America the Beautiful

As we continue to be bombarded with gaslighting stories of urban unrest/rebellion in our cities across the nation, allow me to share our actual recent on-the-ground experience in the city of Portland, Oregon…

We pulled into Portland in mid-September as the penultimate stop on our epic 55 day road trip throughout the Pacific Northwest. According to Trump Administration declarations, this was during the time that the city was under siege by ‘the radical left’ agitation and chaos. What we experienced as we walked from our Airbnb on 28thAveNE onto Alberta Street, was a series of restaurants, coffee houses, art galleries, Cannabis shops, alleyways featuring fascinating murals from local artists, and a diverse population of inhabitants exhibiting a friendly and very mellow vibe throughout the neighborhood. 

A day later, we explored the less quaint Kenilworth section in search of a much needed laundromat. No art galleries or trendy coffee houses here; only a hard scrabble, working class neighborhood. The laundromat/dry cleaner establishment was operated by one rather elderly Asian woman who, at first, seemed a bit dubious of these two obvious interlopers. During the course of our lengthy stay due to the volume of our load, we observed a diverse procession of locals, many of whom exchanged warm greetings and neighborhood news of the day with the proprietor who also seemed to have noticed our interest in the passing scene. What we observed was simply a day in the life of this hard working immigrant and the heartfelt connection she share with her neighbors. As we folded the last load of laundry and were preparing to leave, we received a beautiful smile that suggested, during the course of the afternoon, we had been accepted, albeit temporarily, into her neighborhood family.

The following day, we ventured downtown to get a better feel for the inner city. First stop was the world famous Powell’s Bookstore, a place where the radical left would surely gather to plan their strategy for the next assault on the city. What we found instead was a citadel of literature and learning where the complete works Karl Marx could be viewed across the aisle from a similar collection by Ayn Rand.

We then continued our walking tour of downtown and soon encountered a gathering of homeless citizens who, instead of plotting their next uprising, were engaged in a group sing-along replete with guitars, a drum, and several accompanying tambourines. 

We ended our day, with a hike through the wilds of Washington Park where local terrorists cells surely must be lurking amid the underbrush. Alas, we were forced to endure the tyranny of the Rose and Japanese Gardens! 

Portland is peaceful; Portland is welcoming; Portland celebrates diversity and free expression; Portland is civil; Portland is an example of America at its best!