Question regarding the protest-related fatality in Portland.....

[jp1]

I'm curious, did the neighborhood gatherings stop pre-covid? Or are they a temporary reality due to covid? Although I suppose they could still happen outside and distanced during covid.

San Francisco is certainly a less desirable place currently but that's hopefully only temporary. I expect that a year from now things will have gotten pretty much back to normal but for now certain neighborhoods are pretty awful. I had to go downtown for my dentist appointment the other day and it was really creepy. Other than construction workers the only people wandering around were great big encampments of homeless people in tents, despite the fact that there are a lot of high rise residential buildings in that neighborhood. My dentist's office is the only business operating in her building so the elevators are shut down. The security guard let me in to the fire staircase where I had to squeeze past the garbage dumpsters and up a dank and dirty staircase to her office. Adding to the dreariness was the fact that the windows, which look out across the embarcadero to the the Bay had not been cleaned in ages and were filthy. On top of all that the office experience itself was depressing. It's normally a bright, cheery open space that's been nicely decorated, but now it's got big ugly opaque plastic sheets hanging from the ceiling separating the chairs from each other with loud air purifiers in each space. I'm glad that they are being cautious and appear to be doing it right, but the whole experience was a depressing reminder of how not normal life is right now.

[gimmethesimplelife]

But Rob, haven’t there been multiple fatalities in this Portland caper? I don’t get why you’re posting today about a death. Anyway whatever, it’s all a big shit show.

As far as I understand, to date, this kne only. Not that I could ever forgive America for such but so far, this one inexcusable death to America only. Let us pray that death due to America halts here. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

Should have been this one only above. Rob

[Rogar]

Well, I'd consider an eventual acknowledgement and then transfer of responsibility for everything bad happening there to be considered good by many. Finally, lawlessness is a bad thing to the previously blind!

It would seem to me like the most logical action would be for the local police to arrest those who are damaging property or posing an illegal threat to others across the board. Eventually the threat of arrest and punishment would get some off the streets and deter others. From what little I understand of the situation, there are some arrests but they are released and back on the streets the next day. That hardly seems like law and order to me. I can suppose the city officials were elected by a majority and maybe that's the sort of response they favor? If it were in my neighborhood I'd be screaming for better protection.

Something doesn't seem to be working right, but I don't know that a gang of mean looking guys parading through town for one day in trucks, dressed in military garb, and taunting demonstrators is any solution and is more likely antagonistic. It's a little romantic to think of them as a militia when they are more accurately protesters or agitators at best. Trump and maybe his supporters are promising an end to violence, but the ball is pretty much in his court right now and I'm not seeing any solution coming from the big T. It's another false promise. Whatever federal troops were sent tended to increase the violence. I can only think that he and his supporters don't have a good answer.

It's a bad situation with some moronic behavior coming form several sides, as i see it.

[jp1]

It would seem to me like the most logical action would be for the local police to arrest those who are damaging property or posing an illegal threat to others across the board. Eventually the threat of arrest and punishment would get some off the streets and deter others. From what little I understand of the situation, there are some arrests but they are released and back on the streets the next day. That hardly seems like law and order to me. I can suppose the city officials were elected by a majority and maybe that's the sort of response they favor? If it were in my neighborhood I'd be screaming for better protection.

Something doesn't seem to be working right, but I don't know that a gang of mean looking guys parading through town for one day in trucks, dressed in military garb, and taunting demonstrators is any solution and is more likely antagonistic. It's a little romantic to think of them as a militia when they are more accurately protesters or agitators at best. Trump and maybe his supporters are promising an end to violence, but the ball is pretty much in his court right now and I'm not seeing any solution coming from the big T. It's another false promise. Whatever federal troops were sent tended to increase the violence. I can only think that he and his supporters don't have a good answer.

It's a bad situation with some moronic behavior coming form several sides, as i see it.

+5000

[iris lilies]

It would seem to me like the most logical action would be for the local police to arrest those who are damaging property or posing an illegal threat to others across the board. Eventually the threat of arrest and punishment would get some off the streets and deter others. From what little I understand of the situation, there are some arrests but they are released and back on the streets the next day. That hardly seems like law and order to me. I can suppose the city officials were elected by a majority and maybe that's the sort of response they favor? If it were in my neighborhood I'd be screaming for better protection...

But that’s exactly how it works Roger. Perps are arrested, kept overnight, and let out the next day. I’ve been living with that reality for years in urban St. Louis. We just had a discussion about Returning nuisance actors at our neighborhood board meeting Tuesday night. I would love to know how their social workers would treat these guys? Sweet talk them into doing what, I’m not sure.Portland is seeing bits of the kind of lawlessness that takes place in much of urban America. That is new for Portland. It is hard for Portland.

I do not agree with you at all that the ball is in Trump’s court about violence in Portland. He’s probably taking advantage of that agitation, but he’s not gonna end it. It’s a local matter, it’s a bunch of goons on the ground. It’s a shit show for local gendarmes to address.I actually think it’s a very bad idea to invite Trump to “end it. “

[Rogar]

I do not agree with you at all that the ball is in Trump’s court about violence in Portland. He’s probably taking advantage of that agitation, but he’s not gonna end it. It’s a local matter, it’s a bunch of goons on the ground. It’s a shit show for local gendarmes to address.I actually think it’s a very bad idea to invite Trump to “end it. “

This is a quote from T's 2016 acceptance speech. “The crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end. Beginning on January 20th, 2017, safety will be restored.”

I anticipate he will make a similar promise again. My point being that if he is truly capable of this, what is he waiting for, the election? As in his court. More likely he is being more antagonistic than helping. I'd just as soon he kept his small fingers out these situations.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I'm curious, did the neighborhood gatherings stop pre-covid? Or are they a temporary reality due to covid? Although I suppose they could still happen outside and distanced during covid.

San Francisco is certainly a less desirable place currently but that's hopefully only temporary. I expect that a year from now things will have gotten pretty much back to normal but for now certain neighborhoods are pretty awful. I had to go downtown for my dentist appointment the other day and it was really creepy. Other than construction workers the only people wandering around were great big encampments of homeless people in tents, despite the fact that there are a lot of high rise residential buildings in that neighborhood. My dentist's office is the only business operating in her building so the elevators are shut down. The security guard let me in to the fire staircase where I had to squeeze past the garbage dumpsters and up a dank and dirty staircase to her office. Adding to the dreariness was the fact that the windows, which look out across the embarcadero to the the Bay had not been cleaned in ages and were filthy. On top of all that the office experience itself was depressing. It's normally a bright, cheery open space that's been nicely decorated, but now it's got big ugly opaque plastic sheets hanging from the ceiling separating the chairs from each other with loud air purifiers in each space. I'm glad that they are being cautious and appear to be doing it right, but the whole experience was a depressing reminder of how not normal life is right now.

From what I understand as Portland has become more and more expensive it's composition is changing to less social, more stressed out people. And Oregon was not shy about a long lockdown. The protests are not really impacting SE Portland much - yet - unless works downtown or drives through there.

I think too that I arrived in Portland at it's tail end of being a mecca for frugal people. Rob

[iris lilies]

This is a quote from T's 2016 acceptance speech. “The crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end. Beginning on January 20th, 2017, safety will be restored.”

I anticipate he will make a similar promise again. My point being that if he is truly capable of this, what is he waiting for, the election? As in his court. More likely he is being more antagonistic than helping. I'd just as soon he kept his small fingers out these situations.

yes, he Should keep his fingers out of it, much of it anyway. I suppose I can accept the feds going in to protect federal property, but that seems to be over.

As for campaign promiseS and politician’s promises, well. OK. Especially Donald’s.