According to a new “advisory report”from the office of Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan Oregon is awash in violent extremism and “paramilitary activity”. Shemia was last seen sounding the klaxons over a dubious crisis in Oregon elections. The report’s purpose is to kick off a proposed law expanding the definition of violent extremism, making it easier to prosecute and increasing the Attorney General’s ability to sue political dissidents.
Needless to say they aren’t talking about antifa. The report relies entirely on recent FBI and DOJ propaganda declaring the threat of white nationalism (as it pivots from “global jihad” to “domestic terrorism” to keep the funding flowing), transferring recent FBI pronouncements on its new focus on the white right wing and protecting abortion access verbatim, such as this recent public testimony from the FBI:
The FBI classifies domestic terrorism into four main categories: racially motivated violent extremism, anti-government/anti-authority extremism, animal rights/environmental extremism, and abortion extremism.
Following the War on Terror model, feds warn darkly of individuals being radicalized online, “homegrown” lone wolf terrorists sprouting from the soil of internet “radicalization”. The “Islamic terror” template is applied, with basic rules and structure, like a sitcom, swapping out a bearded Jihadi with a white racist and inserting “white supremacy” in place of “Islamic terror”. No need to re-invent the wheel, or the spiel.
The report begins:
This advisory report suggests actions the Legislature, Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ), and Oregon State Police (OSP) can take to mitigate the risks posed by domestic, violent extremism statewide. Over the past decade, Oregon witnessed the sixth-highest number of domestic violent extremism incidents in the nation. That alarming trend manifest itself dramatically in 2020 both nationally and within Oregon, culminating in violent attacks on the State Capitol Building on December 21, 2020 (see photo on the cover page), and the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.
For this advisory report, the Oregon Audits Division reviewed data and information from research and interviews pertaining to domestic violent extremism and threat management to identify gaps in Oregon’s statutes, rules, and practices. Addressing these gaps could help the state mitigate the risk of future domestic violent extremism incidents. We focused on five areas of review: state governance, insider threat, critical infrastructure, Urban Area Securities Initiative grants, and public awareness.
Women and minorities hardest hit, of course:
The impact of domestic terrorism and violent extremism extends to all Oregonians and can affect communities and individuals alike. The trauma caused by these incidents can have lasting effects and may have a greater impact on communities already suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, economic loss, or racial bias in the case of racially or ethnically motivated extremism. Depending on the nature of the incident, the continued trauma may impede the ability of individuals and communities to enjoy their economic, social, and cultural rights.
It’s curious Islamic or foreign terrorism doesn’t merit a category. The “anti-government/anti-authority” category implicitly includes leftwing anarchists and antifa, but the rest of the document is committed to isolating “right wing extremism” to fill that role. It displays a good deal of confidence on the part of elites that the laws such as this cracking down on dissent could easily be wielded against left wing “domestic violent extremists” by any future right wing government. They are proceeding as if any future conservative government turning these laws around on them isn’t a realistic threat.
Islamic terrorism is not a major threat inside the United States if it ever was (though still producing its occasional lone-wolf headcase), and it’s getting harder for federal law enforcement to justify budgeting for it. Add to this the near-revolutionary wokism infecting our government and society and the caricature of a “brown” person upon which the War on Terror depended is simply untenable. Conversely the caricature of the white racist is now all but compulsory.
The Secretary of State’s report, while fretting about “paramilitary organizations”, can’t bring itself to mention the antifa campaign that brought the city to its knees during the BLM riots of 2020. Much use is made of tropes like “white supremacy”, while there is only one somewhat obscured mention of “far left” violence, the murder of Proud Boy Aaron Daniels.
Portland saw a high number of protests during the summer months of 2020. During one clash between ideologically opposed groups, a far-left extremist shot and killed a member of the opposing group.
The “clash” occurred when antifa turned out to attack a rightwing car caravan through downtown; afterward Daniels was shot in the chest at close-range after being stalked by a member of “antifa security”.
No; the FBI and Shemia want to be clear who the enemy is (bold added throughout):
During the first half of 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice issued public reports noting DVEs, primarily those advocating for white supremacy, likely would continue to be the most lethal DVE threat to the United States. This conclusion was reinforced by the FBI director in Congressional testimony on September 21, 2021. DVEs are likely to continue to engage in non-lethal violence and other criminal activity in the future and their reactions to socio-political events and conditions could increase attacks.
The U.S. Department of Justice report noted 2019 represented the most lethal year for DVE attacks since 1995, with five separate attacks resulting in 32 deaths; 24 of these occurred during attacks conducted by racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists advocating for white supremacy
Whether or not authorities are overstating the threat of domestic terrorism, they are openly anticipating violence in reaction to future outrages:
The threat of domestic terrorism posed by lone actors and white supremacist groups is a high national security priority for the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.
During the first half of 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice issued public reports noting DVEs, primarily those advocating for white supremacy, likely would continue to be the most lethal DVE threat to the United States. This conclusion was reinforced by the FBI director in Congressional testimony on
September 21, 2021. DVEs are likely to continue to engage in non-lethal violence and other criminal activity in the future and their reactions to socio-political events and conditions could increase attacks. The U.S. Department of Justice report noted 2019 represented the most lethal year for DVE attacks
since 1995, with five separate attacks resulting in 32 deaths; 24 of these occurred during attacks conducted by racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists advocating for white supremacy
So just be ready, good citizen, for the extremist reaction to compulsory sodomy in middle school, when that comes.
Ironically the FBI propaganda the Secretary of State is sharing warns of dissidents’ ability to “share propaganda” in “online forums” and “encrypted chat applications” where unrestrained dissidents “reference accelerationism…[that] the current system of society is irreparable and violent action is necessary to start a race war.”
Federal authorities also warn “gamification” and “accelerationism” inspired some of the attacks in 2019 and likely will continue to inspire future plots. Gamification is the notion that violent extremists may consider fatality counts in attacks as “scores” and desire to accomplish high kill counts. Additionally, the ability to easily share propaganda through online forums and encrypted chat applications may inspire future attackers. The same online forums and encrypted chat applications also reference accelerationism, a term used to describe the belief of some DVEs that the current system of society is irreparable and violent action is necessary to start a race war.
Feds warn accelerationism is accelerating.
Another way to bias the law is to invoke the progressive conceit that some people’s suffering is more pitiable than the suffering of some others:
As a result, domestic terrorism’s cascading effects may have a greater impact on communities already suffering economic distress, such as low-income and immigrant populations. As the threat from DVEs advocating for white supremacy continues to be the most lethal DVE threat to the U.S., it is critical the traumatic, negative effects from terrorist and extremist attacks be understood, mitigated, and, for victims of racially or ethnically motivated violence, responded to with adequate services and supports
“Queer” firefighter Representative Dacia Grayber, elected in 2020 after riding the “heroes of Covid” narrative, produced the bill to codify the Secretary of State’s recommendations:
SALEM, Ore. — According to a recent Secretary of State Audit, Oregon ranks sixth in the nation for the highest rate of violent extremist incidents over the past decade.
A bill looks to give Oregon law more teeth when it comes to preventing incidents involving paramilitary groups or organized groups that use “dangerous weapons” in acts of civil disobedience.
“Like many others, I grappled with the question, how do we work to bring the temperature down without infringing on civil liberties?” said the bill’s sponsor Rep. Dacia Grayber, D-Tigard. “After researching and working with a variety of legal and constitutional experts, we have landed on a policy that I believe is the most constitutionally sound and focused approach to preventing the most egregious cases of political intimidation and violence.
HB 2572 would expand the definition of illegal paramilitary activity in Oregon and would allow the attorney general to petition a judge to halt the actions of a group if the AG “has reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons has engaged in or is about to engage in paramilitary activity.” The bill would also allow a private citizen to sue a member or all members of a paramilitary group that has infringed upon his or her constitutional right by means of intimidation.
The bill’s prospects aren’t yet clear.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man riding a scooter opened fire in Downtown Portland on Sunday morning, shooting and injuring another man who had attempted to escape.
Witness Greg Podolec said he ventured downtown for brunch when he saw the shooting at Southwest Second and Morrison Street.
“It was like ‘pow, pow pow,’” Podolec said. “As soon as we turned around the corner, instantly I saw a guy on a scooter chasing another guy holding a four-foot metal pole.”
Podolec said the man running away with the pole vigorously shook the door of a building, trying to get inside.
“I could tell by the look on his face that he was running for his life,” Podolec said.
The man with the scooter caught up to the door, where he allegedly shot the man attempting to escape.
Podolec said he and two other bystanders wrapped a leather belt around the wound while using Podolec’s knife to cut the man’s pants for better access to the wound until medical authorities arrived.
The Running Goats of Capitalism
Anarchists cut a hole in the chainlink fencing in “Portland’s non-profit resident herd”, the Belmont Goats, and a few briefly wandered out before being corralled. The vandals, who left a note, were not freeing the goats mind you, but see them as cloven-hoofed accomplices of capitalism, whose “comfort” is the reason a neighboring homeless camp is scheduled to be cleared out to make room for one of the city’s “Safe Rest Villages“, a fenced-in complex of sheds, to house other homeless people.
“In what reality is the comfort of five goats valued over the shelter of more than fifteen people,” said the letter, signed by “some anarchists. So, it’s time for the Belmont Goats to enjoy a little walk in the park.”
The goats (fourteen, not five) the anarchists attempted to render homeless in defense of the homeless have moved a lot in their 12 year history, and are also being displaced by the Safe Rest Village. It was homeless people from the camp who wrangled the goats and notified their owners before they, say, got hit by a car on their “little walk”.
A news crew that came out to cover the story witnessed and recorded a fight and shooting at the camp:
PORTLAND, Ore. — A fight at a north Portland homeless camp led to a shooting late Tuesday morning. A KGW team was at the camp for a separate story and witnessed what happened.
KGW reporter Blair Best and Photojournalist Ken McCormick saw a fight breakout between two men. One was hitting the other with what appeared to be a large, ax-like weapon when a gunshot was fired. One of the men fell to the ground and then hobbled off into the woods.
The KGW crew tried calling 911, but no one picked up right away. Another neighbor got through to dispatch and police arrived about 10 minutes later. None of the people living in the camp would speak with police about what they saw and the victim and suspect ran off before police arrived.
Police said they heard one person was shot in a leg, but weren’t able to find a victim or a suspect by the time they arrived.
The homeless camp is located in the St. John’s neighborhood off the Peninsula Crossing Trail. It has slowly grown into what Portland Police called a “hot spot” they patrol daily. The city posted a notice last week that stated it would clear the camp.
Around the Northwest
Raceless assailant with medium build on the loose in Vancouver
VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) — A Ridgefield High School student sustained serious injuries after being assaulted shortly after school got out on Wednesday, officals said.
The student was assaulted just after 3:15 p.m. while walking across the parking lot at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex, according to police. The student was taken to a local hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
Police say the suspect is described as a male in his early 20s, with medium build. The suspect’s car is believed to be an older four-door silver sedan. There was a second person with an unknown description who was a passenger in the car during the assault, authorities said.
The assault is believed to be an isolated, targeted incident and police say there is no threat to the community. The investigation is ongoing.
Just cool it with the anti-medium build remarks!
Safe Haven for Teens’ Mutilation
Washington state legislators have introduced a bill (SB 5599) to amend laws requiring youth shelters to notify parents of runaways in their care if the child is “seeking or receiving protected health care services”. Not only can parental rights be lost, but parents can find themselves facing charges of abuse coming from their state-estranged children: “if there are compelling reasons not to notify the parent, the shelter or organization must instead notify the department”. Shelters and the like have always been required to report abuse; the new law cuts out the parents, not the state, which is encouraged to get involved by allying with progressive organizations against parents.
Despite a friendly media the measure is facing vigorous public opposition. NPR (“Bill would protect runaway youth seeking gender-affirming care”):
If a teenager runs away from home and ends up in a shelter, are shelter staff required to inform parents? In Washington state, the answer is yes.
But a bill now before the state Legislature would make a few exceptions to this rule, including if the child has run away to seek gender-affirming care.
RELATED: Trans patients often travel out of state, pay more for gender-affirming care, study finds
State Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett) is one sponsor of SB 5599, which is currently working its way through the Senate Committee on Human Services. He says the measure would allow transgender kids who are not being supported at home to find safe accommodation.
“We know when people don’t have access to gender affirming care it leads to life-long challenges in terms of mental health,” Liias said.
The bill has prompted considerable pushback as it is being discussed in Olympia this session. More than 4,500 people weighed in on the matter online, mostly in opposition, including parent Eric Pratt.
“I can imagine children running from another state to Washington with this idea that they are going to be cared for outside the parental guidance that is necessary for their own health care,” Pratt argued.
It appears trans surgery tourism is already a thing (see NPR’s “related” link above). The law would include abortion services as well.
Under the bill, parents would not be required to be informed of their runaway kids’ whereabouts if there is a “compelling reason.” That includes the possibility of abuse, or if the minor is seeking “protected health services” including reproductive services or gender affirming care.
Sponsor Mark Liias speaks of creating a “network” of “safe places”:
untethered 