the Oregon militia has been afforded ought to be applied equally. We can laugh at them all we want, but we have to stop and consider whether the same situation would be treated so lightheartedly if the armed people holding federal land hostage were not white.
Nora Walls is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at n.walls@cavalierdaily.com.
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