I don't think it's a huge leap to say that past events are influencing the way these agencies are approaching the situation more than race though. The agencies directly involved cite Ruby Ridge and Waco as the influencers for their approach now. But the double standard here is obvious when there are no such concerns when it involves black people and the tanks are immediately brought out. It's just that, in the past, it seems the federal government wasn't too shy about ending these standoffs with force but now they are. So what changed and what caused this change?
On another subject:
I'm also hesitant to throw around the label 'terrorist' for everything because of how broad the definition is and how much power it gives the government. It's responsible for how militarized the police have become. The dictionary definition could cover anything from setting off a nuclear device in New York to tying the President's shoelaces together when he's not looking. While it certainly could be applied here being that one of the legal definitions is:
or the PATRIOT (I love that it's a real acronym, what a bunch of cheeseballs) Act's definition:
It could also apply to a whole lot of things that I don't want it to apply to because it strips away so many rights and gives the government so much power when dealing with it. We should be narrowing the definition and being more specific so these broad powers aren't applied to things they were never meant to be applied towards.
Its a gigantic leap when the status quo is hourly executions for the minority population. That is the more likely scenario, than the idea that the FBI(who isn't even really participating) is considering this as serious as Waco and Ruby Ridge, so they are doing
nothing. And thats the plan. Its an even bigger leap when they are just allowed to freely terrorize the area. This is a gigantic blunder. IF this is the result of the FBI's new hands off approach, which I don't buy, at all, its doing nothing but allowing them to intimidate the towns people. Again, this is why its absurd. If this is FBI plan #4058.B, its even more dangerous. This will embolden idiots everywhere to scare towns wherever they live with guns and stalking.
These people aren't being seen as threats, because they are white. The likelihood with the satus quo in america, is that if they were Muslim, they'd be executed and labelled terrorists before the FBI woke up. The sherries would shoot them on sight, even if they literally had the same goals. No need to analyze the term, they'd be terrorist because t hey are using violence and stated intimidation for political goals. Thats the groups message. We aren't talking about some fringe people outside of a group that is ruining it for the rest, but they have stated their intentions with their fire arms, law breaking, and intimidation. This situation is no ruby ridge, and its no waco. They are just roaming free. They need to be arrested for violating the law.