Almost 90 days of rioting in Portland is enough. With millions of dollars of damage and multiple injuries to both citizens and law enforcement, it needs to stop. Where is the leadership in Portland? Where is the leadership from Governor Kate Brown?

Governor Brown has issued hypocritical statements rejecting the assistance of federal law enforcement as they defended federal property against the attacks of violent anarchists in Portland this summer. This is a noticeably stark contrast to the governor’s statements in 2016, when she wanted federal law enforcement to end the peaceful protest at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that ended in the shooting and death of LaVoy Finicum. It’s clear if the governor agrees with the politics, any violence is excused.

In response to the violence, all we’ve heard from Portland leaders is crickets, apart from Representative Jeff Barker (D-Aloha), a former law enforcement officer, who had the courage to call out elected leaders for failing to denounce the violence after nearly 40 days at the time. In July, Oregon U.S. Attorney Billy Williams denounced the violence in an interview that had most Oregonians cheering.

Fast forward to today, at nearly 90 days, Governor Brown has failed to condemn the violence and is standing on the sidelines as law enforcement, journalists, legal observers and others are getting hurt, millions of dollars in property damage is accruing and the fabric of Oregon is ripping as human decency is lost. Over 240 federal law enforcement have been injured, and some may be permanently blinded after aircraft-grade lasers shone in their eyes night after night.

What’s next? Is the Governor going to wait until someone is killed? I hope not.

The extreme polarization that Oregon faces is a tool Democrats rely on as an election weapon. During a hotly contested presidential election year, both sides of the aisle try to sway voters one way. This year Democrats are using extremes at the cost of voters. I think Oregonians are recognizing that the COVID-19 event and violent riots are tied to an election strategy. Both issues need to be addressed because they are real, and Oregonians need to reconcile them. To use them at the expense of the citizens is immoral. If there is any chance of recovering our state, it will be from courageous and sincere leadership on both sides of the aisle, and a willingness to do what is unpopular to protect Oregonians.

A concept that all Americans used to agree with is that citizens who engage in unlawful acts must be stopped. In America, law enforcement, the personnel deployed by elected officials who are tasked with upholding the law, should have the ability to stop lawbreaking to protect public safety.

By painting law enforcement officers as the villains and failing to condemn the violence in Portland, Governor Brown and Portland Democrats are showing their true intentions: they are using extreme measures to keep Oregon under Democrat control.


--Senator Herman E. Baertschiger Jr. (R-Grants Pass)

Post Date: 2020-08-28 10:00:29