Portland vichy “mayor” Ted Wheeler took to twitter not to denounce or criticize the rioters, but to govsplain to the rest of us peasants why the rioters are rioting and why it’s not their fault. He excused the rioting as “a direct response to years of systemic injustice” and further lectured us in how “violent agitation… occurred with purpose and resulted in change.”
I wanted to share some of the difficult but necessary conversations I've had with friends, colleagues, and partners in our black community. We talked about the moment we are in – that the rioting we are seeing is a direct response to years of systemic injustice.
— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) May 31, 2020
All placing the Black community at a worsening disadvantage.
We talked about why we must center the Black community.
— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) May 31, 2020
And how we will, no matter how long it takes, do that so we all – most acutely our Black community – can feel safe, heard, and valued.
— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) May 31, 2020
Wheeler also issued limp statements at a press conference on Saturday, as Willamette Week reports:
“I felt conflicted in many ways,” he said. “There was a pain that erupted into violence last night….What happened in Portland last night and across the country did not happen in a vacuum.”
“I don’t condone what happened in Portland last night,” Wheeler added. “I do not believe that violence or vandalism is the means to a political end….I don’t condone what happened in Portland last night, and I do not tolerate it. But there’s more, and here’s the important part of what is a deeply moral conflict. This isn’t just about damage or graffiti or fires or broken storefronts or lost product.”
He broke down in emotion while speaking about the failure of political institutions to protect black men.
As if Wheeler weren’t wacked out enough, his challenger for Mayor took it to another level, as the article continues:
Wheeler’s challenger in the fall election, Sarah Iannarone, went further than the mayor in criticizing police violence, directly naming black men who have been shot by Portland police.
“Violence perpetrated by those who are supposed to ‘protect and serve’ is not confined to other municipalities; it occurs here in Portland regularly,” she said in a statement. “These images remind us all of the deaths that have occurred in our city at the hands of the police, such as Quanice Hayes, Terrell Johnson, Kendra James, Keaton Otis, Aaron Campbell, Andre Gladen and too many more. These deaths must stop and should be the priority of our leaders.”
“This does not honor the victims nor reflect who we are as a community,” she said. “This destruction must end. But for it to end, we need visible leadership, deescalation, actual local reforms, and a sense of community that has been crumbling in recent years.”
Governor Kate Brown chimed in with this:
George Floyd.
Breonna Taylor.
Ahmaud Arbery.
Philando Castile.
Alton Sterling.Too many Black lives taken by racist violence. Far too many. Mourning their loss is not enough. We must commit ourselves to racial justice.
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) May 30, 2020
Perhaps Portland just needs more tolerance and understanding. Perhaps the city council will issue another resolution condemning white supremacy. Maybe they’ll say more sensitivity training is needed for the police.
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