(Ed. note: With last night’s arrests and the death of LaVoy Finicum, it appears the feds are finally making an effort to uphold the law. I fervently hope that the occupiers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I’m not going to cry for Finicum; he got what he was after. I can only hope he won’t be turned into a martyr by supporters of the militia movement. He was no hero; he was a criminal.)
I am no admirer of Ammon Bundy and the people he has led in their occupation of Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge since Jan. 2. They’re poseurs who have bandwagoned onto the cause of people who don’t want their support, as well as the latest manifestation of ugly anti-government sentiments that have the potential to do real harm. But for all that I look forward to the day when Bundy and his followers are safely removed from the refuge, I’ve been disturbed by the way that some Internet pranksters have chosen to tweak the occupiers: by convincing themselves that sexual harassment is actually meaningful political protest.
I’m not going to expound on how sending sex toys to The Gang That Couldn’t Remember to Bring Snacks © was effective social commentary…but who really cares? The Internet being what it is, the Bundy Brigade had to know that their armed takeover of a federal wildlife refuge wasn’t going to be well-received. The fact that people paid to send them boxes of dildos and gummi dicks might not score points for originality, but neither can you blame some for expressing their displeasure through R-rated means. That said, how boxes of dildos might qualify as sexual harrassment is anyone’s guess.
When you break the law, you shouldn’t have the luxury of being able to go into town and pick up mail and supplies. You shouldn’t have the right to roam about freely, dismantle cameras, and post videos bragging about your “exploits.” Depending on your feelings on the matter, the Bundy Brigade may or may not have a legitimate argument worthy of consideration. From where I sit, though, you’re not about to be taken seriously if your very first act is one of lawlessness.
Regardless of the self-ascribed moral correctness and authority of the Bundy Brigade, they’re criminals. They committed federal crimes in order to make a political point. This sort of lawlessness cannot go unanswered, as it did in the wake of the face-off at the Bundy Ranch in Nevada. You shouldn’t be able to point weapons at federal law enforcement free of consequence. You shouldn’t be able to preach violent revolution without having to answer for your contravention of the law.
The Bundy Brigade may or may not have a legitimate beef; that’s another argument for another time, because I can’t seriously consider the arguments of criminals willing to destroy public property in defense of their self-interested agenda. Our democracy provides means and methods to those who wish to peacefully effect change. Seek that change through force of arms, and you can’t claim to be surprised when We the People push back.
