Anarchy In The Pacific Northwest, Why Is This Happening?, COVID-19 Politics

Gary Bauer

by Gary Bauer: Anarchy In The Pacific Northwest
The massive demonstrations we saw following the killing of George Floyd have mostly subsided. In their wake, they’ve left two things. They’ve left increased gang violence in many major American cities.

And in a few places, they’ve left something even more dangerous: A complete takeover of parts of these cities by anarchists and communists. That’s what we’re seeing in Seattle and Portland.

Over the weekend, Portland police declared a riot after the police union building was broken into and a fire was lit. It was the 51st night of unrest in Portland.

President Trump and Attorney General William Barr have sent in federal law enforcement to quell the violence. You’d think local officials would be grateful for the help and be asking for more. But, unbelievably, the exact opposite has happened.

Portland’s leftist mayor Ted Wheeler has handcuffed police whose job it is to restore order. On Sunday Wheeler said that federal officers are “not wanted” in Portland and that “we want them to leave.”

Congress is back in session this week and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is signaling that she’ll open an investigation. But she has no intention of investigating the anarchists who are destroying Portland. Instead, she wants to investigate federal law enforcement, the ones who are trying to restore order and save lives.

The political left in America has gone crazy. None of what we’re seeing now has anything to do with racial justice. The Portland and Seattle police departments are more racially diverse than the demonstrators are.

If city officials don’t wake up, they’ll guarantee that poor, minority communities will never get the economic investments, improved schools and safety they so desperately need to prosper.

And by the way, we’ve seen this horror movie before. In 2018, these same leftists seized Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters. They erected barriers at the building's front doors and driveway, blocking the building’s entrance. The mob managed to temporarily shut down the ICE office.

Then as now, federal officers had to be called in to restore order. And Mayor Wheeler was just as antagonistic to federal authority. He said that the city of Portland would do nothing as protestors occupied federal buildings.

Meanwhile, in Seattle yesterday, a well-organized mob marched through downtown Seattle causing significant damage to businesses and to several Seattle Police Department precincts. A dozen Seattle police officers were injured and at least one officer was sent to the hospital.

The Pacific Northwest is one of America’s most beautiful regions, boasting a stunning coastline, lush forests and snow-capped mountains. Sadly, under the control of leftist politicians for many years, it’s become a hideous mix of anarchy, socialism and violence.

Why Is This Happening?
There have been previous periods of unrest in America. When this has happened in the past, politicians of all stripes have usually said something to the effect, “While I sympathize with the goals of the protesters, we must maintain safety and keep order.”

But many of today’s leftist politicians aren’t saying that. They’re unambiguously siding with the rioters. There are two possible explanations for this.

They could be paralyzed by fear and afraid that the mob will come for them next.

More likely, their support for the mob is a calculated political decision. They’re betting that on top of Covid-19 and its economic fallout, this widespread and continuing social unrest will create a backlash against President Trump and lead to massive turnout on Election Day.

I think many leftwing politicians have concluded that the scenes of social turmoil will ultimately lead to President Trump being voted out of office, and leftists seizing power. I pray it won’t happen.

COVID-19 Politics
The media and the political left are having a great time crucifying “red” states like Florida, Georgia, and Texas for increasing COVID-19 deaths. These states with Republican governors were less aggressive in shutting down their economies, somewhat quicker to reopen — and all three helped elect Trump/Pence in 2016. Even Dr. Fauci has been joining in on the bashing while this weekend holding up New York as an example of the “right way” to fight the virus.

The virus apparently does not agree with this analysis. As of this morning, here are the number of COVID-19 deaths in the states in question, both of which have very liberal governors and legislatures.

State - Deaths - Deaths per 100,000 Population
New York - 33,323 - 171
New Jersey - 15,706 - 176

And here are the “bad” states that are being clobbered by the media.

State Deaths -  Deaths per 100,000 Population
Florida 5,090  - 23
Georgia 3,173  -  29
Texas 4,029 - 13

This can change, of course. Perhaps the mortality rate per 100,000 people in the three red states will skyrocket. But as of now, they are far from the disaster that is New York and New Jersey.

*There are at least five national groups keeping track of statistics, so the numbers listed may vary by group*
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Gary Bauer (@GaryLBauer)  is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families

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