Law Enforcement Bears Part Of Blame Why Media Isn’t Calling Waco Biker Drug Cartels ‘Thugs’

In the 48 hours since a horrific gun battle between two biker gangs and drug cartels at the Waco, Texas Twin Peaks restaurant, a lot of people have drawn parallels with coverage of the recent protests in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore. Specifically, they’re wondering why the media hasn’t been nearly as quick to call the bikers “thugs.” From where I’m sitting, at least part of the blame rests with law enforcement.

Police and security outside Twin Peaks in Waco, Texas (courtesy Waco Tribune-Herald)
Police and security outside Twin Peaks in Waco, Texas (courtesy Waco Tribune-Herald)

Much attention has been focused on the rather relaxed scenes in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Members of the Bandidos biker gang were seen sitting in the Twin Peaks parking lot and were able to use their cell phones for awhile, while local and state police seemed to be casually guarding them. This stood in marked contrast to the scenes of police in riot gear after things boiled over in Ferguson and Baltimore.

It was only later that we learned that the main perpetrators of Sunday’s carnage, the Bandidos biker gang, have been on federal and state law enforcement’s radar screens for a very long time. The Texas Department of Public Safety considers the Bandidos to be as dangerous as the Aryan Brotherhood, while the federal government lists the Bandidos as one of several biker gangs it considers to be organized crime syndicates. It also turns out that these gangs are among some of the major drug cartels in the nation; they are heavily involved in trafficking cocaine and meth. But most of us, even news junkies like me, didn’t know this until Monday.

Contrast this with the federal government’s war on the Mafia in the 1980s and 1990s. The FBI, Justice Department and federal prosecutors let it be known in capital letters that they were going after some of the worst people in the world. Federal and state efforts to chase down the “wiseguys” were front-page news. However, since 9-11, federal law enforcement has focused primarily on snuffing out terrorism. In the process, they’ve missed a chance to make the case to the public that people like the Bandidos aren’t just rebellious guys on bikes, but very real and very dangerous criminals.

This is especially incomprehensible given that the Bandidos hide their loathsome activities behind charitable efforts. It’s almost the same strategy the Mafia used so well for the better part of half a century. John Gotti, remember, posed as a benefactor even as his family was peddling heroin. Maybe it’s just me, but if both federal and state officials let it be known that outfits like the Bandidos are home to some of the worst people in the world, the media would probably have more cover to call them “thugs.”

Granted, the media can’t be completely absolved here. Maybe it’s because I’m old school, but too many journalists today don’t know that you can’t be biased when you call a spade a spade. Anyone who opens fire in broad daylight in a shopping area crowded with people is a thug. And anyone who starts shooting in a crowded restaurant is a thug. Police in Waco know this–how else do you explain why everyone arrested in this is currently in jail on a million dollars bond each?

Officials in at least one state have a chance to make up for lost time. The Waco police have let it be known they intend to throw the library at those responsible for Sunday’s bloodbath. Police have already arrested 170 people under Texas’ version of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, with more likely to follow. For now, they’re all charged with engaging in organized crime linked to capital murder–which could send them to prison for life. Anyone who thinks this is too harsh has to remember that hese animals were shooting willy-nilly in a crowded restaurant, then a crowded shopping area. We’re very lucky that only nine people were killed, given how many bullets were flying.

If Texas officials do follow through on their statements that “this is not something we’re playing around with,” it will go a long way toward alleviating concerns that the media and federal and state officials have forgotten what a “thug” really is.

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.