Tag Archives: National Guard

local news

Portland … hardly a hellhole

I received an Instagram message overnight from a dear friend in Germany who wanted to know if the city of my birth was the hellhole described by Donald Trump as he ordered the National Guard to hit the streets of the Rose City to curb the crime wave that he says is enveloping the city.

Of course, my friend knew the answer. It isn’t the place that Trump describes. He sent along images of children playing in downtown fountains, of people gathered under the Morrison Bridge for the Saturday Market. It showed food vendors peddling corn dogs and assorted treats.

But yet … Trump wants to declare that Portland has become overwhelmed by gangs, by drug dealers, rapists, murderers, child sex traffickers and various other evil elements he vows to exterminate.

Here’s a brief thumbnail sketch of the city where I came into this world 75 years ago. It’s home to about 650,000 people; it’s the center of a metro area comprising 2.5 million residents. It has a vibrant downtown district. It’s home to a major league soccer team and a National Basketball Association franchise. Every June, it salutes the roses that come into bloom with the annual Rose Festival and the Grand Floral Parade usually draws a crowd of about a million spectators. It’s a beautiful city, with Mount Hood towering on the eastern horizon and what’s left of Mount St. Helens looming to the north.

Yes, it has criminals. So does every city on Earth. It has a homeless problem.

But I’ll be damned if Donald Trump should get away with describing the city where I came of age as some sort of cesspool. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has pushed back against Trump deploying the National Guard. She said he has no authority to do so without the permission of the governor. She won’t give him permission.

This guy described by someone recently as an overfed man-baby is off his ever-lovin’ rocker.

military news

It’s ‘Secretary,’ not ‘General’ Mattis, Mr. President

I am going to quibble briefly over something I keep hearing from Donald J. Trump.

The president keeps referring to the secretary of defense, James “Mad Dog” Mattis, by his former title. He once was a Marine four-star general. He’s a combat veteran who’s quite proud of his service to the country. I happen to be a fan of “Mad Dog” Mattis.

However, he’s no longer in the Marine Corps. Yeah, yeah. I know: Once a Marine, always a Marine. Blah, blah, blah.

He is a civilian. I want the president to refer to James Mattis as “Secretary Mattis,” which would reflect the principle of civilian control of the U.S. military.

Trump recently made the reference while discussing the deployment of National Guard troops along our southern border.

“Mad Dog” Mattis no longer wears a uniform to work, Mr. President. He wears suits and ties, just like you do.

So, please refer to him by his current title of “Secretary” Mattis.

There. Quibble over.

Uncategorized

Get out and vote, Ferguson residents

There appears to be a fairly straightforward political solution to the problems that have beset Ferguson, Mo., the suburban community being swallowed up by unrest and violence in the wake of the shooting of a young black man by a white police officer.

The town is roiling with turbulence. Cops are under fire for their gross overreaction to residents’ protests; Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has called out the National Guard; U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is going there to assess whether federal involvement is needed; President Obama is calling for calm; the town is swarming with broadcast and print media representatives, not to mention an assortment of civil-rights activists.

The solution? It’s at the ballot box.

National Public Radio reported this morning a few interesting facts:

Ferguson is roughly 65 percent African-American; its mayor is white; its city council is mostly white; its police force has three African-American officers. Here’s the kicker: The 2013 municipal election produced a 12 percent turnout among African-American voters.

The solution? The city needs to elect qualified African-American residents to positions of power on the city council, who then need to perhaps reshape the city’s law enforcement infrastructure to reflect more accurately the city’s population.

Imagine, then, what might happen to a troubled community if the city’s police force and governing council reflected the backgrounds of the residents whose interests they represent.