Cully Association of Neighbors
June 1, 2017
Dear Friends,
Last week, two men lost their lives in our city as a result of a horrific act of racist violence. Another man was injured. Their names are Rick Best, Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, and Micah Fletcher. They did the right thing, standing up for people they didn’t know against hatred. Their actions were brave and selfless, and should serve as an example and inspiration to us all. They are heroes.
Our community remains in shock and mourning. But we are also tremendously grateful to our heroes and their families for their selflessness and heroism. They will serve to inspire us to be the loving, courageous people we are meant to be.
There is too much hatred in our world right now, and far too much violence. Too much of it has shown its face here in Portland.
My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives, and to those who witnessed what happened. Thank you to our first responders, who provided aid, and police who captured the suspected killer.
Now is the time, we must come together as a community and love one another. We must reject hatred and violence. We must seek justice.
Please consider supporting the families of those killed and the survivors of Friday’s attack.
Please consider supporting the families of those killed and the survivors of Friday’s attack.
https://www.launchgood.com/project/muslims_united_for_portland_heroes#/
https://www.gofundme.com/tri-met-hero-recovery
https://www.youcaring.com/survivorsofthemaxattack-833557
There has been a lot of talk about protests and counter-protests set for this weekend. Portland has a proud history of protest. I am a firm supporter of the First Amendment, no matter the views expressed. I believe we had a case to make about the threats to public safety posed by this rally at this place and at this time. My job is to protect the safety of everyone… protesters, counter-protesters, and bystanders alike.
I respect the decision of GSA to allow the organizers to keep their permit, but I remain concerned about the safety of Portlanders, both in and around the protest.
There will be protests and counter-protests this weekend in Portland. We have reached out to the organizers to call upon them to exercise common sense and to help us keep the peace. There will be local and federal law enforcement on the ground to ensure everyone has the right to express their beliefs and to protect everyone’s safety.
Making sure everyone is safe is my top priority. I urge everyone participating to reject violence. Our city has seen enough.
Moving forward, my challenge to all of us is this: We need to reckon with the fact that racist attitudes lead to racist words, and that racist words lead to violence. And we need to decide what we’re going to do about it.
Sincerely,
Mayor Ted Wheeler
Our mailing address is:
City of Portland – Office of Mayor Ted Wheeler
1221 SW 4th Ave, Ste 340
Portland, Oregon 97204
Cully Association of Neighbors
Cully Association of Neighbors