Due west of southern Idaho sits the city of Portland, conflicting descriptions of which have been roiling national politics in recent weeks.
Portland is not terribly far from Idaho. For some Idahoans, it’s the nearest large city and a significant governmental and commercial center. So this ought to hit home, arriving as it does next door to the Gem State.
President Donald Trump has called it “war ravaged,” said “it’s anarchy out there,” and talked about “the Radical Left’s reign of terror in Portland.” He said the place has been all but incinerated, and there are no businesses left. At a news conference, he talked about “the destruction of the city.”
He has ordered hundreds of federal or federalized troops sent to the streets of Portland, to curb the wave of destruction and attacks on federal officials. (If you look at voting statistics, it’s clearly true that Portlanders do not like Trump, at the least.)
Oregon officials have pushed back. Keith Wilson, who as mayor of Portland actually, you know, lives there, said in a statement, “If President Trump came to Portland today, what he would find is people riding their bikes. Playing sports. Enjoying the sunshine. Buying produce at a farmers' market.”
The state of Oregon (like the state of California before it) has taken the Trump Administration to court on the issue, and so far, at this writing, has fended off the troops, which state and local officials say are not needed and would create problems where few or none now exist.
We all know about President Trump and his rhetorical, um, flourishes. And it is true that local officials usually like to talk up the positives, rather than the negatives, in their communities. (And let it not be said that Portland is completely free of problems. As plenty of Portlanders will tell you, they have some, homelessness, traffic and high housing prices among them. Boiseans could relate.)
I’m not a resident of Portland, but I do go through there from time to time, and I’ve been in town a couple of occasions in the last few weeks. Consistently this year I’ve seen a Portland that looks and acts more or less as it always does, prosperous and intact, with people going about their business. I saw no significant dangers or destruction.
I’ve found, and written about, the one real center of protest, the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, which is located in one building on one block a couple of miles south of downtown. Protesters often appear around it, but only once this year (back in June) has it turned violent, and the numbers of protesters usually haven’t exceeded about two dozen at a time, mostly consistenting of seniors who are there as part of religious groups. Traffic all around the building flows normally. ICE operations inside appear to be going on unimpeded. The protests seem not to have expanded beyond that one block. That’s just about the extent of the “chaos” in Portland.
Okay, that’s my view. But still, who do you believe?
Here’s a case where you can resolve the question conclusively for yourself.
Take a road trip. Head down Interstate 84, all the way to the end where it merges with I-5 in the middle of Portland, and then head off on a street tour. You can visit the east side of the Willamette River, the industrial district, or even the less-affluent (some say long-ignored by city hall) far east side of town, or the downtown area. Oh, and while you’re downtown be sure to check out Powell's, one of the best and most famous book stores in the world, and still very much in business. Parking likely will be your biggest problem.
If you want to check out the scene at ICE, you can take Macadam Road south from downtown, and look to your left. You’ll know you’ve gotten to protest central when you see some sign carriers.
So drive around and check it all out. It’s about as safe as Boise. I promise.
As you return home, you may need to consider this question:
Who do you believe now? President Trump or your own lying eyes?