The protesters who took to the streets of Portland last night once again, have been termed left wing by the press. Yet they broke windows at the Democratic headquarters there, and expressed opposition to both the deposed Trump and our current President Biden. One man had a sign saying “We are not governable!”
I would suggest that these are not left wing, they are no-wing: neither left nor right. They are anarchists or people who ironically are closest to fascists. Historical fascists have smashed all institutions of government upon taking power, replacing them with totalitarian structures where it’s their way or the guillotine. They change the system of laws to suit their own chaotic ideals. They have no plan on how to manage a society, and are invested in no management at all. Democracy? That’s just another scheme of the elite ruling classes, these anarchists maintain. Tear down ICE. Tear down the police. Tear down the Presidency itself.
Last night, the police countered with tear gas to disperse the mob. That is a short term answer, but doesn’t solve the root problem. Surprisingly the answer is similar to that for white supremacist groups. Since these are not going away on their own, the FBI must infiltrate these groups and build files of names, numbers, contacts, and plans. Inside information is critical for understanding and ultimately deterring these men from committing violent acts. Peaceful protests are always fine in our country. But the kind of violence and lawlessness these groups can engage in must be quashed before they act.
We are a nation of laws. Throwing frozen water bottles, setting fires to buildings, breaking windows, harming or intimidating others help no one. But these are the empty values that drive these groups as well as the groups that attacked our Capitol building on 1/6/21. I don’t know who exactly were present last night in Portland but they seemed anti- everything, devoted only to chaos and anarchy.
We have seen in our country the proper way to change things we don’t agree with. Through the ballot box, we got rid of an authoritarian ogre, replaced by a reasonable man who is well experienced in compromise politics. Our congresspeople are representative of their constituents. If constituents are displeased with their actions, they can vote them out. They can send letters, make phone calls, initiate recalls, write letters to the editor of newspapers, get involved in politics themselves. They don’t throw bottles, break windows, or set illegal fires. They are respectful of the rights of others. Peaceful protests get more accomplished then violent protests in both the short term and the long.
I beseech the anarchists roaming the streets of Portland to go home, examine their lives, and fill the empty places within with reasonable and responsible thought and action. That’s what our democracy encourages and allows. It may take longer to make changes, but those changes will stick and be more likely to blend into the mainstream. Examples include same sex marriage, women’s rights, and Black rights since the end of WWII.
The kind of wild street riots that occurred on the day of the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the highest offices of our country are not acceptable and need to cease immediately.
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