What ever happened to equal justice under the law. Our justice system is a reflection of our society. In fact, our juries are our society. That these guys were acquitted of all charges should concern us all. This is my take.
Seven White Right Wing Domestic Terrorists Acquitted
A jury of their peers acquitted seven White Right Wing Terrorists. What ever happened to equal justice under the law? Their guns weren’t toys.
Some may take exception to the title of this post. Here is the reality. The definition of the word terrorist follows.
terrorist: noun
- a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism.
- a person who terrorizes or frightens others.
- (formerly) a member of a political group in Russia aiming at the demoralization of the government by terror.
- an agent or partisan of the revolutionary tribunal during the Reign of Terror in France.
And what did these people do?
Dozens of people occupied part of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns on January 2 after gathering outside for a demonstration supporting Dwight and Steven Hammond, father and son ranchers who were convicted of arson, and in defiant protest of federal land policies. Many of the protesters who took over an unoccupied building on the refuge were armed.
And then there is this.
Not everyone in rural Oregon was happy to see the militia. Signs reading, “No Bundy Caliphate—Take your Hate Somewhere Else!” and “Protect the Blue—Militia Go Home” were posted on roads heading into Burns. Haney County schools, which were scheduled to reopen on Monday, will be closed all week because of the protest, authorities said.
The amount of restraint shown towards these heavily armed people during the seizure of the refuge was astounding. It is in direct contrast with the treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters or even the treatment of a child with a play gun.
These men are domestic terrorists. The danger of these verdicts parallels the constant acquittal of police officers who kill people of color. Because police officers are generally acquitted for murdering people of color, there is no incentive to change behavior. This acquittal will embolden other White Right Wing Domestic terrorists to execute their craft, the terrorization of the other and the government.