Inhumane Humanity

Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed. --Herman Melville

Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Problem With "RIGHTS"

The siege at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon is coming to an end.  We knew it would, just as all such actions end, sooner or later.

And; despite the claims of the Bundy Bunch that they were coming to protest in peace, Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, 55, was shot and killed, leaving behind 11 children and who knows how many grand children, brothers, sisters, wife, etc......

Despite their claims of peaceful protest, they came with an arsenal of firearms and, purportedly, explosives.

Despite their claims of peaceful negotiations, they threatened two communities with violence; repeatedly threatened and goaded law enforcement officers into violent confrontation and harassed citizens of the surrounding communities; people who neither invited, nor wanted the "peaceful" group in their towns or business.

In an era of utter obsession with firearms and personal rights in the United States, peace is not at the top of the list of objectives with groups such as those who illegally seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.  In fact, peace is not even a remote possibility, for firearms do not represent peace, rather they literally exude violence.  The very existence of firearms is for violent action, or reaction.

The L.A. Times reports, and we've all read and/or heard the comments from Bundy and others of the group insist that; "the occupiers’ principle concerns—upholding the Constitution, protecting the rights of individuals and crushing socialism."

However; the same uninvited, "law-abiding and peaceful" group, according to multiple sources including the L.A. Times noted:
"The charges filed Wednesday detail activists' behavior in the media and the behavior reported to the FBI by federal employees who said they endured threats from the protesters in town before the occupation. 
One employee with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, a prime target of the protesters, said Ritzheimer, an anti-Muslim activist who led an armed protest at a mosque last May, and another man accosted her in a grocery store for wearing a BLM shirt.
“When she turned around, the second individual shouted ‘you're BLM, you're BLM,’ at her,” FBI Special Agent Katherine Armstrong wrote in the affidavit. 
“That person further stated to [the BLM employee] that they know what car she drives and would follow her home. He also stated he was going to burn [her] house down.
Then activists began targeting her, she said. A vehicle matching one she saw Ritzheimer and the other man driving began to appear parked in front of her home and in front of her workplace, she said. 
A week later, a white truck with a Confederate flag sticker in the rear window tailgated her and flashed its lights, the affidavit says."
When groups of people use intimidation, fear and force to declare their rights over the rights of all others, such as the Bundy Bunch; how are we to discern between them and the likes of the Taliban, ISIS, or any other terrorist group?  As far as I'm concerned, there is very little to differentiate them.

It's beyond me what connection the BLM and Socialism have, but what is abundantly clear is that peace was of no concern for the Bundy Bunch.  In fact; I dare say they were hoping for a violent outcome.  That was as evident in Oregon as it was in Bunkerville, Nevada.

There's a problem with so many people declaring their "rights" in such vociferous, confrontational and violent manners.  "Rights" are not what one group forces upon others.  Rather; rights are what all respect and allow others to observe without impeding upon one another.

Without creating an endless "Hammurabi's Code" defining everything for everyone, I believe the Founders of this nation expected the future citizens of this nation to respect one another's rights without having to precisely define them.

And therein lies the quandary.  We, in the United States, Iran, Iraq, Syria, etc.. have become so obsessed with "our" rights, we can neither see, nor respect the rights of others.

How do we insist upon the nation being "Christian" without trampling the rights of those of the Muslim Faith, or of no faith?  How can we insist upon marriage as being between male and female only without discounting the rights of those of the LBGT Community among us?

How can we be a nation of peace when the first thing we think of using for "peaceful protest" are firearms?

Many, including The Bundy Bunch are infamous for this lack of respect for the rights of all.  One cannot consider public land open for their own financial gain, for public land is precisely what it implies - it is land owned by the government (the government you and I elect) to protect, for public access and enjoyment, against those who would use (and abuse) for their personal financial gain.

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is over and what did it accomplish?  Just as with the Bundy Ranch standoff, absolutely nothing, for Cliven Bundy still owes you and I a very hefty bill for grazing on our public land.

Nothing gained, except this time, it cost a man his life who seemed to want to die in some self-fancied martyrdom during a "peaceful protest." A protest to ensure his personal rights over the rights of the entire nation to maintain public land.

And that, my friend, is the problem with rights.


8 comments:

  1. Well said Bob although don't think it's quite over. Hope so.

    People with a thought process like this confuse me and the take on the presence of firearms and peace. Religion was really played down during this but it's right there along side.

    The media perpetuates this stupid shit. People like this have no credibility but are given that. As with Sadamm/911 this country now has a real perception about these people.

    Saw this thing today about what a "good" guy the shot dead guy was.

    Well no actually.

    Professing love continually for country family and all the other nonsense said does not make it so when according to definition you/they are terrorists in MY country.

    You don't get an out in my world for the feel good/patriotic bullshit when you are a fucking terrorist first and foremost.

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    2. You're right. If Mr. Finicum had been such a "good guy," he would have stayed at home in AZ with his family where he belonged.

      This is not the Wild West of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne films, this is, at least in theory, a civilized nation where people work things out using their voices rather than firearms.

      I guess a lot of these morons just never got the message that the movies were just movies, nothing more.

      I think I spoke too soon on this being over too. It looks as though some of the idiot rednecks are digging fox-holes or trenches to take on the Feds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72MJLxSTiGM

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  2. Anonymous7:32 AM

    These guys are nothing more than criminals. I wonder if they were black, would the authorities let them stay so long. And why have the authorities let them stay so long? They forget their rights end when they infringe on others rights, not to mention just breaking the law. I have no sympathy for these guys and I'm wondering why the authorities have let this go on for so long.

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    1. Good point. Something tells me they wouldn't have quite so patient

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  3. Often you hear another world paired with 'Rights'... that being Obligations. These characters would probably bleat less loudly and preposterously about their rights if it meant they had to ponder their obligations. Like "you are obliged not to stalk and abuse people over their lawful occupations while they are shopping for groceries". But really I'm just thinking aloud there... I don't think there is any getting sense into these people.

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    1. Oh, but rights are free to do what you want with, like carry guns into grocery markets and worry the shit out of everyone in the store. "It's my right, so I'm gonna carry that firearm and look like foolish child despite logic and reason. Piss on everyone else's rights."

      These jackasses remind of a bunch of spoiled brats who were always given everything they wanted and now, when it comes to the adult world, they're still behaving like a bunch of brats, just with far more dangerous toys with which to get noticed, or to give their waining testosterone a self image check

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  4. Anonymous9:57 AM

    Rights come with responsibilities. Many seem to forget that.

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