On Tuesday night, Democratic Portland mayor and ardent leftist Ted Wheeler, culling from a longer post on Facebook, tweeted his outrage at a “violent group of individuals” who destroyed “another minority-owned, local business.” Strangely enough, Wheeler simply would not say which group was responsible.
Wheeler tweeted, “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. This is what we’re all supposed to be fighting for. But last night saw more senseless violence in Portland. Another minority-owned, local business was destroyed by a violent group of individuals.”
In the Facebook post, Wheeler wrote, “Elected leaders – or those seeking office – who remain silent in the midst of these acts of violence and criminal destruction are equally complicit. The community must rise up and say ‘enough is enough’ and hold all of us accountable. We cannot truly move on together and make the positive changes we want to see until this violence is stopped. All violence.”
“I call on my colleagues and all Portlanders to join me in denouncing violence and to actively oppose it by finding positive ways to let your voices be heard and to bring about the changes you want to see,” Wheeler continued. “We join the many activists who call for the continued peaceful protests. I will work with you to use every tool to move toward the systemic changes needed at every level of government. Either you are with centering the heavy work of dismantling institutional racism or you are not. These acts of violence distract us. And they must stop.”
Wheeler boasted, “As Mayor, I will always fight for your Constitutional rights, no matter your politics. I will always fight for your ability to disagree with my actions, police actions, and the actions of your neighbors. What I will not stand for is endangering the lives of your fellow Portlanders. That is unacceptable to me and it is unacceptable to our community. If you are participating in violence, I want to be clear: I denounce your actions. State and local law enforcement is working together to hold you accountable. Your actions demonstrate a level of hate and destruction that we WILL NOT condone or tolerate.”
Despite President Trump’s repeated offers to have federal law enforcement aid Portland’s response to the violent riots that have plagued the city for three months, Wheeler has defiantly refused. On Sunday, Wheeler blamed President Trump for the violence in Portland after an apparent right-wing protester was killed. Wheeler’s attempt to deflect blame came after he told Trump to “stay away” following the president offering federal assistance to end the violence in the city.
Wheeler ranted, “Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence? It’s you who have created the hate and the division. It’s you who have not found a way to say the names of black people killed by police officers, even as people in law enforcement have, and it’s you who claimed that white supremacists are good people.” He added, “President Trump, you bring no peace. You bring no respect to our democracy. You, Mr. President, need to do your job as the leader of this nation, and I, Mr. President, will do my job as the mayor of this city.”
Post a Comment