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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 2021)
January 27, 2021 Page 9 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. O PINION Now Even Harder to Trust the Police The insurrection response and the cops among the extremists t raCey l. r ogers Having lived and protested in the streets of D.C., I was shocked to see the U.S. Capitol breached by insurrection- ists denying the outcome of last year’s presidential election. As an activist, I’ve gotten scru- tiny visiting the Capitol just for wearing politicized attire. So it was truly remarkable to watch as a predominantly white mob, en- couraged by the former president, stormed the Capitol building on January 6 with seemingly little re- sistance. by It was impossible not to imag- ine that had the mob been black or brown, they would have been brutally counterattacked and then prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. When nonviolent racial justice protestors gathered on the National Mall last summer, they were met by heavily armed police officers in full camouflage. And yet police appear to have liter- ally opened the gates for the white mob. This should have never hap- pened. But it did. The Capitol Building can, in fact, be breached if you are white — and have a lit- tle help. Guard rails can be removed for ease of entry. You can even pose for selfies with Capitol police offi- cers inside all while possibly plot- ting to take hostages. There is something wrong with all of this. While the majority of police that day fought to protect our democracy — one officer, sadly, lost his life — there were still a few too many who did little to nothing. The rioters planned their attack openly on social media and far- right websites for weeks. The FBI warned the Capitol police days in advance that the Capitol could be attacked. Even requests to the Pentagon from D.C. Mayor Muri- el Bowser for additional National Guard troops ahead of the rally were denied. Yet police that day were told to prepare for only a “normal” pro- test, leaving them vulnerable and easily overwhelmed. More disturbingly, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Black member of Con- gress, reported that the panic but- tons in her office had been ripped out before the attack. These and other complaints highlighted con- cerns from lawmakers that mem- bers of the Capitol police could not be trusted to protect them. Then there are the revelations that many off-duty police officers from around the country, includ- ing from Philadelphia, where I now live, attended the rally. Yes, they have a right to free speech. And perhaps not all who attended the rally stormed the Capitol. But knowing that police attended a rally replete with white supremacist banners and Confed- erate battle flags only diminishes public trust that the police are sup- posed to rely on. It’s no wonder that some activ- ists are reviving calls to defund the police. “Tell me again,” activist Bree Newsome tweeted during the at- tack, “why we can’t defund the police and military when they’ve shown us today that they don’t in- tend to use any of their expensive gear to protect the Capitol from a domestic invasion?” I believe it’s time to more seri- ously consider the possibility. There is plenty of research that shows how defunding police departments nationwide would allow for more social services (health care, education, housing, etc.) that center people and com- munities. Even the ACLU points out that less policing would actu- ally make us safer. For me, as a Black American, that point is key. After witnessing this month’s events, I more firmly distrust the police. I remembered when Miriam Carey, a Black woman suffering a mental health emergency, was shot and killed by Capitol po- C ontinued on P age 12 Letters to the Editor Message was Disingenuous I am a white, 65 year old male. I have been an active member of the Portland NAACP branch for several years. Mr. Mondaine’s recent letter in The Portland Ob- server was troubling to me. This is the first statement from him that I have read since the Oc- tober Mercury article alleging sexual and other improprieties and his subsequent resignation from the branch. While he was congratulatory of the new officer slate, many things about the arti- cle were disingenuous: It is true, as he states, that branch membership and fund- raising increased dramatically under his watch. What he fails to acknowledge is that those in- creases were in direct response to the racial justice uprising of 2020. Omitting this context helps to portray him as the driv- ing force behind the changes. The reality is that before those events, public engagement with the NAACP chapter was on a downward trajectory. Regarding his and the branch’s involvement in pass- ing the Portland Clean Energy Fund, Mr. Mondaine and the lo- cal NAACP were a helpful, but relatively small, part of a large coalition of People of Color led organizations that helped the measure pass. Finally, and probably most concerning, is that Mr. Mon- daine presents himself as gra- ciously conceding his position to a leadership that he supports. This could not be further from the truth. He did all he could to silence anyone who present- ed any kind of challenge to his authority and opinions, includ- ing violating NAACP bylaws by dumping people from the Exec- utive Committee and deposing committee chairs. He even at- tempted to void memberships of several people who contested his decisions - something the branch president has no authority to do. Two of those people currently sit on the new leadership team he claims to support. To my knowl- edge, he has made no attempt to apologize for his bad behavior or to reconcile with people that he has harmed. His congratulatory words ring hollow. It further troubles me that there has been so little comment from Portland leaders who for- merly were anxious to curry Mr. Mondaine’s support and friend- ship. My hope is that he never again is given the opportunity to lead publicly at any level. His words and actions are not ulti- mately becoming of a true lead- er. To the contrary, he has caused deep and extensive harm. Port- land will be far better off moving forward without his voice. Daniel Portis-Cathers Portland On New NAACP Leaders Covering Up I applaud the new leadership for prioritizing the establishment of ground rules that will foster an open and supportive environment in order to strengthen communi- cation. We were missing that. In the past two years we lost many amazing pillars in the communi- ty who resigned out of hurt and disillusionment. Their departure from a dysfunctional setting hurt the PDX chapter. What was left was a fractured chapter where many had lost faith in their abili- ty to “get things done” and work with an embittered community. The Education Committee lost two Chairs, who can speak for themselves about the damage and hurdles created by past lead- ership, and yet the committee con- tinued to meet. The late Dr. Harris waited two years to see scholar- ships being created for the youth. The PDX chapter has been in- spired by the election of President Sharon Gary-Smith and the diverse leadership committed to “trans- parency, clarity and accountabil- ity.” They understand the need to bring healing and create an inviting space for those community leaders who left. I was elated to see them return. I am greatly encouraged and look forward to the next two years. There is a lot of work to do, and I am confident this leadership team will rise to the challenge. Susan Elliott Portland Misdeeds I was taught that congrats and compliments directed to others should not be a mere excuse to glorify and praise oneself. The former disrespectful and now disgraced NAACP president E.D. Mondaine, has once again allowed his narcissism to over- take him, and caused him to try covering his misdeeds with false praise. When he stands before the many he harmed - those vulnerable young and older men and wom- en who risked more unspeakable C ontinued on P age 12