Same Same But Different

The locals have had enough. (Pic courtesy CNN)

Last week a number of individuals were arrested in Oregon USA after an armed occupation of a federal government centre at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. In the course of these arrests, one of their number was shot and killed.

He was carrying a Browning automatic pistol at the time, and had been apprehended trying to force a police roadblock. A few months ago in Sydney, a 15 year old boy got hold of a pistol, and shot a police civilian employee dead before he was shot and killed by security personnel.

 In the case of the incident in Oregon, the leader is a Mormon, and has declared that he is driven by God.

 In the Sydney incident, the perpetrator is reported to have believed that he was carrying out the will of Allah.

 These events are not related, but the different language used in the media to describe similar aspects of each is fascinating.

 In Oregon, those involved are called "activists" or "protestors". In Sydney, most media referred to the perpetrator and those arrested since as "terrorists".

Many of the individuals in Oregon have police records of violent crime. One, at least, is a military impostor. 

These facts seem largely ignored by the MSM.

Most of those arrested in Sydney have associated on-line with those involved in terrorist activity overseas. This has been given major coverage.

The American "activists" also associate with, or are paid up members of well know hate groups, but you don't hear much about that.

 This prompts a few questions.

 Why are those motivated by extreme religious ideals rationalising anti-social behaviour in the name of Islam called "Islamists" when those motivated by the same behaviour in the name of Christ are not called "Christianists"?

 Why are the Americans occupying the Montana outpost called "activists" and not "terrorists"?

 There is a double standard operating here when it comes to the language used.

 All violent extremism should be condemned, and the facts treated in a consistent manner in the MSM. That's not happening at the moment.