The Daily Signal - This Marine Is Fighting to Save Portland From Ruin

Episode Date: October 19, 2020

Marine veteran Gabe Johnson is on a mission to save Portland, Oregon, from lawlessness. Johnson and several others founded the Coalition to Save Portland, which is standing with the Portland Police Bureau and calling on local and state leaders to end nearly five months of riots and restore order. Johnson revisits the show to talk about how police are being treated in Portland, the safety situation in the city, and why he felt compelled to help launch the Coalition to Save Portland.  We also read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a young Navy veteran who received some life-changing news last spring after being homeless for nearly three years. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Monday, October 19. I'm Robert Louis. And I'm Virginia Allen. On today's show, we welcome back Marine veteran in Portland resident Gabe Johnson to discuss how the police are being treated in Portland and what he is doing to try to save his city's future. We also read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a young Navy veteran who received some wonderful life-changing news this past spring after being homeless for nearly three years. Before we get to today's show, Rob and I want to tell you about a new Heritage Foundation initiative called the Citizens Guide to Fight for America. Each week, Heritage will send you a list of action items so you can take on one of the major issues facing our country. That's right, Virginia. And this week, there's no more important fight than Judge Amy Coney-Barratt's confirmation to the United States Supreme Court.

By signing up for the Citizens Guide, you can let our leaders know that the American people, want a Supreme Court justice who will uphold the Constitution. Get started by visiting heritage.org slash 2020. From there, you can sign up to join an army of concerned citizens in the fight to defend our American ideals. Again, that website is heritage.org slash 2020. Now stay tuned for today's show coming up next. I am joined by Gabe Johnson, Marine Veteran and Portland Local Gabe.

welcome back to the Daily Signal podcast. Hey, good to see you. Thank you. Thank you for having me back. So we had you on, gosh, I think it was about six weeks ago on September 1st. You joined us. That was just shortly after Aaron Danielson was shot in Portland. You live only a couple blocks away from the courthouse. And the last time we spoke, you really expressed your kind of frustration with just what you've been seeing. month after month, you've just been watching the riots and the looting and how it's been affecting your city. So can you give us just a status update? What, if anything, has changed in Portland over the last six weeks? No, nothing's really changed in the sense of there being like resolution or even the city coming forward and stopping some of the nightly riots that we see,

which is generally in different pockets of the town, but still going on on the nightly. basis some more violent than others. You know, shootings are becoming more prevalent, whether they're shootings into buildings or a restaurant, which has happened over the last weekend. We're seeing the Oregon Heritage Museum was recently vandalized, broken into, on the indigenous day of, I want to say, rising or something along those terms. But just another, to me, more taking over of, you know, people of color. It really should have been about a really focus on their heritage and what they bring to our area and really kind of celebrating them. Well, instead it's turned into another reason to just riot and shoot. So, you know,

coming out of that, one of my friends actually sent me a video, and he hasn't made it public, and there's been a lot of news agencies here locally that have been asking him to, you know, release it. But, you know, he lives right across the park from the Heritage Museum. And literally, he's filming, you know, see a people going by. And this man jumped on his balcony and told him he couldn't film them and attempted to take his camera. And he threw it inside. And, you know, I'm asking him, hey, man, why don't you just let me share it for you? But he's afraid for his wife because he travels a lot. So the climate hasn't changed. I think it's gotten more violent. You don't, you're not seeing it as much on the news. But I think they're more emboldened just to come out.

and just do what they want and to attack those who oppose them. Or even are just innocent bystanders that want to film. And what are the locals in Portland saying? I mean, do people that live in Portland that call Portland home, are they okay with what's going on? People are really frustrated, but people are really scared. And so fear takes over and they don't want to say anything. You know, we're really trying to make it safe for people to

come out and let us be their voice for them. But that message takes a lot of reinforcement. So what do they do? That's a good question. So tell me a little bit about what you all are doing, because you mentioned, you know, kind of being on those front lines and saying to your friend, hey, let me share that video or, you know, creating a space for people to be able to be honest and have honest conversations. So what are the initiatives that yourself and others are taking to say, hey, we actually need to do something if Portland's going to survive? Right.

So when I say we, I'm talking about the coalition to save Portland, and I will say that we just are officially registered as a PAC here in Oregon as of yesterday. So we know that change is going to take legislation. It's going to take representation in office. And so being a grassroots foundation, we have to start from somewhere. But we're starting at a time when we're really needed. And so there's a lot of open arms to engage with us because we're very inclusive of everyone in Portland. I would say everyone in Oregon, because the problem that's happening in Portland isn't just going to be resolved in Portland.

It's going to take the whole state coming together and really voting for change. When I say the state, that starts at, you know, the governor. So we're here for the long haul. We're not afraid. At this point, everyone knows who I am. I'm our director. And so I have another cohort who's standing out, you know, in the public and another business owner.

And she's got a really strong voice. And so the more and more people that join us, the more and more, it's kind of like a safe haven for, you know, business owners and the like to say, hey, that's enough, but it has to start with someone. So here we are. Yeah, Gabe, I love your boldness. The fact that you're saying, no, this this starts with me and I can make a difference and I can bring about change. In your mind, how important is Portland? I mean, if the situation in Portland doesn't get under control, what does that mean for the rest of America? I think that over the next couple of weeks, people really should take a look at Portland and see what's happening.

There could be a major power shift. I don't want to talk about either party, what that might look like, but there could be a power shift. And I think things could get a lot uglier in the sense that we're going to see possibility of a lot of, you know, Portland police officers choosing to take their profession to other cities around the Portland metro area or other states. It's really that bad. And I don't think we need to reimagine our way of life. And that's what's really being challenged here. And I think if it changes here, then you're going to start to see a little bit of change in other cities that are like-minded. So this really is a effort to save the soul of our city. And, you know, I often tell people that, you know, we're not going to stop. We're going to fight.

And we're in this for the long haul. And it really took a lot of soul searching to really say, this is what I'm going to do. I didn't have any idea that this is what I'd be doing six months ago, but it's that important. It's that important. And I know one of the initiatives that you all have been very focused on is supporting the police. And the last time we spoke yourself and some others who are involved

with the Coalition to Save Portland were raising money through a fundraiser selling T-shirts from Nine Line Apparel. And you were taking those funds, and you were going to give them to the police chaplain in Portland. And I know recently you just delivered those funds to them. Can you tell me just a little bit about, you know, what their reaction was and what that was like to be saying with not just words, but with actions. Portland, please, we support you. Yeah, you know, I think we talked about it before. It really comes from knowing that those guys are on the, you know, the front lines of all this day in and

day out and just really wanted to do something to, you know, assist them. But assist them in a way of taking care of their mental health. And I think that since the chaplains, you know, they're out there constantly making sure that these guys are okay, whether they're in station or out on patrol or whatnot, that that was who was most deserving of any type of fundraising effort. So we raised $2,500, which, you know, I wish it could have been more. But, you know, they were really, really glad to see. I think that, you know, there's people in Portland that actually still care. And so more so the money is just the genuine gratitude of, gosh, you care and thank you so much. And there was a lot of smiles, a few tears. It was really heartfelt. From that, you know, we

just met over on Monday with the Portland Community Engagement Division. And so they're made up a five officers that are very engaged out in the community. And one of the things that kind of really touched me, kind of really hit home with me, was a story that was, and I'll just call him Officer Kay, because he doesn't want his name out there, because he's already getting that threats

just for being a police officer. And this is a black officer. And so we're talking about the inner north and northeast Portland, which used to be the, the home for the black community here in Portland because now really there's silos of blacks. There's no community. And so if you were from here and I were to say, hey, you know where Alberta Street is, of course, everybody knows Alberta Street and everybody knows the staple of restaurants

that used to be there in stores and whatnot. And Alberta has been gentrified back in the 90s. And so you've had a shift of this community. It's not a black community. It's a white community. And so this officer was driving to his grandparents' house, who happens to still be on Alberta. And he's like, hey, you know, you wouldn't imagine the things that I have to endure

day after day after day driving through Northeast Portland. And I'm like, what are you talking about? He's like, yeah, Alberta. And I'm like, okay, well, Alberta is, you know, Alberta is a white neighborhood. right and and so I'm thinking you know it's a lot of you know I would say more liberal people live on the Alberta and so as he's like well you know last week I'm driving down the street and you know people are making monkey sounds and making monkey dances and telling me that hey you don't belong here you need to leave this neighborhood and I'm thinking to myself a lot of these people

are so the people that are out that are protesting. And so about racial injustice, racial equality, when is it okay to be racist to a black police officer? Because he's a police officer, it's like, you know, you can just do anything you want, you can say anything to you want. So these are people, right? These are people that have to live in the community, that have to serve in the community,

but yet they're getting death threats for doing their job. and that's not right. Wow. Yeah. Well, and I mean, how can we expect individual that's literally putting their life on the line to want to continue to do that day after day when all that they're hearing from their community

is verbal abuse and they're not feeling valued or appreciated? Yeah. What you're seeing right now is a real crying out for help and support, a genuine crying out from the Portland Police Department because they know what could possibly be coming and I think no police on the streets or a very limited amount of police on the streets is going to greatly affect the livability of Portland

and generally there. I've never seen such a outpour of come join us, come network up with us, let us connect you to other people in the city then you're saying from the Portland Police Department because it's just not coming from City Hall. Was there any animosity that you were aware of towards the police before May when all the riding and looting really started? I think in this country, people are raised to fear police.

And it's something that, you know, I thought about with my own kids. I taught them that, you know, police are the ones that you need to actually run to and not run away from and how to interact. Because I think it's very important to know how to navigate situations and knowing that, hey, these people are in a high stress environment all the time. So when you interact with them, just give them a little bit of extra kindness because generally that will bring them back down. But you really do have to know how to interact with people. A firefighter comes to run out of a building that's on fire.

He's not going to be calm when he interacts with you, right? He's going to be running right past you. That's how these guys are. They're going from call to call to call. So I think there's a little bit of responsibility just to know. know how to how to navigate whatever situation that you're in. So I don't know if I answered your question, but, you know, we have some responsibility also. Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. And I think that's that's such a big deal, Gabe, that, you know, you've even sat down and had those conversations with

your kids to explain, you know, when when they put that uniform on and carry that badge, there's a position that they're put in that is highly stressful. And we should be aware of that as citizens and run to them, like you say, in situations. So how is the coalition to stay in Portland? How are you all planning to continue to really stand with the police in Portland? I would say not only stand with the police, but really stand with everyone and who can impact the livability of our city. The reason we're really focusing on the police department out of the gate

is because you can't do anything with lawlessness on your street. right we all have to have a sense of security to be even bring back you know commerce to the downtown area because the downtown still is suffering from you know a lack of you know return to normal you know what can be normal in this time right other parts of the city are starting to bounce back but the soul of Portland is still is still dead and that comes with public safety so public safety first and foremost, has to be addressed. And once we do that, or as we're doing that, and as we feel that we're making a difference, then we can actually start focusing on some of the social issues. But until, you know, the rioting, the shooting, you know, people getting beaten the street,

until that stops, how do we move forward? Yeah. Your apartment building is only two or three blocks away from the courthouse. So when you walk outside, do you feel safe? I feel safe, unfortunately, through my life experience through my ability, but my neighbors don't feel safe. My friends don't feel safe. I've gotten a little bit of hardened over the last couple months just because if I walk to, over the weekend, I'm walking to Buffalo Wild Wings with my daughter and her boyfriend. And I happen to have a Stanford Justice T-shirt on, and we walk past some of the Black Lives Matter protesters down there. and, you know, first and they start yelling at us, hey, are you guys, proud boys? And then I turn around and they're like, oh, oh, it's you, right?

But, and then so they let us walk on. It shouldn't be that way, right? And so, you know, people that have grown up with my best friend, he hasn't been downtown in four months. He's just like, hey, he's like, hey, Gabe, you know, come to my house. I'm not coming downtown. And I'm like, you've lived here your whole life. Yeah, people still be. don't build safe. Do you have hope for your city that things can change and that you all like

your mission to save Portland, that that is something that can happen and that your city can be safe? We're not going to stop until it changes. And so, you know, that's something that, again, it took a lot of soul searching not only on my part, but our founding members to really say, we know that this is a multi-year effort, right? And so we're just getting started. But we're building steam. And until we can bring about change here in Portland, again, through legislation, elected office, then we won't stop. Gabe, really appreciate you joining us once again on the Daily Signal podcast.

And thank you for standing up for freedom in your city. I really appreciate it. Hey, thank you for having me on again. I'm Amy Swearer. And I'm John Carlo Canaparo. And if you want to understand what's happening at the Supreme Court, Court. Be sure to check out SCOTUS 101, a Heritage Foundation podcast. We take a look at the cases, the personalities, and the gossip at the highest court in the land. It's SCOTUS 101. Thanks for sending

us your letters to the editor each Monday. We feature our favorites on this show. Virginia, who do you have first? In response to last week's podcast interview with Heritage Legal Fellow, John Carlo Canaparo, what to watch for during Amy Coney-Barratt Senate confirmation hearings, Harold Harmon writes, I very much enjoyed the podcast today, an excellent job. I am very interested in the U.S. Supreme Court from my time in law school. I have studied the U.S. Constitution in detail and love it. It is an incredible document. I have followed the Supreme Court's decisions through the years from 1968 to the present. And retired teacher, Wayland Sharp, writes to us about the recent interview with Rod Dreher, author of Live Not by Lies. I grew up in the USA during the Cold War, and I want no more of it. Millennials and the woke idiots don't know a thing about communism. They would do well to study some real history, read some books by authors who know something about soft communism,

as well as some radio and TV commentators who actually tell the truth about soft communism. Your letter could be featured on next week's show, so send us an email at letters at daily signal.com. What the heck is trickle-down economics? Does the military really need a space force? What is the meaning of American exceptionalism? I'm Michelle Cordero. I'm Tim Desher, and every week on the Heritage Explains podcast, we break down a hot button policy issue in the news at a 101 level.

Through an entertaining mix of personal stories, media clips, music, and interviews, we help you actually understand the issues. So do this. Subscribe to Heritage Explains on iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcast today. Virginia, you have another good news story to share with us today. Over to you. Thanks so much, Rob.

Maverick Kendrick is a 33-year-old Navy veteran. He joined the military at the age of just 19 in 2006, following in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather, who both served. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and left the military in 2011 when he moved to New York City. But the adjustment back to civilian life was far more difficult than Kendrick could have imagined. He struggled to keep up with bills in New York City and told the Today Show on their Made of Honor project that some bad choices led him to living on the streets. For three years, Kendrick struggled with homelessness and says his pride kept him from asking for help.

Everyone in the world has problems, he thought, so he could not bring himself to place his problems on other people. But earlier this year, the Wounded Warrior Project and House of Vet came alongside Kendrick to offer him the support he was in dire need of. They provided him with a mortgage-free home. I got my home in April of this year, right before the pandemic was really at its peak. The first night in my home, I would say, was unreal. proudly displayed on Kendrick's front porch is an American flag. He told the maid of honor project that he is thankful for the opportunity he had to serve and for the opportunity he now has to pursue his dreams.

I am most grateful for one to be alive. Everyone makes it all gave some and some give all. So I am fortunate to have made it back home. I am also grateful for the experiences. everything that I did get to see and do, you know, see with my own two eyes and physically do myself, and, you know, I'll never forget in my family. I think it's important for veterans to understand that though we might not feel as needed or essential that we are, we are needed, we are essential, and we are veterans.

Veterans are needed and are essential. That is so true. And today we just want to say thank you to our veterans listening. If you have served your country, we hope that you truly have that sense of gratitude from all Americans because America would not be the nation it is today without the sacrifice that our veterans have made. Well, that's very true, Virginia.

Thanks so much for sharing that story today. We're going to leave it there for the day, You can find us on the Rurcashay Audio Network and all of our shows are available at DailySignal.com slash podcasts. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or your favorite podcast app. And be sure to listen every weekday by adding the Daily Signal podcast as part of your Alexa Flash briefing. If you like what you hear, please leave us a review in a five-star rating. It means a lot to us and helps us spread the word to other listeners.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at DailySignal and Facebook.com. slash the Daily Signal News. Have a great week. The Daily Signal podcast is brought to you by more than half a million members of the Heritage Foundation. It is executive produced by Rob Blewey and Virginia Allen. Sound designed by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinney, and John Pop. For more information, visit DailySignal.com.