俄勒冈民兵遭推特网民嘲弄

AS IT IS 2016-01-05 Social Media Mocks Oregon Protesters 俄勒冈民兵遭推特网民嘲弄

This is What's Trending Today:

Over the weekend, protesters with guns took control of a U.S. wildlife refuge in the state of Oregon. They are protesting the sentencing of two ranchers in the state found guilty of arson². 

The armed protesters say they are anti-government.  They say the ranchers’ punishment is too harsh, and that the government is not respecting land rights.

One of the protest leaders is Ammon Bundy. He wrote on Facebook that the goal of the protest is to “restore the rights to the people here so that they can use the land and resources. All of them.”

In a press conference on Monday, the group named themselves “Citizens for Constitutional Freedom.”

Ammon Bundy told the media, “Our purpose, as we have shown, is to restore and defend the Constitution.”

Government officials have not said how they planned to respond to the occupation of the wildlife refuge.

As the standoff continues, social media is mocking the protesters.

One viral hashtag is #YallQaeda, with Twitter users comparing the cowboy-hat wearing gunmen to Islamic terror organizations.

The hashtag combines the al Qaeda terrorist group name and the American English contraction³ y’all. Y’all is often used by rural Americans.

Twitter user PatOndabak wrote, “whoever coined the hashtag #YallQaeda is brilliant. Redneck terrorism has descended⁴ on Oregon.”

Twitter user Annie Post wrote, “If your master plan is to overthrow⁵ the world's most powerful government and you attack a remote bird sanctuary⁶ you might be

Other hashtags like #VanillaISIS and #YeeHawd mocked the protesters in a similar way.

The hashtag #whiteprivilege also trended in connection to the protests in Oregon. “White privilege” is a term for social privileges that benefit people who are identified as white. The Oregon protesters are all white. Some Twitter users questioned why the response by the government to a large group of heavily armed people was not stronger. 

Others questioned why the “Citizens for Constitutional Freedom” is considered protest group, not a terrorist group.

Twitter user Nia Girma wrote: “Protesters carry signs. Terrorists carry guns.”

Words in This Story

rancher - n. a person who lives and works on a large farm, known as a ranch¹

arson - n. the illegal burning of a building or other property : the crime of setting fire to something

redneck - adj. (informal) a white person who lives in a small town, especially in the southern U.S., who typically has a working-class job, and who is seen by others as being uneducated and having opinions and attitudes that are offensive

mock - v.  to criticize and laugh at (someone or something) for being bad, worthless, or unimportant

1 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

2 arson   

n.纵火，放火

参考例句：

• He was serving a ten spot for arson.他因纵火罪在服十年徒刑。
• He was arraigned on a charge of arson.他因被指控犯纵火罪而被传讯。

3 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

4 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

5 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

6 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。