Portland, Oregon, was once known as the quintessentially nice Northwestern city. Its nickname, “The Rose City,” was given to it by a Baptist group that held a convention there over a century ago. Sadly, today, riot-riven Portland smells like anything but roses.
The city has been the locus of nonstop violent protests for 51 days and counting. And really, calling them protests is incorrect: They are acts of outright rebellion, with many participants openly calling for the dismantling of the United States.
The Daily Caller described the mayhem and posted videos of it, which included the attempted torching of the Police Association building:
Portland has seen over 50 days of protests and rioting, and Saturday proved to be no different. Daily Caller reporters were at the scene where rioters squared off with officers after tearing down fencing and using it to barricade the federal courthouse. …
Outside of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, hundreds gathered and immediately began removing fencing surrounding the park and courthouse that had been erected by officers. Some rioters barricaded the building and began to taunt officers by banging on the walls and yelling for them to come outside.
While all this was going on, more “largely peaceful” protesters broke into the police union’s building and tried to burn it down. That’s called arson, and it’s a felony.
Who’s behind all this? Antifa and Black Lives Matter, of course. But they aren’t the only ones. There are lots of other leftists of various affiliations agitating the crowds.
One in particular who’s come to our attention is a so-called organizer of the violent protests. She describes herself in a viral Twitter video: “My name is Lilith Sinclair, I’m an Afro-Indigenous non-binary local organizer here in Portland, organizing for the abolition of not just the militarized police state but also the United States as we know it.”
Just so you know, “abolition” in this context means “violent overthrow.”
Alrighty, then! So much for these being “peaceful demonstrations” about “social justice,” as the media keep telling us ad nauseam. By the way, Sinclair and her cohorts call Portland “stolen land,” and thus feel anything they do is justified. For extremists, ends, however mistaken or evil, always justify the means.
The fevered rhetoric by the left predictably has engendered violence, which has been met with an equally predictable response by the federal government to protect its property, buildings and, most of all, employees.
Far-left activists across the nation decried “storm troopers” and lied about “unidentified” federal troops that whisked away demonstrators in unmarked vans to unknown fates. The truth: Photos clearly show “Police,” “Homeland Security” and other identifying marks on their clothing
Let us add as a note to Portland’s Antifa, BLM and their Wokester supporters: Yes, when you break the law, you get arrested.
Not surprisingly, after the federal government did its job, the American Civil Liberties Union stepped in on the side of the rioters and sued the government to keep it from further enforcing the law. This has nothing to do with First Amendment free speech rights, as the ACLU claims. It’s about violent lawbreaking, assaults on citizens and police, and wanton destruction of property. All against the law. ACLU supports it.
This is part of a pattern of how the left works: Destroy the rule of law, the backbone of our free republic. Intimidate ordinary citizens into silence. Then support and elevate rule by power of unelected street thugs in Antifa and BLM. The meek may inherit the earth, but they won’t get the big cities.
None of what we’re seeing should be viewed as a surprise or some sort of accident. Far from it. The city’s mayor, Ted Wheeler, and Portland’s far-left city council, have not only permitted the violence, but enabled and encouraged it – just as mayors in Seattle, Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles have done.
You might think Wheeler & Co. would be grateful for U.S. troops restoring some semblance of order in the out-of-control city. Nope. Instead a few days ago the mayor told federal officials “Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city.”
An invitation to more riots, in short.
That’s why federal police had to step in to restore order. Radical politicians refused to do their duty.
We’re seeing similar negligence from the now-openly socialist Democratic Party. Led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrats have expressed their “alarm” at President Donald Trump daring to enforce the nation’s laws. Americans should think long and hard before they mark their ballots in November.
As for Portland, lawlessness will take its toll on business and the local economy, as it inevitably does.
The city, already hit by a wave of pandemic shutdowns, will soon face closures due to riots and unrest. They’re already happening. The anger among some business owners is palpable.
“I don’t think the majority of social-justice warriors are truly concerned with justice,” said Nick Zukin, who just closed the doors of his Portland restaurant, Mi Mero Mole. “I think they enjoy causing people pain and ‘social justice’ gives them an excuse.”
So far, departures from Portland remain largely anecdotal, with little hard evidence – yet. But as has happened before elsewhere, you can expect a flood of business-closings and relocations in coming months and years.
As a piece in Oregonlive.com noted, more than a month into the chaos, businesses remain “furious, not only at the people who broke into their stores but also at the police for failing to intervene.”
In June, the Portland Tribune reported $30 million in business losses due to rioting and looting, based on a local Chamber of Commerce survey. That includes a bill of more than $6 million in overtime during the riots for local cops.
Meanwhile, from March to late June, Portland accounted for roughly half of all Oregon’s jobless claims, despite being just 15% of the state’s population. Things will only get worse as businesses flee.
This is how cities die. By electing ideologues who don’t care about enforcing the law, who show contempt for average taxpayers, and who impose leftist policies on the local community that damage the economy. Businesses and residents have been leaving Los Angeles and San Francisco, and now they’re walking away from Seattle.
Portland may be next. It’s already losing population, as a recent Wall Street Journal piece notes: “In just three months it has become clear that modern urban progressivism is politically incompetent and intellectually incoherent.”
Of course, it’s never too late to change course. But that’s never been the far left’s strong suit, has it?
— Written by the I&I Editorial Board
Using these vague “policy violations,” Google is now threatening to demonetize us. It’s part of Big Tech’s effort to silence conservative voices.
I’ve never been to Portland. I’ve been to Eugene and eastern Oregon, Bend and Sisters. Lovely countryside and the rural population seemed like good people. But these cities that are located in physically and geographically desirable areas always attract two kinds of people, wealthy liberals who didn’t actually earn their money and low skill/no skill liberals who want lots of government handouts. The regular people who actually built the city and make it run are either victimized or ignored by the previous two groups. I really fear for these hardworking people if Biden wins.they can kiss a free and prosperous America goodbye.
I have been to Portland, Seattle, Vancouver BC and found them beautiful cities. This was more then 10 years ago. At that time, while appreciating the beauty of the city and surrounding country I found the people a bit strange. Overtly friendly, but unsettling. Laid back, but, aggressively opinionated. In conversations where I would express a similar interest but phrased and expressed from a different viewpoint the would become instantly outraged that I did not adhere to their ideals. I am about impossible to intimidate yet that is what they tried to do to me. They were totally unaccepting of a viewpoint, albeit in good agreement with them, that differed from their own, exact agreement with them. Very intollerant.
Carl Richter, this is a classic Portlander. View themselves as open minded, big tent and inclusive as long as you think, dress, speak and act as they do. Oh, and you must drive a Subaro or Prius.
I agree with your info and found the same. Been in and outta there alot , each time, finding it very odd persona there. Not surprised at the issues they are dealing with. Ruining it for everyone
Trouble is those that have left LA and San Francisco and now Portland only bring with them the same voting habits and ideas that turn their new home into the same garbage dump they left. To wit CO is now blue and Denver is a mess and controls the State, FL is now Purple moving Blue, etc.
Like locusts, they take and leave only devastation in their wake. There is no end game for these dim-witted thugs. They’ve never thought it out when it comes to what happens next. This is their end game.
Good article. It’s unfortunate that several major West Coast cities are going down the tubes as noted.
NYC is not far behind. The people with the means to leave are usually the tax paying productive people. This leaves only the thugs, bums and ghetto dwellers and parasitic government employees. They won’t have to demand that the police be de-funded…the whole city will get de-funded when the tax base leaves.
San Francisco was once nice. Then came the hippies.
Mayor of Portland – Ted Wheeler – DEMOCRAT
Governor of Oregon – Kate Brown – DEMOCRAT
That’s the REAL problem, not the rioters. The rioting could be stopped in 15 minutes but these two DEMOCRATS don’t want to do that.
Can’t feel sorry for the people of Portland and Seattle. They have had leadership like this for years. Democrats that don’t care what happens, only tax and tax for social programs. I just love it when the dems minions come full circle and bite them in the butt and then they progressive bureaucrats wonder where they went wrong? And the millennials anb GenZers have never been told no and it really shows. Ask them who George Ferguson is and they won’t have a clue. Ask about George Soros and some might know because they are getting paid by one of his umbrella groups to do this every night. The only thing that I can say is lock and load, because its coming to that very soon to a neighborhood near you.
“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves and traitors are not victims … but accomplices” — George Orwell
It’s time for martial law. The feds should move in, remove the incompetent local officials and take forceful action against looters and arsonists.
Yes,ABSOLUTELY!!
That would only shield the enablers from the consequences of their actions.
Portland will not connect their votes with these consequences until they stew in it good and long.
Nope. That would probably be declared unconstitutional. They bought it; let them die with it.
The locals would just elect another batch of droons just like the last bunch.
Andrew Breitbart had it right. Politics IS downstream from Culture, and our culture is in a state of decay.
Representative Republics all come with an expiration date as long as there is darkness in the hearts of the people. We’re fast approaching our pull date.
Just how does this handing of the streets and properties to rioters work out for these cities in the end? How does it work out for the citizens? Where is the win? What is to be won? How does this destruction lead to a ‘just’ society? How does it help the homeless? The poor? How are these cities improved by these actions? What is the plan of local politicians, total destruction of their own cities?
Meremortal. What you describe with ? marks is what communists have done around the world for 100 years.
reverse gentrification. Urban socialist ghettos are what came AFTER normal middle class people moved out.
California, Oregon, and Washington are all refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Trump administration. That includes their Democratic members of Congress and their governors. They will lead the effort for a violent civil war.
I lay the blame for this insurrection squarely on the feet of our educational system, which was taken over by radicals during the early 70s as we stood aside and let them have our children to indoctrinate as they pleased. We are now seeing the result of that indifference and paying a very steep price.
cajunboy. Correct + plus many vital power spots in government are in control of the Left.
Look at the works/books by Diana West. Here is a video.
“American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nation’s Character”
Liberty Writer did not mean include a video. I never watched this video. Don’t know how in got in my posting.
The great cultural change that took place in the sixties turned the country on its head. Unfortunately the public went along with it.
Cajun, I agree with education system’s part in what’s happening. I’m not a parent so I wasnt aware that civics, American history and other important subjects were no longer being taught. No wonder, then, that youth have grown up not knowing that we are a Republic and the checks and balances in our government. I am constantly frustrated with what I read from Joanie Q. Public at what they believe is and will happen in our government. (To be clear, I do realize the framework of our Republic is being attacked.)
I am frightened and disgusted at how we ended up here, where the lies are believed as truth.
It is a sad and difficult time for America.
I think all the police should be withdrawn and let the morons literally and actually burn the city down. It may serve as a cautionary tale to those wanting to defund the police and leftist voters who aren’t really crazy yet.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that the people wanting to defund the police would ever see what is happening as a cautionary tale and change their mind or their vote; and I don’t think that there are many center-left democrats left to change their vote. People really believe the editorialized garbage that the media has been spewing for the last 5 years. As Goebbels so wisely said, “It doesn’t matter if it is a lie, if people hear it often enough from enough different sources they will believe it to be true.”
One of the major groups causing more problems then what their worth along with the BLM are the group called “Scary Mommy”, a group which is aligned with Antifa and welcomes the rioting and terrorist activity through out Portland and also the country. Their followers are people from all walks of life and most are fulled by this group which hides behind just being a group of moms giving advise where needed for raising children and every day activities.Until more of their followers realize what they really are the mayhem will continue, but their name is starting to be known and realized as just another hate group bent on destroying America and following and joining Antifa which will make them terrorists in the eyes of America. A sad thing for all those associated with this group called “Scary Mommy” who have joined under the groups false pretenses.
Great Leader Soros is assuredly quite pleased with his quislings.
If you want a ruined city then vote for democrats! They will give it to you every time. Crime, deaths, corruption, high taxes, bad schools. There is no way to destroy a good city faster!
Everything Democrats do brings America down closer to a Third World country.
Many Americans look eagerly forward to the destruction of places like Portland and Seattle. Proof positive that Liberal/DemocRat “governments” are worthless, ineffectual, actually dangerous. Get out of Portland, if you can.
“So far, departures from Portland remain largely anecdotal, with little hard evidence – yet. But as has happened before elsewhere, you can expect a flood of business-closings and relocations in coming months and years.”
How many businesses were closed for the Pandemic, and just decide to not reopen?
How many were looted in the protests, and decide not to stay?
Once the pandemic /protests end, who is going to come to what remains of downtown?
Especially if President Trump calls their bluff and announces an EO to move Federal offices out of Portland?
Sine a lot of America is in love with China, maybe we should follow their example of how to deal with this. Tanks and riot police with no concern for the safety of looters, felons and arsonists. What’s needed is a return to order, before this spreads to every town in America, which is their ultimate goal.
Interesting how the people causing the damage seen to be behaving like fascists. But that can’t be, since they call themselves AntiFa?!?!?
Just like Cancer, except this cancer can be cured. Vote Conservative Republican?
Sorry. You are not going to vote yourself out of this one. These are not cancers. They are parasites and parasites never leave their host. They have to be removed. Do you really think that if conservatives are elected that these people will say, Oh well. we lost?
This is a strong, compelling epitaph for a city with a death wish.
You get and deserve what you vote for. People need to be very concerned about who they allow to represent their best interests!
Take Markez to Gitmo until he names those above him and do the same with them.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Undoing White privilege
I am absolutely astounded at the arrogance of the City of Seattle’s Office of Civil Rights—which has the complete backing of the mayor of Seattle—to form a Hate Camp that presumes to preach to the city’s white employees on “Interrupting Internalized Racial Superiority and Whiteness,” a program [based on a BLM ideology] that is designed to help white workers examine their “complicity in the system of white supremacy” and “interrupt racism in ways that are accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color.”
The very fact that this approach is aimed at “city workers” and not city leaders leads me to believe the city’s leadership has erroneously concluded that it has already come to grips with its own “whiteness” and has already “kissed and made up” with its black populace, or considers itself exempt from such a humiliating exercise in futility. I opt for the latter, because all the evidence indicates that while the city’s leaders and the media moguls are quite ready and willing to place the onus of reconciliation on the shoulders of the rank-an-file, they will, as always, exempt themselves from any such “schooling.” And with good reason (in their minds); it’s below their “dignity”.
Let’s examine some of the things that Seattle’s white city workers are being taught to “let go of” in order to “interrupt racism in ways that are accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color.” And let’s ask the City of Seattle’s leadership (not its rank-and-file workers) if they are willing to put their money where their mouth is, and follow their own advice.
The city of Seattle’s workers are being asked to “let go” of their Comfort
While I would have to question just how much “comfort” most white city workers in Seattle enjoy, it’s quite obvious that most if not all major city, state, and government level political leaders are quite comfortable, meaning they live quite well; they have nice homes in nice neighborhoods, expensive clothes, late model cars with all the amenities, maybe even a chauffeur, and they regularly dine in fine restaurants, travel overseas and go on regular vacations; they go to the best doctors and dentists, have more than adequate medical care insurance, and they have lawyers at their beck-and-call; they get regular massages at high-class spas, shop as the finest boutiques, have pedigreed pets, send their kids to the best schools, and the list goes on and on. I don’t see any of these high-living white politicians or media moguls “letting go” of their own comforts of “white privilege”. Quite the opposite; they are fighting tooth-and-nail to retain these privileges and these comforts. Why else would they hate Donald Trump so much, and why else would they be doing and saying everything they can to unseat him in November. Because they’re afraid…afraid that they may lose their privileged positions or be otherwise exposed for the hypocrites that they are. It is my firm conviction that they will exempt themselves from this discussion of “undoing white privilege” so that they will not have to “let go of their comforts,” while demanding that their underlings do so, and they only want their underlings to do it to appease the blacks so they will still vote for them in November, because if the truth be known, they see the black vote for the Democrats being eroded more every day as thousands of black folks, disillusioned with how the Democrats have been running things, (lying and covering up and attempting one White House coup after another), are walking away and going over to the Republican party. What Pharisees! If these puffed up white left-wing liberal politicians really believe in this “undoing whiteness” nonsense, then prove it by not only joining in those “undoing whiteness” sessions as learners, but by giving up your own white privileged “comforts” as a show of good faith. Maybe when the politicians and media moguls do it, then the rest of the people will more willingly follow. But don’t expect other white people to do as you say, especially when they see you living comfortably and sumptuously in your “white privileged” mansions and not practicing what you preach. That’s what Pharisees do.
The city of Seattle’s workers are being asked to “let go” of their Control of land
I would imagine that these same politicians who are demanding that their underlings participate in these so called “undoing whiteness” sessions are also going to exempt themselves from giving up their control of land, which I assume is a reference to both real estate and property that sits on that real estate. Some of these politicians are the same people who own tenant buildings in poor neighborhoods, and who make millions off rent while doing nothing to make life easier for the tenants, and who act like the tenants should be grateful that they have a place to live (even if they have to share it with rats, cockroaches, head lice, and busted water pipes). I do not see those politicians giving up such a lucrative enterprise (and a great tax shelter to boot) just to satisfy some angry black folks. Tell you what, mayor of Seattle, Governor Newsome of California, and all you other rich politicians like Nancy Pelosi, Shuck Schumer, Adam Schiff, Dianne Feinstein, and others, you give up all those properties that you own and rent out to poor blacks, and maybe then we’ll talk about the rank-and-file whites giving up control of the land. Maybe when you take the money that you usually use to build and furnish your fancy offices and use it to clean up your filthy, feces littered streets and remove all the cardboard “mansions” and homeless tents and accumulated trash, and build respectable shelters for the homeless in your cities, then you can come and talk to the “privileged white” folks about “letting go” of control of the land. You set the example. Don’t expect them to do as you say, until you do as you say. Get the picture?
The city of Seattle’s workers are being asked to “let go” of their Physical safety
Pardon me, folks, but I can’t help laughing at this one. We all know what hypocrites politicians are, right? Well, I’m sure the city workers of Seattle know this as well, even if they’ve been temporarily cowed into obsequious toadyism by their arm-twisting overlords. I see all these rich, power-hungry left-wing politicians in their heavily guarded fortress homes, surrounded by a phalanx of armed security guards, telling the rest of their white subordinates to “let go” of their physical safety, but I don’t see them doing likewise. Some of you older roosters and hens might remember the story of how in the spring of 1981, Chicago’s first female mayor Jane Byrne moved into the infamous Cabrini Green public housing project, hoping to bring some peace and quiet to a murder-riddled war-zone on Chicago’s north side. Of course, she dragged along her security detail (staying in separate apartments on either side of the mayor) and the gesture—or, if you prefer, the stunt—required some actual residents to move and seek out other living quarters.
Byrne’s move to Cabrini Green grabbed national headlines, and for awhile life improved (slightly) for the poor black families that lived there, because of the increased police presence, but it did not last. Bottom line, Ms. Byrne did not “let go” of her “physical safety” while doing this “noble” deed for Chicago’s underprivileged tenants of Cabrini Green, and I hardly think Seattle’s top white leaders will “let go” of their “physical safety” either. They will demand that their subordinates and “loyal subjects” learn not to expect to have the police come running every time they call, and not to expect to live in a relatively safe neighborhood anymore, but will the mayor of Seattle Jenny Durkan also “let go” of her personal safety by moving from her high class neighborhood and into a “lower class” black neighborhood. I seriously doubt it. If the city leaders did anything, it would probably amount to something akin to what Chicago’s mayor Byrne did, a mere political stunt that accomplished only a temporary fix, but resulted in no real change in the long run (just look at how many people are dying every week in that city today). Again, these rich, fat politicians and media moguls are such hypocrites, because while they expect their underlings to “let go” of their assumed right to feel secure in their homes—since such thinking is “white privilege”—I don’t think we’ll be seeing any of the city fathers and mothers making a move any time soon to let go of their “white privilege” by letting go of their high security walls, their armed security guards, their patrolling squad cars, or their trained guard dogs. And I don’t think we’ll be seeing them moving into poor black crime-ridden neighborhoods where they would surely be putting their life and their property in harm’s way. Wasn’t it magnanimous of the mayors of Seattle and Portland to “let go” of the “personal safety” of business owners and the Federal government’s properties in order to “interrupt internalized racial superiority and whiteness”? I wonder why they didn’t invite those same rioters and looters into their own neighborhoods…you know, sort of “let go” of their own “personal safety” and let them tear up their rich white neighborhoods? Maybe if they did “let go” of their own “personal safety” and stop hiding behind the alleged “necessity” to protect their office as city officials, then maybe, just maybe folks would start listening to them. Maybe.
The city of Seattle’s workers are being asked to “let go” of their Social status
What social status? White city fathers speak with forked tongue here. First the City seems to imply that to bring about equality among the races, the whites must step down and become poor, or “less privileged” like the blacks; second, it also seems to imply that blacks are under no obligation to elevate themselves through hard work and self-improvement to be like the whites. I used to work in a union like that. No one was allowed to get ahead on merit. Oh, this one is priceless! The only ones who truly have such “privileged” social status are the rich, fat, white politicians. Seattle’s white city employees don’t spend all their free time out on the golf course and partying on their $3m yachts (I doubt any of the employees own one), or vacationing in Italy, France, Switzerland, and Rome. If anyone needs to “let go” of their “white privileged social status” it’s people like the mayor of Seattle, the mayor of Portland and Minneapolis, and so many others I can’t even enumerate them all here.
The city of Seattle’s workers are being asked to “let go” of their Relationships with some other white people
And then do what? Somebody’s really missed the boat on this one. Maybe back in the 1950’s and even the early 1960’s (the Jim Crow days) when I was young, blacks and whites were truly segregated and had little or nothing to do with each other, but I would hardly call what I see today the same kind of segregation that we saw back in the pre-civil rights days, before Martin Luther King Jr. came on the scene. Listen, I lived all my married life in a racially mixed neighborhood. My kids went to school with black kids. My girls dated black boys in high school. I had black kids and their parents in my home quite often. I helped my black neighbors, and they helped me. We watched out for each other. We worked together for the common good. Yes, I saw many white families pick up and leave over the years until we were the only white family on our street, and only one of two white families in the neighborhood. But to say that I had too many white friends is asinine, to say the least. One of the things I did see all through the years is that black folks preferred socializing with other black folks. My black neighbors even told me they felt more comfortable around other black folks rather than with white folks. It wasn’t racism, it was just human nature. Black people I worked with always tended to congregate in the same area at lunch time. I understood and didn’t complain, because it’s normal to feel comfortable around people you’ve grown up with and around—your “own kind”. I didn’t think they were being snobbish or uppity because they preferred to socialize with their own kind, and they didn’t seem to resent whites associating with other whites. While some greater interacting and mingling of the races would definitely be good for race relations, I don’t see blacks or whites giving up their black or white friends in some “noble” effort to take up with members of the other race. And knowing how cliquish rich fat white politicians and media moguls are, I’d certainly be surprised to see them relinquishing their hold on their “white privileged” friends, because such liaisons help to promote and augment their power and influence, and you can be sure they won’t “let” those power liaisons “go”. So, City of Seattle Mayor Durcan and your Office of Civil Rights, you set aside some of your “privileged white” friends (and suffer the consequences), and then maybe your white city workers will give serious consideration to doing the same. Go on, set an example for your underlings, and stop being such pontificating, holier-than-thou hypocrites—and Pharisees.
The city of Seattle’s workers are being asked to “let go” of their Perfectionism
The very thing the city’s Hate Camp is trying to foist onto its white employees is the very same thing they claim is wrong for whites to cling to: perfectionism. They are telling white people, “You must be perfect in your relations with people of color, never once letting down your guard so that you will NEVER even accidentally or inadvertently say or do anything that could even possibly be interpreted by a person of color as racist. You must be eternally vigilant, constantly walking on eggshells, so that you do not hurt or harm someone of color.”
Tell me, how does one “let go” of the very thing he must cling to in order to avoid being labeled a racist? If I were one of those city workers, I would have to say, “You ‘let go’ of this moronic self-defacing, self-deprecating, self-hating program of yours, and then we can talk about letting go of perfectionism”. Apparently, at least according to the Seattle Council on Civil Rights, when a white person says he or she believes in hard work, getting ahead in life, and being responsible for his own actions, people of color interpret this “perfectionism” as racist, and they feel threatened by it. Some psychologists even claim that young people of color who hear whites talking about hard work, getting ahead, and taking responsibility for one’s actions, grow up feeling inadequate, insecure, and often develop violent behavior and self-destructive tendencies. Makes one wonder where they come up with these so-called psychologists who are so willing to tow the party line with its groupthink and doublespeak.
Such nonsense is foisted on us by “white supremacists” masquerading as “angels of mercy” to people of color. Well, I’m here to tell you there are plenty of people of color out there who would vehemently disagree with this entire charade, and they will readily tell anyone who will listen that they too believe in hard work, getting ahead in life, and taking responsibility for their own actions. And I’m not talking about Al Sharpton or those of his racist stripe. His ilk is all too willing to blame all its maladies, its problems, and its fears on white people and the police rather than taking responsibility for their own lives, and their own bad behavior. No, I’m talking about truly concerned people of color like Candice Owens, Kanye West, Morgan Freeman, Ben Carson, Herman Cain, LeVar Burton, Clarence Gilyard, and a whole cadre of other everyday people of color who do NOT buy into this lie of “white supremacy”, this fiction of racism designed and written by “white supremacists” under the guise of reeducating whites about their own “inborn racism”. I mean, really folks, these people are trying to tell other white people that they were born racist, that they can’t help it, they were born that way. Can you imagine the sheer audacity of such inane thinking? If white people were born racist, then who are you, City of Seattle, to try to change them? I would call such idiocy “White Conversion”. You say it’s wrong to try to change (convert) someone who was born gay or lesbian, or who was born transgender, but then you turn right back around and say it’s good and right to try to change white people, to make them different from how they were “born”? Do you see the utter ridiculousness in such inane thinking? Sorry, people, but you just can’t have it both ways.
In the first place, this whole thought process of someone being “born” with certain ingrained attitudes or tendencies is pure fiction, and it’s not even science fiction, but more like fantasy. It is nothing more than a convenient means of coercing people into conforming to certain patterns of behavior that sets them up to become the obsequious minions of the left-wing, liberal cabal in this country and elsewhere in the world. The reason their program is so effective and so appealing is not because it is right or logical or even sensible. It uses the same tactics Communists use against opponents in China and Muslims use against non-Muslims and resisters in the Middle East. It lures white people in using the bait of shame (for being white, for being racist, for being “privileged”), and it lures certain people of color in by assuring them that they are okay just like they are (dependent, unstructured, angry, irresponsible) because it’s not their fault and somebody else is going to pay. It is disguised as a program allegedly designed to bring white people and people of color together while underneath its devious and duplicitous mask it is driving even deeper the wedge of suspicion and hatred and mistrust that has divided white people and people of color for years, driving them even farther apart. It’s nothing more than the old “Divide and conquer” strategy under the new guise of social justice.
If the city workers of Seattle really care about better race relations, they will walk away from this HATE CAMP en masse, and tell the city to go suck an egg. The city has no legal right under the constitution to indoctrinate or brainwash its employees with groupthink or any other hypothetical drivel, no matter what name they may call it.
Rather than asking whites to abandon their perfectionism (a malady from which I doubt many city workers suffer), I would ask them to encourage their black fellow workers to join them in their struggle against anarchy in the streets and political abusive hegemony in high places. When the city of Seattle tells its white employees to abandon their “privileged white perfectionism”, the city is implying that people of color are incapable of improving themselves, so whites must stop expecting people of color to do as well as they do. Such twaddle! How insulting this is to people of color, especially to blacks, to insinuate that they are incapable of bettering themselves. What this all too blatantly exposes is the hidden racism of the “privileged white” politicians, who are all too quick to pretend that they truly care about the mental and emotional welfare of black people when all they really care about is their vote in November. And they’ll do almost anything, allow almost anything, and say almost anything to get it. Pharisees!
And that’s the bottom line.
July 20, 2020
Your words: “…this whole thought process of someone being “born” with certain ingrained attitudes or tendencies is pure fiction….” My words: “It’s more than “pure fiction. When applied to races, it’s “racism.” I have an admittedly old (1950’s) dictionary that defines “racism” as “the belief that race determines culture.” In other words, whites can’t do other than “act white,” and blacks can’t do other than “act black.” So, by that definition, who are the “racists?”
“Peaceful protestors” is a hoax. Although all marchers are not violent, they all know that their protesting will attract violence, and that is why they are there. Does anyone really think that anything happening today is related to George Floyd? The entire act is an act of violence, and everybody in the march is pro-violence.
These are not protesters; These are terrorists. They may belong to an organization called Black Lives Matter, but that is a misnomer. Their only interest is destruction. They would kill a black person just as quickly as a white, race is immaterial to them. They are being encouraged by the democratic party in an effort to sway those in the poorer communities to stay with the democrats. They have owned this segment of our nation for many years, and the same people are still in the same circumstance; because the democrats, like the BLM could care less about the people, beyond their vote. Hopefully all of the looting, rioting, killing, assaults etc. will open their eyes to the truth. Trump has done more for the working class than any president in my lifetime, and I am 87 years old. Just because some are poor, they are not stupid. The democrats have lied to them for years, and I believe that they are beginning to see the light. If Biden and the democrats win, what we have been seeing for the past three months, will become our way of life, for all of us.
Looking at what is happening in Portland make one yearn for the days of Genghis Khan…
As California became Hispanic, the limousine leftists turned up their noses at them and invaded Washington and Oregon, and changed the very nature of these wholesome states. These elitists were like a plague of locusts and I can hear the hummimg of wings as they look for other places to devour.
They are now flocking to Colorado.
I think we need to be careful talking about American cities run by Democrats as burning down. When the great Chicago Fire occurred, it did not burn down Chicago. It gutted the business district, which was made of wooden structures, but the docks, stockyards, factories, and warehouses were fine, as were citizen dwellings. They pitched this to investors on the east coast and Chicago started building tall, modern buildings equipped with those new-fangled devices, elevators!
I doubt very seriously if the vast majority of Portland has been affected by these riots. The damage is localized and if something happened to get everybody to go home, they would repair/replace the damaged parts pretty quickly. Let’s not have our own version of panic porn over this.
Amazing that Portland could see what happened in Seattle with CHOP and stand by and allow their own debacle to unfold apace…and nobody suffers consequences for their administrational malfeasance.
I lived around Portland for 14 years. It’s a dump with a few pretty veneers. It’s loaded with intolerant people whose passion is hating people who dare to have a politically incorrect opinion. Glad I escaped.
They will move and vote for the same progressive clowns.
These groups are funded by George Sorros. Their intention is chaos and bankruptcy of the state. He is an arm of global elites who want to do away with the nation state and the free will of democratically elected persons. It is a matter of national survival that these groups be dismantled and the owners of these groups charged with crimes against the state. They are disguised as protests but in truth they are a foreign hand of influence.
Just so you know, “abolition” in this context means “violent overthrow.”??
ab·o·li·tion
/ˌabəˈliSH(ə)n/
noun
the action or an act of abolishing a system, practice, or institution.
I can’t seem to find the word “violent” in the definition.
Your false claims demonstrate the inaccuracies in this article.
I’m sure this won’t get posted
Thank you so much for your very accurate and heart felt account of what’s happening to our beautiful Portland.
Your article was sent to me by a good friend and I have now subscribed to you.
Please keep telling the truth. So many people are totally blinded by hate, which is fueled by misinformation and down right lies.
I live in Portland. I have been to the protests more than on one occasion downtown. During the daytime, downtown is nearly empty, more of a peaceful city than any I have ever visited. At night, food tents pop up and feed a large crowd that gathers outside of these buildings. Yes, there are speeches being given, and definitely spray painting and graffiti alongside these buildings which serve to represent an instrument of inequality that needs to be addressed. Yes, some people wanted to clash with federal troops – key word, federal troops – because of frustrations that they SHOULD NOT be in this community.
Aside from that, media hype has really exaggerated everything. Nothing really seems that crazy. Frustration has largely arisen from a federal troop presence which is where more violence has emerged.
So, do not believe your lying eyes, trust me there is no violent terrorists in Portland at night. Lol. These aren’t the droids your looking for. Sell that left wing crap somewhere else. I do not kneel.
Wow what an impressively garbage article. Not only do you exaggerate over just about every single item in the protests, but then you also manage to try to cover up the obvious federal secret police department because you can read “police” on their jacks that ANYONE can buy and velcro. Where to start? I mean, I’d be here all day trashing this article if I really wanted to cover every single lie and embellishment you managed to pull out of the dumpster. But instead, ill keep it simple.
The feds do not belong here. They were told by local government to get out. This is why they are being sued.
The protests would stop if the protesters could have a sit down and discuss very simple demands on how to stop police brutality within the city.
Just like Chicago’s own mayor said, A few broken windows is worth the liberty it can create to allow people to protest.
Maybe if the police would stop gassing and using rubber bullets, things might not have to go property damage. Then again, if the officials still prefer to ignore all discussions, maybe not.
Trump being the man baby hes known for is just using this a spectacle to rile up already brain dead conservatives in order to win over the Ohio vote.
But the problem is, that the movement is growing. More and more normal job holding people are hitting the streets and protesting the federal police being here, and its only getting bigger. Far as negotiations, this will need to be handled at city and state level. Nobody is going to stand and let the military police come in and enforce tyranny.
Wow, what a garbage reply, not impressive. It never fails when one of you lefties list to not believe your lying eyes but the lies I am spewing. I will also keep it simple for your sake. First the terrorists on the streets of Portland were there for over 40 nights prior to the reinforcements added to the Federal court house. The Federal Government does not need or require the locals permission to protect Federal property. They are not secret police, they are marked Federal agents with unit patches. It is not their fault that most of the terrorists can’t read or comprehend the identification of the Federal agents. Here is an idea, stop attacking the Federal property and the Federal agents and most of them will go home. Your comment of a sit down with simple demands is simple. I do not think anyone would think that removal of all police, letting everyone out of prison and giving you bunch of lunatics’ money are simple demands. You want the Federal agents to stop using less than lethal means of protecting themselves from the terrorists who are shooting commercial fireworks at them, throwing, bottles, rocks, metal and who knows what else at them. Your right, they should just shoot them. As the rest of the small children you should just stay home and the adults work this out.
This makes me so sad. I grew up in Oregon, just south of Portland when the state was controlled by Republicans; seems so far away and distant now. During that time in the 60s and 70s, the number one bumper sticker in the state was “Don’t Californicate Oregon.” I pray that folks with good sense will take that advice in their own states if it is not too late. Oregon really should have taken that message to heart. Sadly, even progressives flee when things become “too progressive” and then the move to red states and take their voting and ideology with them so they can muck things up in their new home as well.
The problem with the left is that is has no self-correcting feedback. Failure of a policy is always treated as a need for more money and more authority to force the desired outcome. The rioting and destruction are actually just one phase in the process–used to provide the excuse for more centralized authority. Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and LA have all rigged their elections to ensure one-party domination. There are no self corrective actions. Like Detroit, these cities are on a death spiral. Not even the physical beauty of their locations will keep people from leaving if they don’t believe their families are safe.
Antifa and Black Lives Matter are only the tip of the insurgency, it began, during the Obama regime with his re-election organization called Organizing for America, with funding coming from leftist organizations all over the world, although many of those organizations were never identified, one could tell they came from foreign sources because of the odd amounts given,( for example , if $112. 37 was given, that odd amount would indicate conversion from a foreign currency to U.S. dollars) .Obama’s Organizing For America under the pretense of a re-election campaign allowed his radical leftist ideology to spread and take root in all fifty states, after his re-election, the name of the organization was changed to Organizing For Action, which has become the umbrella group for all radical , leftist , anti-American , groups in the United States , with a strength estimated to be between 30 and 50,000, and from bases in every state , they have been organized along the lines of a classic insurgency ready to move at a moments notice to take advantage of any opportunity, the Floyd death is a perfect example. When George Floyd was murdered by Police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, they sprang into action , Local insurgent elements began collecting intelligence , making plans of attack , gathering weapons and materials for those attacks , and preparing logistics such as housing , transportation , and the prestaging of weapons across the city to be used by the “Rioters” to create chaos . Local insurgents would be used as guides for the “Rioters” and scouts along the routes to their targets to avoid police check points , while the “Rioters “ would conduct the attacks and then leave the city , going back to their home bases , minimizing the chances of being caught or compromising the operation, and just as a point , “ riots” do not have such meticulous planning, assaults do. This was an insurgent attack, and the insurgent structure allows such operations to be conducted anywhere in the United States wherever the opportunity arises. Have no doubt , we are at war , and the quicker we realize it , the quicker the insurgent leaders can be rounded up, their organization destroyed and the violence ended , but pretending it is just a local problem plays right into the insurgents hands , a national response at the Federal level with national assets is needed and required.
Thank a Democrat voter for this.
Seriously.
Stand up and personally thank the Democrat voters for encouraging looting and rioting and arson.
you have zero idea what you are talking about. Come down and check it out for yourself before you go writing garbage like this.
I am beyond caring. Let the city burn along with the “peaceful” protestors.
To the businesses and people of the West Coast: We are welcoming to new business in Texas. If you want the finest engineers, software designers, top flight universities, hard working and especially civil fellow citizens, please consider our state. In many ways, we are similar to the Eastern half of your states, we tend to be conservative, grounded and employed. Other than Dallas we have had very little disruption as a result of either Covid 19 or the stupidity of the current civil disruptions. Please consider relocating, the Governor’s office has an excellent web site for business relocation (https://businessintexas.com/resources/expansion-relocation-guide). The only thing we request is please do not bring your politics. We are perfectly happy in our ignorance thinking that an Individual has responsibilities and not just rights, thank you.
I am 66 years old, was born and raised in Portland until I moved to Oregon City (25 miles from Portland)at the age of 36 so I am very familiar with the changes that occurred over that period of time. When I was a child we had signs at our borders say “Thank you for visiting Oregon” Oregonians were happy you came to visit but did not want people to move here, we were very happy with the conservative, hard working, friendly population we had. That started changing with a migration from California and other states in the 80s when home prices increased. Now Portland is a radical liberal city while the rest of Oregon remains conservative.
I have been very disturbed by the lessoning of democracy and rights of the American people over the last 50 years and started doing research to find the cause. The best answers I found, with the best statistical support are from Noam Chomsky documentary and book “Requiem for the American Dream”. If you are an American and believe in democracy you must watch this program and share with everyone you know, it is free on YouTube.
Americans need to unite, become politically active, do the research, and enforce our wants as a nation on the congress we elect to carry out our desires. Part of that is being informed about each political candidate’s position on the wants of the American people and how they plan to implement our desires. We the silent majority have tremendous power and that is our almighty dollar! United in a campaign to not spend money on certain dates could send a clear message to Washington and the elites that we are no longer sheep but a might nation of one watching every move they make and demanding a return to a true democracy!
We need solutions and our tax dollars spent to better all our lives and the lives of future generations, not just make the wealthy richer and more powerful to control Washington.
Not many Americans ever plan to go to Portland and even more don’t care about Portland. It would be great if they lost alot of their tax base because the sensible people i, if there are any who live there, will move away. No sleep is being lost because of what happens in Portland. It is a disgraceful city that is an embarrassment to our whole country.