AMERICAN CITY ON THE LEFT COAST: PORTLAND

Normandy, not Portland

Portland, Oregon is an American city on the west coast. Not too big, not too small, but just right for a big rural state on the edge of the North American continent.

(Think top left corner of America. That’s Seattle. Everybody knows Seattle. Portland is down from there.)

For an extra reminder, Portland is not Paris, and it’s not 1944. But, what about Paris?

WWII Paris went through stages of occupation. France doesn’t get lots of credit for saving Paris, but that’s what happened.

Instead of getting bombed flat like the rest of the cities Germany visited/invaded, France saved their capital. Surrender isn’t the prettiest word, but total destruction was the other choice.

Today Paris stands as a world capital, and a reminder of urban renewal, not nostalgic reconstruction like other European cities.

Paris v Portland Occupation

Federal troops showed up in Paris after the armistice agreed on by Germany and France. German troops marched under the Arc de Triomphe. They were new boss. Or else.

Then the newest boss came in after Normandy, after gunning off the beaches.

When German federal troops left, American federal troops marched in the same place on their way to Berlin.

One of the Paris conditions was letting the world see France march in their own city.

While not the same formation as government troops from occupational forces, the French were just happy to own their streets again.

Charles de Gaulle was the man of the hour.

Portland Is An American City, Isn’t It?

What’s the story in Portland? From Mom Wall, to Dad wall, to Veteran Wall, the walls are growing.

The soundtrack for this particular space in time? There’s only one.

Hint: “We don’t need no education, We don’t need no thought control.”

Who were the German’s in Paris? Who were the Americans after them? It’s not a huge stretch to say they were soldiers following orders. They were bricks in different walls, bad bricks, then good bricks.

Now ask who the federal forces in Portland represent, good bricks, or bad bricks? When they are on the other side of the Portland walls, it’s a not a trick question.

One lively writer lady I know took to the streets, and paid the price:

“I broke my right ankle a week ago, and have been hobbling around well enough in a walking case, but last night at the #BLM protest in Portland a federal officer shot my good foot while I was standing with the Wall of Moms and split the bone in my big toe of my left foot.”

Whether you voice an opposition opinion to protesting Portland, or join in one of the walls, isn’t there a difference between showing up and going home, or showing up and getting shot and gassed?

I’ll be checking with Ellen Urbani when she borrows my lightweight wheelchair. Her mom borrowed it last time and Ellen pushed. This time mom is pushing her in our American city.