This is why I want immigrants to follow a process to come into the country. We need to make sure they’re compatible with American values.
This is why I want immigrants to follow a process to come into the country. We need to make sure they’re compatible with American values.
Notice the double standard on display in the answer you receive: Waco and Ruby Ridge are often given as examples of the the brutal government tyrrany that we must protect ourselves from with the 2nd amendment. The Waco and Ruby Ridge incidents happened 30 years ago, but the last 30 years worth of minorities dying at the hands of law enforcement is waved away as justified use of force, police rightfully protecting themselves from violent criminals.
Philando Castile gets a mention in passing but it is worth noting that 2 days after he was killed by police the NRA issued a statement saying they were saddened but couldn’t comment on a ongoing investigation. However in 2016 just hours after the shooting of 5 Dallas police officers the NRA’s Wayne Lapierre posted about his " deep anguish" over the event.
The average conservative will perhaps say we shouldn’t draw broad generalizations but deal with issues on a case by case basis. That may be but when I think of the number of minorities -black, brown, gay, trans, etc that have been mistreated and killed by law enforcement or died in custody, only to be dismissively told “cops murdering minorities is a myth” it seems there is a contradiction there when 30 year old events are brought up as somehow more important.
More recently, the law enforcement response to two different events shows a marked disparity in federal interventions: In 2016 when protesters upset about Bureau of Land Management’s control of federal land took over a wildlife refuge in Oregon, federal agents negotiated for 41 days, before the FBI put up a roadblock to stop protesters from coming and going as they pleased.
4 years later, protestors against racial injustice in Portland recieved a quick and brutal response from federal agents. Volleys of tear gas and “less than lethal” rounds were fired into protestors, and more than 40 people arrested in less than 2 weeks. US citizens were snatched by federal agents off the streets of Portland into unmarked cars and taken -where? -charged with what? -are they still in custody? I surely don’t know.
Draw your own conclusions from these facts, but I think there’s a double standard. Liberty and justice for all? Well it turns out, it depends.
While that’s some good analysis with which I don’t disagree, I’ve argued with Neuromancer/Wintermute many times. Their basic rhetorical strategy minimizes concerns they don’t care for and emphasizes concerns they do. More like 40 year old events are more important to them, and demonstrate current problems with Democrats.
I don’t really have a problem with that, though. Nor do I have a problem with double standards or whatever. I’m just trying to understand where these folks are coming from. The fact that double standards and minimization are employed to de-legitimize or reduce the important of some factors over others is what I’m after in the first place.