Should Portland Oregon, Be Next

Is Portland, Oregon, Next?

I pull up my news feed, and there it is, the media jumping to conclusions too quickly to titillate with a headline.

It reports that Portland is next on the President’s list to send in the National Guard.

The statement should have a question mark at the end of it, but why should we expect accuracy out of them anyway?

I listened to his statement, and he says he’s considering Portland, but never did he say the Rose City was next.

My question to you is, should Portland be next?

I was at a wedding in Stevenson, Washington, last night.

Stevenson is less than an hour from Portland.

Many of the guests live in and around Portland.

We were talking about the state of the city and only a few folks actually said they thought it was safe.

The overwhelming concensous is, the Rose City has wilted and the bloom is long gone.

I grew up in the Portland area.

The city was vibrant, beautiful, busy, and the place to be.

Many parts of Portland are still untouched.

That’s part of the problem.

When you don’t see it regularly, you can ignore it.

For those of us who come to visit family and remember what Portland was, the difference is stark.

Folks at the wedding told me how many of their friends have lost businesses, left the city, and even left the state.

They see it.

President Trump apparently saw news coverage of the riots and destruction going on, mostly in Downtown Portland, which is what put the city on his radar.

My question to you is, should Portland be next on the President’s list?

Why?