The situation

Still the strangely placating, gentle, tactful note when law enforcement talks about the armed men occupying an isolated federal building in rural Oregon.

The FBI has taken charge of the law enforcement response to an armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, saying that it will work with local and state authorities to seek “a peaceful resolution to the situation.”

“The situation” – aka the violent takeover of a government building by armed men. I say “violent” because the men are armed, which is unmistakably a threat of violence.

The occupation of a remote federal wildlife refuge followed a peaceful march and rally held over the weekend to support two local ranchers convicted of arson.

It wasn’t peaceful. They should stop calling it peaceful. The marchers were armed. Can you imagine what would happen if lefty marchers started showing up armed? Nobody would call it peaceful and nobody would back off and wait politely for them to go home.

Bundy’s father, Cliven, is a Nevada rancher who has sparred with the government for years and who in 2014 had an armed standoff with federal agents trying to prevent him from illegally grazing his cattle on federal land.

So much tact! Cliven Bundy pulled a gun (or many guns) on federal agents who were attempting to enforce the law. He didn’t “have” an armed standoff, as one “has” a cold or an appointment. He violently resisted legitimate law enforcement – because he wanted to go on stealing grazing from federal land.

#TamirRice

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