It seems that my old home town, Portland, Oregon, is at the top of the news these days. How strange. Well, I guess every city, like every person, has its fifteen minutes of fame.
Although I know very little about the Portland government these days (I'm not there, ya know), I have to say that I was impressed with the mayor, Ted Wheeler, in his fingering of Trump and Trumpism as being behind the violence lately engulfing the city, culminating, so far, in the death of a man last night who had come into the downtown area as part of a caravan of Trump supporters. Mayor Wheeler, in his speech, was ready and articulate, blunt and decisive. I guess maybe we're all impressed these days when we see someone who can actually employ the English language cogently and persuasively.
It is certainly a regrettable situation in Portland, and it is getting worse by design, I'm afraid, as the mayor pointed out. There is a big difference between peaceful protest and hell-bent gangs confronting one another. One can't help but think of the old song ...
Stop, children, what's that sound, everybody look what's goin' down.
5 comments:
Richard, the truth is our police officers were being pelted with balloons filled with feces, frozen water bottles, ball bearings, and Wheeler was making the police stand down and not allowing the police to use tear gas or flash bangs. Many police were injured. The district attorney was and is not prosecuting rioters. Rioters are still to this day tearing down Portland, in fact set a fire in Wheeler’s condo building last night. The rioters demands are to 100 percent do away with police altogether. Wheeler is directly responsible for making the police stand down. Sheriff offices in other counties have refused to help in Portland because they state they also would get the same treatment. Wheeler needs to resign. Look up KGW news, KOIN news, KATU news, and you can read about the problem yourself.
Anonymous: Thanks for your comment. You have expressed your opinion, and that's fine. For my own part, I have followed the trouble in Portland very closely and through all sort of news sources as well as through conversations with my many friends and family members in Portland, and I come away with what is in general a different picture altogether from that which you have painted.
Thank you, Richard. I am a former coworker of yours and I have followed along with you for many years. To me, lighting fires in buildings is a bad thing. Disrespecting police is a bad thing. Antifa are not good people and represent no one except having fun by destruction. The mayor and our governor and DA are afraid to be seen as anti black lives matter, so they let the destruction continue. This, Richard, is not about black lives matter at all. It is a group of anarchists who enjoy going downtown and doing whatever it is they want. They are white thugs, actually evil. Yes, I used the word. This is not about politics or sides or races. These are wanton criminals. They have been around since 2007. They sometimes yell out black lives matter, but it’s not their cause. Black leaders want nothing to do with them here. The neighborhood people have had enough and are on the news nightly, some in tears with their businesses no longer. Large corporations are pulling out of Portland, including Google and others. I am sad to say I have to discontinue checking in on you occasionally. You and I are very different. I believe in peace, the right of all businesses and all people to live in harmony. Portland is not a racist town and you know it. As I said, Antifa is not about black lives; they are about destruction and creating fear. I am not afraid. My God is always with me. You and I are too different and are on different paths. Take care, Richard.
Anonymous--They are, as you say, a small group of troublemakers. They should not be allowed, in my opinion, to take over the narrative. Nor should a mobile caravan of Trump supporters be allowed to roll through the city firing paint guns, some of which were loaded with marbles. Indeed, these extremists on both sides might ultimately infect and corrupt and the righteous issue, which is too bad. I can only look on all this madness with shock and shame, as these things simply do not happen in the more gracious society of Indonesia.
Anonymous: Additionally, it might be helpful to appreciate that of the comments I receive on my posts, both here and on Facebook, about 50 percent are in agreement and 50 percent in opposition, while 100 percent, in my reckoning, are honest and heartfelt. In short, I am not offended by opinions that conflict with my own. And btw, 'person with whom I used to work', it is wonderful to talk to you again.
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