The following is from the Portland Oregonian:

The sadness, anger and confusion engulfing the community since last Friday began with this moment in time: a threatening passenger on a light-rail train launching into a racist and anti-Muslim tirade. Two teenage girls, one who is African American and one who wears a hijab, sitting in fear. And three men – strangers to the girls and one another – stepping up to intervene.

But it was a moment in which those men, Rick Best, Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche and Micah Fletcher, conveyed a powerful message that has resonated across the country: We will not stand by and let these girls face such threats and intolerance. As Jeremy Joseph Christian continued his menacing rant, the three men stepped forward because their sense of community, humanity and courage demanded it.

This is the moment that we must remember, even as we mourn what happened next: As the men sought to get Christian off the stopped train, he fatally stabbed Best and Namkai-Meche and seriously injured Fletcher, police said. The loss of life, the random aspect of this violent attack and the racial intolerance exposed by the tragedy have many in the community in a state of shock. It is this vulnerability that makes it even more important for Portland and its leaders to guard against false solutions or narratives that will only deepen our divisions. More here.

Question: Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has said he won't issue parade permits for two alt-right protests in June. Do you agree/disagree with the mayor's decision?

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