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gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
2. I guess our little beehive of terrorism calmed down when Trump quit swinging his little stick
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 11:27 AM
Jul 2020

See ya, Donald. Come back when you need another ass kicking.

Mme. Defarge

(7,982 posts)
3. Thank you for posting this!
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 11:33 AM
Jul 2020

I live in PDX and checked for updates in WP, NYT and The Oregonian before getting out of bed this morning. Nothing on last night.

I pray that it holds, but for right now I feel so relieved I’m practically in tears.

Laelth

(32,017 posts)
4. That's what the poorly-named "Defund the Police" program is all about.
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 11:34 AM
Jul 2020

We would be better off spending our money on organizations and people whose job it is to DEESCALATE confrontational situations. Rather than funding a ton of goons in swat gear with semi-automatic rifles, I’d rather fund the hippie patrol (a well-trained group of social workers armed with no more than handcuffs, a bag of weed, various pipes, and a rolling machine) to go into high-conflict situations with the goal of de-escalating the situation. We will still need SWAT teams for the drug kingpins, but, for most situations, like a hot domestic dispute, I suspect that the Hippie Patrol would be more effective.

De-escalation should be the goal.

Besides, I would love to see long-haired, tie-dye-wearing, weed-toting, shade-sporting, Birkenstock-shoed (but still badge-wearing) citizens on patrol on our streets.

BTW, I am at least half-serious about this proposal.



-Laelth

Response to Laelth (Reply #4)

nykym

(3,063 posts)
8. I agree Defund the Police was a
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 11:40 AM
Jul 2020

bad slogan, Reform the Police would have been better.
Defund just added fuel to the over zealous repugs.

utopian

(1,091 posts)
7. Amazing how that works
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 11:37 AM
Jul 2020

I live in Portland, and this is no surprise at all. The protests had settled into smaller, peaceful gatherings with little violence before the Trump's thugs arrived. Now maybe the focus can rightly return to BLM rather than reacting to fascist suppression of protesters.

CentralMass

(15,265 posts)
12. I live nearby Portland. I'm glad things have calmed down and hope it lasts. However.
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 02:04 PM
Jul 2020

I don't quite a agree with your assessment that it had calmed down before tRump sent in the troops. The large peaceful rallies and marches were and are never an issue.

Here is clip from June 30, days before tRump sent in the zfeds.
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/06/portland-protests-to-continue-for-34th-straight-day-tuesday.html

"Portland police call Tuesday protest ‘riot,’ release tear gas on crowd, drivers"

There is video in article. This is night 34 of another night of the same crap at the fence.

panader0

(25,816 posts)
9. Thank you Portland.
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 11:47 AM
Jul 2020

Thanks for resisting the federal occupation and thank you being calm after they left.
You Portlanders showed the other occupied cities how to handle the situation.
You embarrassed the big baby in the White House.

2naSalit

(86,073 posts)
10. And there it is for all to see.
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 11:56 AM
Jul 2020

This is going to be hard on -45. I expect every day to be filled with twit tantrums and threats until he either incapacitates himself or Jan. 20th, whichever comes first.

onetexan

(12,994 posts)
14. +1 K&R - Portland has shown us how to stand up to these thugs sent in by the Idiot's enablers
Fri Jul 31, 2020, 02:30 PM
Jul 2020

we owe a debt to our fellow Americans @this city, and to all the protesters who came from elsewhere to help in the cause - Vets, moms, dads, young people. The nation thanks you!!

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