U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards says she’s “deeply troubled” by how the media is portraying the armed militia in Oregon as “occupiers” while Black Lives Matter protesters have been referred to as “thugs.”
“I am deeply troubled by the media portrayal of the events in Oregon and the armed takeover of a federal wildlife refuge,” she said in a statement issued to various media outlets.
Edwards was referring to the armed group led by Ammon Bundy that has taken over a federal building in Oregon.
“Since the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement, activists protesting the deaths of an unarmed 18-year-old on a city street or the tragic death of a 25-year-old in the back of a police van, have been referred to variously as ’thugs,‘ ’criminals,‘ and ’drug users,'” Edwards continued.
“But in Oregon, a group of armed men illegally occupying a federal building have been referred to as an ‘armed militia,’ or simply ‘occupiers,’ as though that behavior is acceptable in a nation of laws,” she said.
“Our nation’s press has a long history of shining a light on tough truths and asking tough questions. At this moment, the media have a responsibility to avoid language that paints these armed militants in a positive light. They are breaking the law.”
