Opinions - 6

Today is the day....election day. Will Trump sit another four years or is Biden going to take over? One thing to keep in mind is that some voters are not voting for Trump or Biden, they are voting for whatever political party they feel should rule. Meaning they vote Democrat or Republican, not necessary for the candidates representing each party. And let's not forget about the Libertarian Party (Jo Jorgensen) and the Green Party (Howie Hawkins) that you can vote for in the 2020 election. And according to Biden black folks ain't black if they have a problem figuring out whether to vote for him or Trump.
I have to say that I am disappointed and appalled at grown men and women on BOTH sides, Democrat and Republican making false statements, sharing fake memes and information on social media and just talking a bunch of bullshit in general. Never have I seen this much craziness over an election. Everything from murders, violence, destruction to voter fraud.
Voter fraud to me is completely unthinkable, to even think you should do that undermines the idea of democracy. People that get caught committing voter fraud should have their rights to vote taken away from them permanently and I believe in harsh punishments for that. I actually know somebody that voted for Hillary twice in the last election, got caught and last time we talked about it that individual had hired an attorney and was facing trial. Voter fraud is not cool.
Intimidation and violence because somebody does not agree with you politically is disgusting and shows that you are a human of lesser intelligence. Last time I checked this is a "free" country, you know land of there free and freedom of speech and all that stuff that Americans loudly like to point out to non Americans. Well, that means everybody should be able to support whichever candidate they want without facing punishment or ridicule.
The last three presidents prior to the current one all did two full terms (Obama, Bush and Clinton) so if that is an indication of anything then do not lose your marbles if Trump sits another four years. I called that Trump was going to get the Republican nomination in 2016 when I was at Burning Man and people looked at me like I was completely nuts.
Another thing I think is hilarious is all the people that loudly declared that they would leave the US and move somewhere else should Trump win last time.....what happened, did anyone of them actually pack up and leave or are they still complaining? I hope they got a game plan this time around if the current presidents stays. And if Biden wins then I guess they are good for at least four more years before maybe having to think about moving again.
I can tell you my three top choices should I decide to leave the US. Sweden of course since I can always go back there, Switzerland and Mauritius.
Media coverage of the election and anything political in general has been awful. I don't care what your personal beliefs are, keep that to yourself and do your job as a journalist. If you do not remember what journalism is all about then read up on it again or resign. Somebody else can take your high paying position and do a better job since you obviously are not fit to do the job right. Also I think it is important to know who owns the newspapers and what their political affiliation is (if any). Bezos, Bloomberg, Adelson, Buffet, Murdoch and Henry to name a few all play an important role in media and they are also billionaires. How do you think that affects how the news are presented in the outlets they own and therefore control? As a spectator I think that media in general have been treating Trump worse than they would treat a murderer or child molester. The hatred for the president is comparable to those who commit atrocious acts when in fact he has not done anything close to such. And no I do not agree with Trump on everything but I also do not hate him. I have true hate for some humans but he is not one of them. If you think Trump is bad then imagine how the people in Russia, Philippines, North Korea and Equatorial Guinea feel? Are you feeling just as upset when you read about the presidents of those countries as you feel about Trump?
As far as the COVID-19 situation goes and the spread of it here in the US, I do not think a Democrat would had done a better or worse job than a Republican. It is easy to point fingers. Look up per capita deaths per country and see how other places are doing. COVID-19 is most likely an endemic. Meaning here to stay.
Personal accountability is out the window. Do not blame a president for your own shortcomings. I do not go downtown Portland to loot, destroy and spray paint ACAB and Kill All Cops and then blame the president for my actions. I would also not blame the president if I should get COVID-19.
Now I strongly do believe in a serious reform of the American for profit health care system, a president can straighten that situation out.
I have not been to downtown Portland at night for a while because I got so fed up with the craziness and destruction that I witnessed with my own eyes every time I went down there over the summer. But I might go tonight. From what I understand Portland is preparing for an eruption of violence tonight. We shall se....
Look.....I am good with whatever happens this election. My candidate of choice was Bernie and he is out, I like Bernie and what he stands for. But if you want change then do YOUR part. Vote (if you are eligible). Work on YOURSELF, be a good fellow human. Most of us can improve on a lot.
The world pretty much sucks and it sucks because of us humans. What are YOU doing to make this world a better place?
I can tell you this much, if I was president I would not be liked. I have very strong opinions on certain issues.
To me since humans in general suck I am voting DOGS 2020.

The people of Oregon have the opportunity to vote YES on Measure 109 which would allow the use of psilocybin in treating depression, addiction and anxiety. Instead of pharmaceuticals we can go the natural way, psilocybin is found in some mushrooms. I am all for the natural way! I think that psilocybin is a great tool for self discovery as well. Of course it is not for everyone. Definitely not for children, only responsible adults and with responsible I mean.....do some research first before experimenting with any substances.





I am a YES on Oregon Measure 109.
https://voteyeson109.org

I feel that us humans are the biggest enemy to this planet....I think that every adult that is fortunate enough to live in a country where they have access to luxuries like grocery stores, a flushing toilet at home and water coming out of a faucet has a personal responsibility to make an effort to do their part to make this world a better place. Anything else in my eyes is morally wrong. You can start small like NOT littering. I just read this very informative article
www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/biodiversity and there is so much information easily accessible on the web. Here are some snippets but I recommend that you read the whole article.

“When a species goes extinct, it’s gone forever. Losing species isn’t just deeply sad, it’s also dangerous. It’s like throwing bits of an aeroplane out the window mid-flight – we don’t know what species are crucial parts of a functioning ecosystem. And when ecosystems start unravelling, we all suffer. We rely on nature for literally everything that matters: food, air, water. Our health depends on the planet’s health.”

“Rich people have lots of choice, poor people have much less, it’s harder for people on low incomes... so the messages have to be different according to people’s circumstances”, says Professor Lang. What does he recommend? “Eat less, eat diverse, buy organic and sustainably produced food wherever possible, and eat a variety of plants.”

“Within the food industry I would like to see a very radical transformation. The food processing industry has got to support organic and biodiverse cropping systems. They must simply produce less. And they must phase down and alter animal production.”

“There are responsible ways of eating meat. You can begin with knowing the farm your animal came from and what kind of life the animal had. There are examples of well-managed, pasture-raised meat.”

“In the last 50 years, fishing has been the leading cause of loss of marine biodiversity, and scientists are concerned about the collective threats facing our seas."

"Fish are sometimes caught up in trawlers as ‘by-catch’ (fish caught by mistake and thrown back into the sea). Around 10 million tonnes of by-catch is caught per year and thrown back into the sea, often dead."

"Dairy milk and cheese have large impacts because of the land use, manure, chemicals and water use – and because of the quantities they’re consumed in.... Cheese is a problem because it’s basically a very condensed version of milk, requiring multiple litres of milk to produce 1kg of cheese.”

Also RECYCLE - please! Six out of ten human items most commonly found in the oceans are recyclable. Animals sustain life threatening injuries because of the trash and recycling that end up in the ocean. The best way to prevent this from happening is to create a strong recycling culture. Please learn how to recycle right and if you have trash, properly bag it, throw it in the trash bin and put a lid on it. And if someone offers you a plastic straw or a plastic bag think again....do you really need this item or could you do without it?

It is NEVER too late to change for the better! My personal journey as a human living my life here on this planet is to improve and do better. I love animals and I love nature.





I also use these plastic bags recycling collecting bins that are located in many grocery stores where I live. I do not use plastic bags when I bag my groceries, I would rather carry the stuff out in my arms than get a plastic bag for that but when I get fruit and vegetables I do bag those (depending on the amount) in the thin plastic bags that are found in the produce section. And I recycle all of those bags.



I do not eat meat and I do not miss it. Last night I had potatoes and cauliflower for dinner and again for lunch today (leftovers). Delicious cauliflower that I cooked in the oven with garlic and olive oil. There are plenty of alternatives to meat and fish.

What is happening in Portland lately? Lots of unrest. I haven't been to any places where the protesters have gathered lately because I have been busy but since my last time visiting downtown at night, one person was violently beaten by a group of sad examples of humans that are out there screaming Black Lives Matter, Fuck The Police etc and want justice for one group of people but think it is completely OK to attack a person and beat and kick them bloody and unconscious. Cowards. Hypocrites. It was also discovered that the main suspect had walked around downtown and acted violent towards others and acted threatening in general. He has a criminal record consisting of past violence. He belongs locked up for a LONG time.
Also last Saturday night a protester of one group got shot and killed by another belonging to another group. Like WHY? Same again....you are out there screaming for justice and supposedly being against violence and injustice but in reality you are a hypocrite. As with the other perpetrator, the offender has a lengthy rap sheet that speaks loudly of what kind of a piece of shit he is. Father of two as well. Pathetic "role model". Same as with the other piece of shit, he belongs locked up for a LONG time.
I am not with any group. I am for what is right as in the right thing to do. I hate the looting, shooting, destroying, violence and killings. Fuck that. Go burn down your parent's, grandparent's, cousin's or a friend's house and destroy their property or your own dwelling (if you have one) instead of public property. Low intelligence morons.
Can't people see that the destruction will cost money to fix, tax payer money. Money that could go to something else instead. That something else that people are protesting about. A better life. Destruction leaves ugly blemishes on a city for all to see.
So Elk sculpture got put away and the fountain Elk stood on is destroyed. Recently somebody put up a new elk (or whatever it is supposed to be) where original Elk once was.



Sure new elk is fun but it does NOT make it right what happened to original Elk that was put there in 1900, so 120 years ago. I heard somewhere that maybe (key word here is MAYBE ) the maker of Elk was a racist (Roland Hinton Perry, a sculptor an artist). Or perhaps the person that commissioned the elk. Who knows? You know what....I don't give a fuck!
Guess what....Auschwitz, Treblinka and Majdanek are still standing in Poland and Dachau in Germany and people are OK with that. Ponder the history in those buildings for a second.
So yeah.....to the idiots that ruined the fountain and the original Elk. YOU SUCK.



"DEFUND" in pretty and somewhat burnt letters made of flowers was put in front of City Hall. As in defund the police. So defunding the police CAN be a good thing IF the money goes to something that will be useful and helpful for the community. I am for that if it's well done. Several cities (Austin, New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles to name a few) have cut funds, of course not completely but allocated the money elsewhere. How this will play out in reality only time will tell. But if you are out there yelling Fuck The Police, Kill All Cops and similar insults and think shooting police officers is OK, like the murders of David Dorn and Tamarris L. Bohannon, (WHERE IS THEIR JUSTICE?!) then you do not deserve any assistance from the police should you ever need it. Ask a friend or a neighbor for help if you get assaulted, robbed, burglarized or raped and hope for the best. Tags like these are all over Portland. So lame to spray paint shit like that.



Coincidentally since the protest in Portland began on May 29 several cannabis shops here have been burglarized accompanied by armed robberies at some of them. 22 dispensaries so far. Since the police is busy in other places, mostly nightly with the protests they can't get to people that need their assistance. All fun and games until YOU become the victim of a violent crime or a property crime huh?



This statue of a woman, man, child and wagon wheel is also destroyed and gone. It used to be in the same park as Elk, which is a park in front of the Justice Center where a lot of the protesting has been going on. Here is what I have found about the statue called "The Promised Land".
"In Chapman Square is a bronze statue commissioned by the Oregon Trail Coordinating Council to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail in 1993. The Promised Land, by Oregon artist David Manuel, depicts a pioneer family - father, mother, and son - at the end of their journey. The red granite slab upon which the statue is mounted is inscribed with a quote by Thomas Jefferson."
So the people that emigrated to the US in the 1820's and forward, the majority of them fled poverty and famine, like the Swedes and the Irish. To my knowledge they were just poor people trying to make a better life for themselves but this statue has angered people in the past. I have read up on some of the objections to it (the land belonged to the Native Americans and was stolen, the man is holding a Bible) and at the base of it there is a quote by Thomas Jefferson and he did own slaves. I am personally against the destruction of the statue but I can see where others come from on the issue.





What's left of "The Promised Land". A slab that people now sit on.



I DO get why there is anger, unrest and pain. But I do not think destruction and violence is the solution. Neither do several African Americans that I personally heard speak downtown Portland.
I am not going to be one of those people that suddenly because of BLM give others advice to educate themselves on the history of the US and the struggle of blacks just to look good and collect points, to try to come across like I care just to forget about the whole thing after a few days or weeks. I have read a lot of history on different topics since I basically learned to read.
And I do understand that since I am not black I have not experienced certain complications and situations.
I feel that every able adult has a social responsibility, what that means to me can mean something completely different to somebody else.
Although I most of the time have little hope for humanity because we are destroying this planet and everything that is beautiful on it but that doesn't mean that you should give up, you need to continue trying. I believe in the message painted on the plywood below.....just like many others. And I believe in it until somebody does something so they don't deserve it. I can think of a few individuals that I have no love and respect for. I don't go around gushing "love" for everybody I see, I am not that nice.



Portland is a beautiful city. There are so many nice things to see and do here.
I truly enjoy living here and I often go on long walks in the city and I volunteer downtown with some of the less fortunate and somehow miraculously where I volunteer we ALL get along....different colors of skin and all. Nobody is yelling or acting violent. Imagine that!
We are approaching day 100 since the protests started. I am hoping for peaceful gatherings from now on.



Eric Ward (director of progressive nonprofit Western States Center), "Portland has become a proxy for a reelection campaign, and for alt-right and white nationalist paramilitaries and vigilantes who want to live out their fantasy of racial war."
"I'm enraged that a person was killed on the streets of Portland. I don't care what their political ideology is."

Reverend E.D. Mondaine (president of the Portland NAACP), in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, Mondainé denounced what he called the “white spectacle".
“Unfortunately, ‘spectacle’ is now the best way to describe Portland’s protests,” he wrote. “Vandalizing government buildings and hurling projectiles at law enforcement draw attention — but how do these actions stop police from killing black people? What are antifa and other leftist agitators achieving for the cause of black equality?”

Welllllll.......today it was decided that Oregon's largest county, which is Multnomah county will stay closed for at least another week due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Multnomah county was supposed to enter phase 1 today, most of Oregon's 36 counties are in phase 2 right now. The city of Portland is located in Multnomah county. And today Friday the protests/demonstrations in Portland are still going on, day/night 16 now. Of course I have been to downtown where the "action" takes place to see what is going on with my own eyes. I have been three times so far and I will most likely go again. I even got a whiff of teargas for the first time in my life (at least that I can remember). The crowd was not as large the last time I went (a few days ago) compared to the first time but there are still a lot of people that gather. I have mixed impressions. Most people protesting, participating in some way or just being there in person to watch are very friendly. There is also a presence of the mentally ill, the crazy and obnoxious acting, the ones trying to start problems mixed in with the crowd trying to engage in a peaceful protest. Of course the ones that are not being peaceful are the ones that stand out and of course the police will respond if attacked, which I do not blame them for and then in the end the police gets blamed for any issues that stem from confrontations. Let's take a look at some pictures.....the times I was there the crowd had gathered in front of the Multnomah Justice Center which holds four courtrooms and about 200-250 inmates. I saw bottles thrown (both plastic bottles with water and glass bottles) towards the police that stood guard in front of the Justice Center. I saw lasers pointed at the police. Here the police had retreated for a while and suddenly called the gathering an unlawful assembly and announced (via megaphone) that protesters were subject to arrest. Nobody left. Including myself. According to a few people that I talked to the police had shot a person in the forehead with a rubber bullet and after that they (the police) went either inside or behind the Justice Center. I did not see anybody injured by a rubber bullet or any other object while I was downtown. That doesn't mean it didn't happen. Painted on the boards that are put up to protect the stores. I like the Lady Justice. And then much of downtown Portland is covered in this.....Now I know what ACAB, Fuck 12 and other things like 88 mean. I guess you are never too old to learn new stuff. Some people are giving out free water and are trying to gather up trash. Some businesses are completely untouched and others got looted and damaged the first night of the protests, many places are boarded up. I saw a fire in a dumpster one night. I don't understand why people bring animals and children to events like these. It is a loud stressful situation that can escalate into something violent and scary within seconds. I think it is very irresponsible and foolish to subject a poor animal to this. Random scribble that I suspect don't mean anything really, people are just caught up in the moment. No thought behind it....more like, others do it so I will too. Part of the protest reminded me of the raves I used to go to back in the day, similar friendly vibe except no music and dancing. But then there were other destructive aspects of the crowd that were very un rave like. Here is what I think. I feel bad for the police, I saw them getting taunted and yelled at by people that perhaps one day will need the help and protection of the police. So I want to say THANK YOU to the police for being brave and helping people in need while often risking their own safety in the process. I am against police brutality and I do think that there needs to be some sort of reform to get rid of the negative aspects in the police force but to defund and get rid of the police in today's American society and let people do what they want? I don't see that as a possibility. Regular society is not like Burning Man where the majority of people get along and help each other. Regular society are places like Chicago and Detroit and burglaries, rapes, child molesters, murders, abductions, violence - you name it. I am not an innocent angel and I have never pretended to be either, I am guilty of crimes as well but nothing that comes close to a serious felony. I will watch how CHAZ is going to unfold, CHAZ or Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone that covers six blocks or so in Seattle since a few days now. I kind of want to take a trip there to see it for myself. Right away I thought about Freetown Christiania located in København (Copenhagen) Denmark when I heard of CHAZ. Christiania was created in 1971 and it still exists. But Denmark and the US are two very different countries. George Floyd's GoFundMe has amassed a large amount of money (over thirteen million dollars). To achieve real justice in my eyes some of the money should go towards David Dorn's family, as well as to the other people's families that had somebody die because of the protests in George Floyd's name and to the injured like Shay Mikalonis. The money should go to the business owners that got their places looted and destroyed and the money should go towards cleaning up and restoring all the destruction of public property. Also let's not forget the woman that George Floyd threatened and burglarized years ago, she too should get some for her pain, suffering and the trauma the he caused her. THAT would be justice. Floyd was a 46 year old father of five (supposedly) that was trying to turn his life around (supposedly). I am sure he was a nice man to the people that knew him but I do not think a responsible father should have meth and fentanyl in his system. Clearly he did absolutely not deserve to die the way he did. And I think that most people agree with that what happened was wrong. But I do not think that he is some sort of a hero. Who is protesting for and speaking up on David Dorn's behalf? Where are the large gatherings of outraged people shouting his name? He surely did not deserve to be shot and killed so that somebody (a 24 year old black guy) could loot a shop. What kind of a life did David Dorn live before he was shot dead at age 77? He left behind a wife, five children, 10 grandchildren and decades of service for the St.Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Although many of the people that I encountered downtown Portland were friendly, I also saw things that made me feel sad and got me thinking that hell is here on earth. Human beings are so messed up. We are the real virus that will kill everything eventually. I feel that the situation on this planet as a whole, all the ongoing problems and suffering that go on all over the world, much of it is beyond repair. I will try to do my part in what I believe in and I do believe in trying to make the world a better place, I do believe in helping others when I can and caring for animals and the environment but some people don't care about anything besides themselves. In the end we are all humans sharing the planet together and the more we can all somehow try to coexist the better off we will be. It makes perfect sense and it sounds easy but it sure is difficult to put into practice.

There is a curfew in Portland tonight and other cities across the US as well. I was tempted to go downtown and see the situation with my own eyes but in the end I decided against it. My thoughts on riot, vandalism and looting? I say go ahead and arrest and charge everybody involved with destroying stuff and endangering the safety of others. NOTHING....again NOTHING good will come out of it. I agree with protesting for what's right and fair, I believe in standing up for yourself and others when you see injustice and I also believe that violence is justified in certain situations like self defense but I do not believe in what is happening on the streets now. These people, or THUGS which is an appropriate term to describe them as said by president Trump are acting without logic. I would like for their own homes, businesses and vehicles to be set on fire and destroyed or perhaps their parents. Then there would be a different tune. Maybe that would be a fair punishment....you burn down somebody's house, business or car then you will stand by and watch when whatever you have gets set on fire. Portland has been scheduled to slowly open up after being shut down due to COVID-19, many have been without jobs and now add THIS to make things even more difficult. Yeah.... And speaking of the president....I got called a Trump supporter today for pointing out that making fun of his hair is immature. OK then. You are talking about the hair of a man in his 70s, like making fun of it? What the fuck does your own hair look like? Do you have a leg to stand on? If you do not agree with the president's policies then talk about that specific issue. Speak like an adult with some form of intelligence left in the brain. I definitely do not agree with the current US president on a lot but I am not a political science major, I try to limit my discussions to topics that I have some knowledge about and before getting so angry that my temper boils over I try to fact check and read up on stuff before spewing out some "facts" that are far from the truth. I know that there is a lot that most of us are not even aware of that goes on in the world of politics. I do NOT envy the role of president or prime minister anywhere, seems extremely stressful and comes with enormous responsibilities. Trump supporter? Actually I would had given my vote, had I been allowed to vote, to Bernie Sanders. As far as who I would vote for between the two candidates running here in the US in 2020.....there are other parties besides the two major ones. I would put my vote on somebody else.