Local View

Listen, in the first hour, to this poor, confused and ultimately foolish Burns woman attempt to justify the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, as OPB's wimpish Talk Out Loud program host Dave Miller lets her profess one inanity after another without objection.

She begins by telling Miller that he's wrong by calling the takeover of the refuge an "armed occupation."  What was it, a picnic in the park?

It grows increasingly indigestible from there, as she soon admits her ignorance of the treachery of the Patriot Act (which finally came home to roost in Harney County when the Hammonds fell hard), defends the Bundys, ignores Finicum's suicide to exalt him, and grouses about the Burns school district's decision-making.

Having a difficult time with the concept that your GOP leaders may in fact be turds?

Welcome to the "reasonable dialogue" so many in America are clamoring for, in this case absurdly propagated by what is ostensibly a news organization, which if it was doing the job of the fourth estate would be hounding ignoramuses like the Burns "designer" out of existence.

For example:  Miller might have said, "Thanks, lady, but I'll call it an armed occupation because that sure in hell is what is was.  Now answer the question."

Of course that might have ended the interview, but how great of a loss would that have been?


TS