What will stop the Oregon Standoff?

Eastern Oregon is a part of the United States that is not often in the news. It is thinly populated, and is mostly vast open space. It is even called the high desert. But all of a sudden, we have been seeing a lot of it.

Armed protesters have been occupying a government-owned wildlife refuge for more than a week now. And they say they do not plan on leaving until their demands are met.

It is happening near the small town of Burns, and the protesters - a mix of farmers, ranchers and survivalists - are angry about what they see as excessive federal control over their lives.

They say the government is applying ever stricter regulations on land they need for cattle grazing. Federal land management policies are - they say - unfair to people struggling to make a living in the area.

So, how will the US federal government fix this issue?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests:

Pete Santilli, spokesman for the ranchers in the Oregon standoff.

Eric Ethington, communications director at Political Research Associates.

Matt Lee-Ashley, senior fellow and director of public lands at the Center for American Progress.

Source: Al Jazeera

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When reading this article, it was a struggle not to laugh. The article sends off a vibe that makes the reader feel like the United States is full of the stereotypical American ranchers, who only care about their farm and cows. I also love the final sentence the author includes, which is "How will the United State's federal government fix this issue?" At least to me, I felt that the author seems to persecute the United State's government in this short, but insisting question. But back to the article, I love the fact that this is so different from the "normal" news that we see. There isn't any exaggerated death rates, or a non candid picture of a starving child, it is just so out of the blue. A part of me wants to congratulate these men and women for standing up for what they believe in. America was a country where you were allowed to stand up for what you believe, and I applaud the fact that these men and women have gotten National News.

Aljazeera. "What Will Stop the Oregon Standoff?" - Al Jazeera English. Aljazeera, 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 12 Jan. 2016. <http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2016/01/oregon-standoff-160111172301780.html>.