Editor's note: This article contains offensive language.

You may have heard that a large, unpermitted, Black Lives Matter protest occurred over the weekend in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Perhaps you've seen the flyer that circulated around social media claiming "We are going to F### S### up in Lake Oswego"

But where did it start, and why Lake Oswego?

According to the Lake Oswego School District, an anonymous letter was sent to a home, displaying a window painting that stated "Silence Supports Police Violence."

The letter sent anonymously, signed "your neighbors", asks for the painting to come down, and to respect the values and views of all neighbors. A seemingly innocuous neighborhood issue, very quickly escalated into a community debacle, as the school board, district, city council, chamber of commerce, and then BLM, decided to get involved to offer their viewpoints on the situation. Beginning with Lake Oswego School District sending out an email to parents "reaffirming its commitment to creating environments of anti-racism"

Frustrated parents began to seek answers, upon receiving this email, trying to understand this choice of intervention. An email response to one parent, who wishes to remain unnamed, reads that the school felt it was important to get involved, as a student of LOSD, resides in that particular home. Mary Kay Larson goes onto add that the school (not the family unit) is "responsible for educating and supporting the whole child, not just academics."

The letter must have been extremely inappropriate to warrant such a response, be rendered "horrible" by school board members, and incite flyers calling to F### S### Up. One main point made, was the intent of the anonymous letter writer, who mentioned property values. The School Board responded that this individual placed greater value on property than Black Lives, therefore excusing whatever reactions would follow. Even excusing the flyer, calling for violence, as an acceptable means to an end, "dismantling white supremacy."

It's unclear who reached out to Portland based group "Moms United For Black Lives", or if officials within the city coordinated efforts for the protest, but Willie Poinsette of the Lake Oswego "Respond to Racism" group, told KOIN News "the march shows that people of color in Lake Oswego aren’t “sitting in a bubble,” and there are other people out there who support the movement within the city." Poinsette also expressed frustration that the Proud Boys were called to the march. According to their Oregon chapter, local area business owners requested the Proud Boys security services. Antifa was also invited for security reasons by "Moms United For Black Lives" founder Demetria Hester, according to Facebook posts pictured here.

Hester states "Yes awesome day! The wimpy chuds were (crying emoji). They was big scared and when they saw security they didn't want none." "Yes it was beautiful watching them be scared" added another protester on the thread. In the live Facebook feed, Antifa can clearly be seen armed to the teeth, open carrying shotguns, and AR semi-automatic rifles.

With Antifa security, the organizers of the event marched down Lake Oswego streets, chanting things like "burrrr it's cold in here, there must be some racists in the atmosphere" (as the group came upon cars in the Safeway parking lot with Trump flags, and the American flag), but not before getting a pep talk from Demetria Hester herself. Her speech reads as follows:

"Wake up wake up wake up, we're here to wake up you racist white people" Hester yelled into a bullhorn prior to the march.

"They think because they live in lake Oswego they're safe, we're here to wake them up. They think because they live in lake Oswego they're superior to everyone else". "Everywhere you look there's a Karen, they said it's not ok to protest. They don't have unity, we have unity. They hate themselves, they have hate in their hearts because they hate themselves."

"Start loving yourselves, start loving your family. These white people are evil, they have no hearts, they couldn't change if they wanted to. They don't know what it's like being another color, they don't know what it's like to be afraid of dying because of their skin color."

"Ya'll are evil, everything you do is evil, y'all ain't shit, y'all ain't shit. How bout y'all stop drinking, how bout y'all stop being alcoholics, lake no negroe. Your wives know you ain't shit, and they're leaving you. Wake up, white men don't know what the F### they're doing"

The march proceeded down 2nd street, by Safeway, to A avenue, ending by the water fountain on the promenade where the group began harassing restaurant goers, and demanding to hear the term "Black Lives Matter" from passersby. One woman was jeered at, and called a racist while sitting at a table, silently filming. Captured here by Twitter user "KittyLists." "Look at this, she's super racist", says Hester with the bullhorn. Another anti-racist marcher asked, "Do your kids go to L.O High? Are you teaching them to be racist like you? Or are they trying to teach you not to be a f###ing racist?"

It's abundantly clear that the protest was directly connected to, what started as, a minor neighborhood conflict over appropriate window signs. Normally a city council meeting would have taken public comment, and then determined what constitutes free speech vs divisive content, or an impediment to peace. However, in this case, members of the school district decided to take matters into their own hands, believing it's their job to "educate and support the whole child, not just academics".

After reviewing correspondence between parents and school district officials, it's also clear that the School District was well aware of the upcoming protest, along with the flyer calling for violence. It would appear the Lake Oswego School District is more concerned with racism, then it is with the safety of students. By taking on the role of families, to educate and support the whole child, LOSD has created a new set of moral and ethical dilemmas. Additionally, the failure to allow this situation to permeate through the proper channels of government, creates a new set of questions. What is the role of the School District?

Is the School District responsible for students, while they're at home, under the care of parents? Is the possibility of racism more important than actualized violence? What authority or responsibility does the school district have to maintain the peace in a community? Can government be a "made to order", individualized policy maker, or does it need to be equally applicable to all? Is it our government's role to create enforceable policies, involving thought, the human mind, or hearts?

In the continued fight for equality, and tolerance, how do personal biases, or violence help create a more tolerant or just society? Are we demonizing those who disagree with our own world views, while labeling them as racist, at the detriment of democracy?

One thing we can probably all agree on, is that true, two sided conversations are not happening in our reactionary, triggered world. Conversations that are desperately needed to understand one another, are being replaced by insults and bullying. As the divide continues, we're seeing these same dynamics playing out in city council meetings, legislative hearings, and on the Presidential debate stage. Rhetoric seems to be taking the place of solid policy discussions. In a recent Oregon legislative committee hearing, bipartisan support over simple budgetary appropriations, could not be found, but instead became a continuous, emotionally charged debate.

Our State, and our Country is at a critical crossroads. Will we be able to place personal feelings aside, and address the root issues, making sound policy decisions for all? Or will our country crumble, as two ideological extremes lock horns, like two rams fighting over the prized ewe?


--Breeauna Sagdal

Post Date: 2020-10-28 16:41:29

Last Update: 2020-10-29 08:32:08