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How The Waco Biker Shooting Shows Media Really Is Black And White

by Kyle Davis
KTVT

This past weekend, a horrible shootout in Waco, Texas left nine people dead, all of them allegedly members of biker gangs.

While those involved were not all white, a majority of those who participated in the shooting and were arrested, are white.

So how has the media treated this extreme act of violence?

In the aftermath of the shootout, news organizations scrambled to cover the breaking news.

Instead, many outlets showed off the double standard that exists in the American media in regard to race and crime.

CNN has, and continues to, refer to it as a brawl at a restaurant. Nine people dead and 170 arrested is not a brawl.

A brawl is what happens when two baseball teams get bored and decide to push and shove each other for a few minutes.

The flippant approach to an event that resulted in the deaths of nine people underscores that double standard.

Since the shooting, it has been reported that there have been threats made against the police in Waco, Texas in retaliation for their participation in the shooting.

Because they attempted to neutralize threats to the public, they have had threats made against them.

But, you might not know that if you get your news from TV.

The fact that bikers may be riding to Texas in order to harm police officers has seemingly only been mentioned in passing, as if it is some smaller aspect of this story.

Hell, they've had snipers guarding the crime scene just to ensure the investigators are safe while they work.

Again, you probably haven't heard this if you rely on network or cable news for your information.

Alternatively, how does the media react when the perpetrator of a crime is black?

Think back to Ferguson, New York, Cleveland, Baltimore or California. These are all places where major demonstrations took place in protest of police brutality in America.

Aside from CNN deciding to send everybody out onto the streets to cover protests, most news networks showed you the highlights of the protests.

Looting, destruction, arson and the other eye-catching headlines that many media outlets rely upon now.

When there is an equally violent crime committed, the media bias gets worse.

When two New York City police officers were killed late last year, the country was in mourning.

The loss of a police officer's life in the line of duty is one of the most tragic events that can occur in a community.

Many involved in the Black Lives Matter marches and the protests against police brutality denounced the attack as heinous and cowardly.

The news media, however, decided to turn the actions of one man into an agenda for an entire movement.

The NYPD Union even went after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for creating an atmosphere conducive to murdering cops in the open.

When a white person or persons commits a heinous act, it seems to always be reported as an act of violence, one that was out of his control or "boys will be boys."

But when a black person or practicing Muslim commits a violent crime, it becomes breaking news.

Perhaps the best reference point for this topic is the Keene Pumpkin Festival in New Hampshire this past year, where riots broke out during the celebration (I'm assuming because they ran out of craft beer).

Rioters were flipping cars, throwing objects at police cars and even threatening to harm the responding police.

Have no fear, officials and local reports said they were able to quell the "unruly disturbance" quickly. There was a terrific response to their efforts to get the "raucous" partygoers off the streets and get them safe.

This is what the racial double standard in the media looks like today.

When black, Hispanic Americans, Muslims or Asian-Americans protest and demand they be treated like equals, it is breaking news, worthy of aggressive headlines and scary rhetoric.

When white people protest at a pumpkin festival, it's a party that got out of control.

These are only some examples of this bias; it is not difficult to find dozens more. Watch CNN or Fox News for an hour and you will see it.

Although probably not on Fox News — they think they finally figured out Benghazi, so they'll be covering that through Hillary Clinton's presidency.

As an aside, look at photographs from the Ferguson protests and the Waco biker shootout and you'll be shocked.

In Ferguson, you have unarmed, nonviolent protestors having rifles pointed at them and being teargassed.

In Waco, you have a bunch of bikers sitting on curbs playing with their phones.

Teenagers who get caught drinking are treated more harshly than that.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of Elite Daily