The simple presence of guns

You may have heard the story of Cliven Bundy, near the town of Bunkerville, Nevada, who has been grazing cattle on federal land for years without paying for it and now owes over a million dollars in past fees and fines. The issue is that Bundy doesn't recognize the existence of the federal government. The federal Bureau of Land Management came to collect the money. Bundy was defiant. Lots of members of armed citizen militias who also don't recognize the feds came to Bundy's defense. Many in the GOP praised Bundy, until he got into a racist rant. Not wanting another Waco or Ruby Ridge, the BLM backed down.

But the militias didn't go home. They set up checkpoints and required locals to show proof of residence, among other things. They are doing a lot of gun bullying -- using an open display of guns to intimidate other people. They're itching for a fight and, with the BLM gone, they have nothing to shoot at. Except perhaps each other.

Now just imagine what would happen if the defiant militia members had brown or black skin instead of white. The view of this lawlessness would be quite different. They wouldn't be seen as a bunch of good ol' boys.

Patrick Blanchfield of the New York Times describes it this way: "But as a transaction between the state and citizens not decided by the rule of law, nor by vote or debate, but rather by the simple presence of guns, Bunkerville is deeply troubling." Yes, a threat to democracy. It's not, and can't be, over.