For those not paying attention, Mr. Cliven Bundy is a Nevada rancher whose cattle have been illegally
grazing on government land. For
twenty years. At a cost to Uncle Sam totaling
over a million dollars and counting.
This is the same man who denies the existence of the United States, but
uses the Internet as a personal sounding board.
Contradictory? Perhaps. Outrageous? Definitely. While there’s an argument to be made about
the righteousness of the grazing law, defying the law while placing government
officials at gunpoint will get you arrested at best or killed at worst. Don't think so? Watch the acclaimed film, “Fruitvale Station”.
If you’re listening,
Mr. Bundy, the “Fruitvale” reference is apropos. When Uncle Sam attempted to (literally) repo
your cattle, turning it into a 21st century version of the showdown
at O.K. Corral with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was not wise, to say
the least. You won the battle, but I’m
perplexed at how that in any way relates to subsequent comments you’ve
made. Your response in invoking the name
of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks—note the “s”—in
a recent interview with CNN only reinforces how ill-informed you are. Suggesting that you have, “often wondered,
are (African Americans/negroes) better off as slaves, picking cotton and having
a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government
subsidy?” is tantamount to saying that jewish people were better off being
exterminated by the Germans, that native Americans were better off being placed
on reservations, or that women are better off barefoot, pregnant, and out of
the workplace! Such “thoughts” are
repugnant by any stretch of the imagination and best kept to one self.
To use your lingo, what really “chaps my hide” is that your
statement perpetuates some radical belief that most (if not all) black folks
are somehow taking government subsidies.
Yet, by not paying for your cattle grazing, you’re guilty of what you
suggest others are doing. And do you
honestly believe that negro lives during the slavery era could be construed as some warped
version of a wholesome “family life”?
Really??? If so, go ahead and
take that boot you displayed for the camera during that interview and have a
good meal. To be clear: no one is
infringing on your right to your use your (limited) vocabulary. To wit, you are free to use the terms
“negro”, “black boy”, “slave”, and “those
people” however you wish. That said, be
advised that there are consequences for such free speech in the same manner
that people who yell “fire” in movie
theaters (without cause) can attest. Recall:
Freedom is not free. It comes at
(some) cost.
In conclusion, I want you to understand that I, for one,
don’t believe you are racist, sir; however, I do believe that all of your
synapses may not be firing on all cylinders if you don’t have enough good sense
to self-censor in public. For us mere
mortals, we call that “ignorance.” More important, though, you might consider taking inventory of your views and seeing things from others’
perspectives.
Just food for thought…
Peace,
+THINKER
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