The Intent behind the Question

I have seen this happen with greater frequency, particularly among Facebook groups. Someone will post an image, a screen shot, or a screen grab of a conversation. They will than make a comment and follow it up with a question.

More Than ‘Just a Question’

The question is not asked in good faith or with the aim to seek the true answer, but to provoke a specific response and feeling. Typically the response and feeling desired is anger and/or outrage. The purpose to provoke this response and feeling is polarization, which is a fancy way of saying division.

This is not to say the original poster rationally thought this out and made a choice to cause division, they probably do not even know this is what they are doing. In fact they are probably just as upset about what they are sharing as those who see it.

The truth is we all have things we do without thinking about it. We do not think about why we are doing it, what doing it will do for us now, and what sort of impact it will have in the future not only for ourselves but for those who we are connected.

The devious nature of these posts goes deeper. It hides its malicious nature behind a defense of, ‘I’m just asking a question.’ This allows the original poster an easy option out when confronted. This is the path of least resistance and feeds off our natural human nature to avoid pain and discomfort.

By avoiding this pain and discomfort we deny ourselves of an opportunity grow. We shut out having to go through the discomfort of being mindful of what we are doing and in doing so avoid the pain associated with being wrong.

Asking questions is generally a good thing as long as they are asked properly. By properly I do not mean questions people approve of, but questions seeking truth and understanding. Questions asked in good faith not questions asked seeking a specific answer or to provoke an emotion.

Responding

When you see this type of devious question being asked naturally you may get defensive and possibly angry. This is perfectly natural and simply means you are human. It is your body saying something is off about this.

If you recognize there is an agenda behind the question the impulse to pull away or to call out the asker is strong. These questions are a form of manipulation and no one enjoys being manipulated. Pulling away will only leave the person asking the question in an echo chamber and positively reinforce this form of manipulation.

Calling out the asker will only further entrench things creating more division. So how do you respond? You answer the question honestly and ask follow up questions seeking clarification. Remember the person asking the manipulative question probably does not know that they are trying to manipulate people.

More likely than not they felt an emotion and reacted without mindfulness. You responding in the same way will only make the matter worse. Be generous with your forgiveness because sometimes we all act not knowing what we do.

This is the best way to respond because sometimes you might be wrong. Responding by answering honestly and asking follow up questions leaves room for the fact that you might be misinterpreting the question. In my experience by doing this you will exchange sowing seeds of division for sowing seeds of respect.

It is by reaping this crop of respect that we can produce the more valuable product of unity.

The Portland Narrative of The Right Wing Rally

There was a Right Wing rally in Portland on August 17^th 2019. The rally was to raise awareness for domestic terrorism, particularly to highlight the actions of the group known as Antifa. This rally was in response to the brutal attack, at the hands of Antifa, on an independent journalist Andy Ngo that left him with a brain hemorrhage.

Narrative One

Leading up to this rally there was a lot of hot rhetoric on both sides. This of course caught national attention and the media was attempting to bill this event as the next Charlottesville. Naturally this alarmed the public, no one wants Neo-Nazi’s and White Nationalists gathering in their city.

This narrative was pushed by the mayor, Ted Wheeler, and the mainstream media. The only problem was that the Right Wing groups were not Neo-Nazi’s or White Nationalists. In fact Enrique Tarrio, one of the organizers and head of the Proud Boys is not white at all. Seems a bit odd that a White Nationalist group is led by a non-white person.

The media and the Progressive mayor, not interested in allowing the truth to get in the way of a useful narrative, ignored that fact. The mayor instead doubled down. He made the rounds on major media outlets saying that violence will not be tolerated in Portland.

His statements were a bit vague and any attempt by media personalities to get him to clarify who he was talking about were dodged. He seemed to imply that he did not want groups from outside of Portland to bring violence into the city. It seemed like mayor Wheeler was going to allow the police to do their jobs to keep the peace.

The mayor, along with a group of Portland organizations, held a rally a few days before saying they don’t want outsiders to bring violence into their city. That they don’t want people to come here and say hateful things and spread their hateful message.

In an unrelated and totally coincidental matter, several members of Patriot Prayer had arrest warrants issued for them and were taken into custody. This included the head of Patriot Prayer Joey Gibson, who turned himself in voluntarily to the police.

The Death of Narrative One

The rally was set to start at 11am on Saturday August 17^th 2019. Several groups showed up early to organize people and to share their location on social media. I arrived 15 minutes early and made my way to park where the rally was set to take place. After making my way around the police line and ending up among the black bloc I eventually made my way to the Right Wing group.

The Right Wing groups met up in the park, surrounded by police and screaming protesters. The protesters shouted at the Right Wing groups, called them Nazi’s, fascists, racists, and yelled at them to go home. While the organizers were from out of town a lot of people at the rally lived in or near Portland.

The Proud Boys got between the protesters and other members of the rally, trying to keep everyone focused on the speakers rather than engaging in shouting matches. Most the people at the rally understood that Antifa were a distraction and focused on the speakers. While in the park the Right Wing groups knelt down and said a prayer.

They prayed for Antifa and the city of Portland. To bring light into the city and to bring an end to the hate. This was followed by a signing of the national anthem and chants of USA. After this the organizers announced they would march to another location. They walked across the bridge and ended up at their location. It was here that a man walked into the group and started shouting F*** YOU while pointing at the face of every person he saw.

The Proud Boys acted quickly to keep the crowd away from him and the police quickly removed the man from the situation. No punches were thrown, no one was beat up and the police did their job. Soon after this, around 1:30pm the group was told by the organizers to disperse and head home. People left and made their way home.

The rally was over and it was peaceful. Antifa remained and turned their anger on individuals they singled out as Nazi’s, the police, and even attacked the bus the Proud Boys were attempting to leave on. Seems a bit odd that Antifa members spent hours yelling at the Right Wing groups to leave and the moment they try to leave they attack them.

After the Right Wing groups left a civil disturbance was declared due to illegal blocking of roads and several assaults committed by Antifa. The next day the media tried to carry the narrative forward writing things like ‘violence rocks Portland at Far Right rally’ or ‘13 arrested at Far-Right protest in Portland.’

They seem to have forgot that almost everyone has a cell phone with a camera and can watch the events happen in real time, unedited. These media companies had their comment sections light up as people pointed out that they are attempting to mislead people. Mayor Wheeler came out afterward and said that Joe Biggs, one of the organizers, was no longer welcome in Portland.

Wheeler said that Bigg’s message of hate had no place in the city of Portland. This narrative died as soon as the bus carrying the Right Wing rally goers left the city.

Narrative Two (Plan B)

We the people are not stupid. We understand that Antifa is a huge problem in Portland, but Mayor Wheeler refuses to directly address them and the media refuse to shine the light on this group. The first narrative was false and that falsehood was exposed for the world to see, and public sentiment started to turn against Wheeler and Antifa.

That is when the second narrative was born. In order to shift public sentiment against the peaceful Right Wing groups the media started running stories about how much businesses who closed their shops the day of the rally suffered.

The estimated cost to these businesses was $3 million and expected to grow. The media of course is trying to stand this narrative on the corpse of the previous one. They say if these Right Wing groups would not provoke people than things like this would never happen.

To clarify, the narrative goes like this. If Right Wing groups would stop committing the crime of being Right Wing in Portland than black clad people would not have to violently assault people, destroy property, and attack the police costing millions of dollars of tax payer money and hurting business.

It would seem that the Mayor does not believe the people actually committing the acts of violence and property destruction are responsible for their actions. Instead it is the groups who those people hate. It also seems that Mayor Wheeler believes the Right Wing groups are responsible for the hate and anger of other people because the Right Wing groups are the objects of that hate.

The Mayor of Portland seems to think that Right Wing groups should not be allowed to go into certain places if they are hated in those places. And if they do go into those places they are not allowed to enter, the simple act of being there is justification for the outrage, anger, hate and physical attacks they suffer. Not only that but that they are to blame for the attacks they suffer and any damage done due to those attacks.

The goal of this second narrative seems to be the same as the first, sway public opinion against the Right Wing groups.

A Comparison

Joey Gibson, leader of Patriot Prayer told reporters that he and his group have done around 60 rallies all over the state of Washington. All have been peaceful, no property damage was done, and no one was hurt. A few counter protesters even showed up but they all remained civil and everyone got to exercise their right to free speech peacefully.

 

Antifa protested in Portland after the election of President Donald Trump and cost the city $1 million in damages. There was no Patriot Prayer in the city, the Proud Boys did not exist as a group, and no one was counter protesting them. They were so upset about the election of Donald Trump they attempted to burn down and destroy the very communities they now claim they are protecting.

The question becomes, if Patriot Prayer can have around 60 peaceful rallies (so peaceful they get zero media coverage) all over the west coast, why is it that there is only fighting and violence in Portland? You must also ask, if Antifa protests turn toward violence and destruction even in the absences of Right Wing groups, why does the mayor not address directly the issue of Antifa violence?

The problem at these rallies are not the Right Wing groups (don’t get me wrong the Right Wing groups have problems of their own to be sure, just like any other group), they understand they are under a microscope at these events. They understand that any hint of aggression, any fighting, or any statement will be analyzed, picked apart, twisted and turned if it can be used to support the narrative that the cause of all the problems are Right Wing groups.

The problem is not even Antifa, but rather the culture of Portland itself. A ‘Progressive’ culture that increasingly focuses on a person’s group identity as an indicator of good or bad. A culture that believe the world is a conflict between good and evil people. A culture that believes if words make you upset that is violence, to be met with physical violence justified as self-defense. A culture that applies laws differently depending on your ideological belief and the fact that you wear a mask.

The Attack on Andy Ngo and Portland's Rule of Mob

Last weekend we saw the first major event of the protest season in Portland Oregon. Antifa showed up in force and marched down the streets hand in hand with violence and hated.

Double speak chants issued from the black clad crowd. “No Hate, No Fear, Proud Boys are not welcome here.” Were these chants to protest hatred and fear or were they an attempt to purge this feeling from their own hearts?

Andy Ngo

Andy Ngo is a Portland based independent journalist who has worked extensively covering the protests in Portland Oregon. He documents what happens and shares the video on social media as well as writes articles for publications such as Quillette and the Wall Street Journal.

Saturday he was covering several of the events in downtown Portland, excited about his new GoPro camera. Sadly that excitement was short lived when a large group of Antifa protesters, dressed in all black and in masks to obscure their identities, descended on him.

It started with someone pointing him out specifically and telling the crowd he was a ‘bad person.’ This singling out was all that was needed to provide the incentive for the mob to unleash their fury.

First it was someone throwing a drink, probably a milkshake, on Andy. This action was met with cheers and applause. Bolstered by this reaction other members of the crowd quickly stepped up to escalate the violence.

Andy, with his hands up covering himself, was struck several times. Fists, gloves with hardened knuckles, and silly string repeatedly struck Andy. The chaos emboldened Antifa members took the opportunity to rob Andy, stealing his new GoPro and the camera he had been using to document the protest.

Attempting to escape this hate, Andy stumbled across the park, unaware of the extent of his injuries. He felt dizzy and sat down, unknowing that the cause of this feeling was due to a bleed in the brain caused by the attack.

The police, having been ordered to stand down in the face of Antifa by Mayor Ted Wheeler, arrived at Andy’s location and offered medical aid. Andy eventually made it to a hospital later that night to discover the seriousness of his injuries.

Other Attacks

Another man alone, filming Antifa marching the wrong way down the middle of a one way street was pepper sprayed by Antifa and chased off.

An elderly man was confronted by Antifa only to be left with blood running down his face as the violent mob beat him, kicked him while he was down and threw objects at him. When another man tried to intervene to break up the fight he was struck over the head from behind with what appeared to be a crowbar.

This man later went to the hospital and received over 20 stitches in his head. These attacks were just the ones that got reported.

Rule of Mob

The Portland Police is taking a lot of heat for these violent protests. People wonder why they can be seen watching nearby as black clad Antifa violently assault people and destroy property. This is not due to the laziness of the individual officers, or the lack of a desire to perform their duty.

Instead this is due to orders they have been given. These orders come directly from the police commissioner, Mayor Ted Wheeler. Mayor Wheeler justifies these orders by saying he is bound by the first amendment to allow people to protest.

While people have the right to free speech and freedom of assembly, this right must be exercised peacefully. Mayor Wheeler, with the help of some members of the media, tries to pin all the violence on Conservative and Right Wing groups.

If you dig a little and observe other events these groups hold outside of the city of Portland (across the river in Vancouver for example) they are peaceful, people are allowed to speak and counter protesters are allowed to protest. As soon as Antifa shows up things get violent.

The media love to weasel headline these stories. A weasel headline is when you state something that is not false (which is different than something that is true) and frame it in the opposite direction. For example ‘Violence breaks out at Patriot Prayer rally.’ Makes it seem like violence follows the group Patriot Prayer and their rallies.

When you watch the video of the rally you can clearly see it is Antifa attacking the group they do not like. Mayor Wheeler, instead of condemning this sort of behavior actually applauds it. He thanked Antifa for their harassment of ICE personnel saying that he is glad that they are bringing national attention to this problem.

Mayor Wheeler also says that if the police enforce the law it will just cause more protests and Antifa riots. Instead of upholding the rule of law and protecting the liberty of the citizens, we now see a violent aggressive group being allowed to assault who they want, disrupt and direct traffic, and damage property.

When the police do make an arrest these people are often let out on bail or given a fine and turned lose. The city of Portland used to be a beautiful city, full of weird and interesting people peacefully pursuing their American dream. Now it has turned into a graffiti covered homeless camp soaked in urine and littered with used needles.

Where angry black clad mobs rule the street, imposing their ‘woke’ justice through violence and intimidation, backed by city council members and the mayor. Where the police force, whenever they are allowed to enforce the law, are thrown under the bus for political gain. Where business owners keep boards the size of their windows in their stock rooms ready for the destruction of the next round of violence.

The line between civilization and anarchy has worn thin in Portland. Responsibility and authority have been abdicated and the group filling that vacuum believe they are justified in violently enforcing their beliefs on the citizens. With the 2020 elections on the horizon I can only see this downward spiral getting worse. For the citizens of Portland I hope that I am wrong.

No Longer Silent: #timberunity #Oregon11

A lot has been happening in the state of Oregon. From the Governor sending the police after Senators to the #timberunity movement. I thought I would break it down in an attempt to cut through some of the media smoke and mirrors.

Just like every movement, this started before anyone showed up to protest at the capital.

Dangers of Super Majorities

This started when the Democratic Party won super majorities in both the Oregon House and Senate. On top of that they won the Governorship allowing for single party control of the entire state.

Some of the Democratic legislators felt that because they had been granted a super majority by the voters that meant that they could push through any legislation they wanted. To some it also meant that they did not even need to consider Republican representatives or their concerns from their constituents.

The Republicans were listened to in name only. Meaning they were given time to talk but nothing they said was considered or taken seriously. They had zero impact on legislation and were largely ignored by the Democratic legislators.

This dismissive behavior was farther compounded when every piece of legislation had an emergency clause attached to it. This put legislation into effect immediately after it was signed into law and would make it more difficult for the petition and referendum process to go forward.

They did not want these bills to go to be placed on the ballot and go to the voters. They even intended to restrict the ability for people to petition by introducing restrictions on how signatures could be gathered. It would seem the Democratic Party did not want the people or the Democratic process to take place.

The First Walk Out

The Republican Senators, tired of being relegated to seat fillers walked out in protest to stop two bills. One on gun control (HB 978) and the second on mandatory vaccines for kids attending public schools (HB 3063). The Oregon Senate is made up of 30 Senators, 18 Democrat and 11 Republican (one seat was empty due the passing of a Republican Senator Jackie Winters, rest in peace Senator and thank you for your service).

In order to get any business done the Senate must have 2/3 quorum, meaning they need at least 20 Senators present before they can pass legislation. After a few days and much negotiation the Democrats struck a deal to get the Republicans to return to the capital. Both bills were tabled (returned to committee) and a bill that would increase taxes to ‘pay for schools’ was passed.

The stipulations of the agreement were as follows:

The Republicans returned, the two bills were put aside for 2019 and they started to talk on HB2020. The bill number never changed and the Republicans felt like they were being ignored again. Not to mention that the bill had the emergency clause added in.

While the Republicans were deciding on what they should do, Oregonians from rural communities showed up at the capital on Wednesday June 19^th to protest the bill. They drove their logging truck and heavy equipment in and stood one the capitol steps.

This was #timberunity, a grassroots campaign made up of loggers, truckers, ranchers, farmers and people from rural communities in Oregon. They would be the ones paying the biggest price if HB2020 passed and they showed up to express their concern. Chief among those concerns was that their livelihoods would be taken away from them.

The Democrats did not seem to care, saying the sacrifice was worth it if it helped stop climate change.

#Oregon11

The Republican Senators, listening to their constituents, frustrated that their concerns are being ignored by the majority, and believing that the deal to get them returned was violated (HB2020 was not reset) used the only tool available to them, they walked out.

Enraged at this act of defiance Democrats called upon the Governor to compel the Senators to return. Governor Kate Brown gave the orders to Oregon State Police to find the Senators and bring them back to the capital.

Senator Brian Boquist said to Oregon State Police superintendent “Send bachelors and come heavily armed. I’m not going to be a political prisoner in the state of Oregon. It’s just that simple.” Republican Senators flee the state to prevent them from being rounded up by the police to be used as seat fillers in order to pass legislation that they believed would damage the people in the communities they represent.

The Republican Senators become known as the #Oregon11. To retaliate the Democrats plan on fining the missing Senators $500/day of legislative session they miss. They then plan on keeping the session open all weekend in an attempt to increase this penalty.

Democrats and the media call on Republicans to return, saying they have a duty to be at the capital to work for the people who voted them into office. Republicans and their supporters refuse knowing that by returning to the capital they will simply be seat fillers and unable to represent their constituents.

#timberunity and Oregon GOP plans a protest for Saturday (Occupy the Capital) to show support for #Oregon11 and to oppose HB2020. Senate Democrats, citing fears that ‘militia groups’ are going to show up at the capital cancel Saturday’s session.

No proof or source has been provided for these threats and no arrests have been made at the time of this writing. Militia groups offered protection to the fleeing Senators but no proof has been made public showing that they made threats to invade the capitol building. Oregon GOP and #timberunity show up at the capital to protest.

Democratic State Rep Paul Evens makes a statement on twitter comparing the protesters and the #Oregon11 to terrorists. The legislative session is set to end June 30^th and the Republican Senators have shown no signs of returning before then.

Freedom Rally

Thursday June 27^th #timberunity, rural communities, Republicans and many others hold one of the largest rallies at the State capital ever. Trucks parade around the building honking their horns, people giving speeches on the steps of the capitol building, and protesters with signs stand together outside in order to oppose HB2020 and show support for the #Oregon11.

Senate President Peter Courtney announced that he no longer has the votes needed to pass HB2020 when a few members of his party decided they will not vote for the bill. The Progressive members of the Democratic Party believed that with a super majority that they could do whatever they wanted.

They believed they could pass legislation with impunity and that they knew what was best for Oregonians, even better than Oregonians themselves. So far they have not succeeded with HB2020, but they have succeeded in one area, uniting rural and working Oregonians and energizing them to speak up and say no more.

#timberunity #Oregon11

MayAGA Day 20: Wink and a Nod

I have been wearing my MAGA hat everywhere I go for about 20 days now. When I first started this challenge it was awkward to put that hat on my head and go out of the house. I worried about what others would think or do when they saw it.

So far that worry has been unfounded and those who comment on the hat have been positive. Now I put the hat on my head and forget that I am wearing it. The places and people I see frequently seem to not notice anymore. It has become common place.

Nothing really exciting has happened and that is why I have not had anything to write about. Honestly that is exactly what I wanted to happen.

A Wink and a Nod

I was out walking the dog when I noticed an elderly lady working in her yard. She saw me down the street and walked toward me.

 

At first I was a bit nervous, not because I was worried about this lady but because my dog has a bad habit of jumping and he is a big dog. She approached me and from a safe distanced asked if she could pet my dog.

I explained to her if he starts to whine or get nervous then the answer is no, but if he is okay with it than yes. She put her hand out, he smelled it and immediately leaned against her for some pets. She loved on him for a minute, getting her fur fix she said, and we talked about dogs.

At the end of the conversation she leaned in and looked up at me sideways and said “By the way I like your hat.” Of course I smiled and said thank you and she went back to her friend to continue working in the yard.

The next instance was at a local Albertsons. I was walking through the store and as usual I could tell people noticed the hat but were largely going about their business. I passed an employee who was talking with another customer but I could tell his eyes followed me for a second longer than usual.

I brushed it off as him just thinking I might need help. I was looking for a product I did not know exactly where it was, so I figured he picked up on my lost expression. A few seconds later I heard he call to me from behind.

“Excuse me sir.” He said standing by the door leading to the back of the store. I turned and looked back and as we made eye contact he said “I like your hat.” I again smiled big and said thank you. He nodded and went back to work in the back of the store.

Silent Support

These two instances are not the only time someone has commented on my hat. I have not had anyone get upset, just positive feedback. I took some time to think about those encounters and what they meant.

In each of those encounters the comment was made in a public space but was meant to be a private conversation. It was almost as if they said they supported the hat but did not want to wear one themselves. Or that they were thankful that someone was doing something they wanted to do but felt they could not.

Before I took on this challenge I felt the same way. In fact I probably would have been one of those people who gave a quick positive comment in passing if I had seen someone in a MAGA hat.

I have often wondered why people felt they had to stay silent. For the most part I think people just want to avoid conflict. For me I left a very real social pressure that being Republican, Conservative or wearing a MAGA hat made me a bad person.

I knew Conservatives, Republicans and people that wore MAGA hats and they were perfectly normal, regular, good people. They worked hard, loved their families, and helped their neighbors. So why should these good people feel ashamed to be themselves?

I do not have the answer to that question outside of social pressure. Thankfully I have spent most my life being socially awkward and have had to build up an inner strength that can stand against social pressure when needed.

Even with this practice I had a hard time taking that step. But if my experience is any indication the only thing that holds people back from taking that step is themselves.

If you want to wear a MAGA hat or get involved with the Republican Party, do so. Go to a meet up or join a Facebook group (Here are a couple groups I am a member of Oregon Republican League, Young Republican’s of Washington County). Check it out, talk to people, and make the choice that is best for you.

Thanks for reading and hope you all are having a great MayAGA!

MayAGA Day 2 – 5: Double Takes and Bravery

As I look at the MAGA hat on my kitchen counter I think to myself, will today be the day someone gets upset or will people even notice? I take a breath and steady myself as I pick it up and place it on my head.

The more I wear the hat the more I forget that I am actually wearing it. There is a part of me that says ‘Maybe you just don’t wear it this one time.’ I admit that voice is tempting but I must stick with this challenge to the end.

Largely my experience so far has been positive but I do experience moments where I am very conscious that I am wearing a MAGA hat and people have noticed.

Day 2

The second day wearing the MAGA hat was largely uneventful. I wore it to work and got stopped by a coworker. He took a look at the hat and asked if that was a MAGA hat. I said yes it is with a smile. He replied, right on, and we both returned to work.

Toward the end of the day I was finishing up some work when another coworker asked me a question. He wanted to know if anyone has complemented me on my hat yet.

I explained to him how people have said they liked it or have given me a positive response. To this reply he made a face. I did not understand the question and he was thinking how he could phrase it differently.

After a moment passed he said that I was a brave man for wearing this hat. That there are a lot of people who are afraid to do so out of fear for a number of things. I was stunned. I had dismissed the thought that wearing a Make America Great Again hat made me a brave person.

I understood it took a bit of courage but it was not as if I was running into a burning building or storming the beaches of Normandy, I was simply wearing a red hat with the slogan for the duly elected president of the United States.

When I first came up with this idea I ran into people who thought it was a bad idea. They said they would not wear a MAGA hat because they did not want to open themselves to the possibility of being attacked. I understood their concern and hesitation, I was also frustrated that they were so afraid, but it only made me want to do it even more.

While I do not think that wearing a MAGA hat should be considered an act of bravery (I do not think I am any braver than the next person) I can understand why people would think of it that way. There are people who want or have wanted to wear a MAGA hat but have felt the social pressure not to.

I hope that sharing my experience here shows that you do not have to give into that social pressure and we all realize we are not as divided as the media and Facebook would have us believe.

Grocery Shopping

I had gone to the grocery store on day one but this time I was going full out grocery shopping. I know it seems like a normal thing but I must admit I was a little hesitant. I was going to be in a big public space for an extended period of time with lots of people coming and going.

I took comfort in the idea that most people won’t notice, busy with their own lives. As I grabbed my cart and approached the produce section I saw a young man look at me, look away than turn and look back for a second longer.

 

He continued to shop with the girl he was with and I continued to select the items I needed. Every so often I noticed that people would look at me for a second longer than normal but would than go about shopping.

Normally when in public I make eye contact with the people around me and smile at them if we make eye contact. While in the store I noticed that I had stopped doing this and instead would look straight ahead. I paused to think about this for a second and understood this was my way of avoiding inviting people to talk to me.

It was that feeling you had in school when the teacher asked a question you did not know the answer to so you averted your eyes and hoped they would not call on you. I was surprised that I had found myself acting differently than I normally do and resolved to act as my normal self.

As I continued shopping I notice that young couple I had seen in the produce section again. The girl stepped up and said that she liked my hat. I said thank you and we both kept shopping. I never considered what to do if people would complement me on the hat and later realized that people who were commenting were probably open to a conversation.

I missed this chance but in the future I will stop and make conversation with someone who complements my hat, at the very least I will tell them why I am wearing it and what I intend to do.

I want to also say thank you to the people who have responded positively to my MAGA hat, it might not seem like much but that small act of kindness is a great balm against the division and outraged obsessed media.

Observations

This weekend I mostly worked around the house and spent time walking and running my dogs. I did go out to a few places briefly. I went to grab some lunch and could tell that the people working behind the counter did not like my hat but they did a great job providing excellent customer service.

To me it was proof that the spirit of we don’t have to agree but can be civil to each other still exists. I also entered a retail establishment where normally the employees greet you as you enter the store. They took one look at me and then ignored me.

I am not sure if they were surprised, upset or just busy as I just kept walking and soon after left. If that is the worst thing I experience that would be fine with me.

 

I have noticed that wearing a MAGA hat in the part of Oregon where I live draws attention to yourself. It is just not something that you see outside of the internet or on the news. It seems to open you up to conversation and to have people take a longer look at you.

I suspected this was the case and while the extra attention is a little strange at first it has all been positive so far. I am open to having more conversations with people and want to try and engage a little more with people who approach me.

I have also observed a couple changes in my personal behavior and thoughts. The first thing I noticed was that I now ask myself if I want to really go to some place with my MAGA hat on. There is a part of me that says ‘go, but don’t wear your hat.’ I then ask myself the question, would you go if you were not wearing a MAGA hat, and if the answer is yes than I go with my MAGA hat on.

Part of this experiment is to wear my MAGA hat while I do everything that I would normally do. To show that people who wear MAGA hats are regular people too. That they are your neighbors or the guy who holds the door open for you at the restaurant or the lady who is selecting fruit next to you at the grocery store.

I think this feeling will fade over time as I commit myself to this challenge. I have also noticed that normally I make eye contact with people in public and if they return the contact I would usually smile or say hello.

It was something I taught myself to do a long time ago because I thought that sometime we are all in such a hurry that we ignore everyone around us. That is was a simple and nice way to brighten someone’s day ever so slightly. Since taking on this challenge I started looking straight ahead and avoiding eye contact.

I understand this is my way of avoiding opening myself up to comment and attention. This is something that I will work on as the challenge goes forward. I do not want to change who I am simply because I am wearing a MAGA hat.

Overall I would say my experience has been positive so far. While I have felt a little strange at times and have noticed that when I go out I am drawing attention to myself. I hope the rest of the month goes this smoothly and will write another update in a few days.

Happy MayAGA and hope everyone is having a great month!

MayAGA Day 1: A Good Start

Today is the first day of May and the start of MayAGA. This is the challenge for individuals to wear a MAGA hat every day in the month of May everywhere they go. It is not a march or rally but rather a demonstration that there are normal everyday people, some are your friends and neighbors, who are Republican, conservative and/or supporters of President Trump.

It is not an attempt to trigger or upset people but to show that you refuse to believe the hype of the media about how bad the world is and to say that you will refuse to allow your choices to be dictated by those who are willing to use violence and social pressure to silence you.

The First Step

After a lot of thought and reflection I decided that I would try wearing the MAGA hat for the whole month. I wrote a couple blog posts about it, clarifying my thoughts and intentions, and waited for May to arrive.

I would be lying if I said I was not nervous. Chief among my fears was that I would create more problems than I was trying to solve. I worried about how others would react to my choice. The media narratives did have an impact on me, but I had thought it through and steeled myself as I placed my MAGA hat on my head and walked out the door.

As I started my car my mind started to race with the uncertainties the day held for me. As I approached the grocery store I realized that this would be the first interaction. How would it go? Would anything bad happen? Would anyone even care? I hoped for the last one.

Early Morning Surprise

The store was mostly empty and I held my head up and looked forward, set on getting what I needed for breakfast and snacks for work. I grabbed a couple apples and oranges and some yogurt and headed to the register.

At this point I walked passed a few people but nothing happened. I placed my items on the belt as the cashier spoke to the person ahead of me. The cashier grabbed my items and started to scan them when she looked up to greet me.

I smile and stepped forward, more calm in my actions than in my mind. She said good morning and smile back at me. I moved over to the debt card machine and that is when she noticed the hat. A red hat with white letters causes people to take a second look.

To my surprise the cashier just nodded and said “Good for you!” We both knew she was talking about my hat and I grinned.

“Thanks.” I said as I put my card into the debt machine “I figured if I want to wear it I should be able to.” She agreed with me and asked where I got my MAGA hat. I told her I had to buy it online and that it was very reasonably priced. She told me that her husband was looking to buy one too.

We completed our transaction and wished each other a good day. I smiled as I walked to my car, seems I was worked up for nothing. Now on to the next challenge, time to go to work.

Work Day

I work for a small company and knew most everyone and thought things would be pretty safe but sometime you never know. I walked into work and punched the time clock and headed to my desk. The first few hours no one noticed a thing, I looked at my emails, did some work, and got my morning cup of coffee.

I had told a few people that I was going to wear my MAGA hat for the month of May, but saying it and showing up are two very different things. Slowly, as more people arrived, people started to notice.

At first it came in the form of second glances. Than people laughed, not at me but in that way you laugh when you are excited or interested in something. A few people complemented me, some were a little surprised that I was actually wearing a MAGA hat publicly, and one person made a joke about it.

Even the joke was lighthearted and my experience was positive. It was a bit uncomfortable at first to realize that I was drawing attention to myself, but that wore off and everyone got back to their work.

I went out to lunch, taco bell (there goes my diet), with no problem and returned to work to finish out my day. One of my coworkers, on his lunch break, created a meme for MayAGA (Picture at the top of the article).

Making the Leap

I started the day a bit nervous about what was in store for me. As I went forward with fortitude and prudence I realized that the media and online hype was just that, hype.

I understand that this was just one day but so far everything has been positive. It was a bit uncomfortable knowing that people will look at you twice, but I understood that by wearing the MAGA hat I was inviting people to comment and talk to me.

In fact that was the point, I wanted people to talk to me and realize that just because someone wears a MAGA hat, supports President Trump or has different ideas does not mean that they are a bad person.

I would recommend people who want to take part in MayAGA to do so. But I would also recommend they examine their reason for doing so. If you just want to piss people off, do not do it.

But if you have used sound reasoning and moral wisdom and understand that you will face social scrutiny, a hostile media, and are willing to accept that you will be used as a representation of everyone who wears a MAGA hat and that your every word and action are important and must be chosen carefully, than please join me in taking part in MayAGA.

Wearing a MAGA Hat: Foolhardy or Courageous

I was doing a YouTube live stream when a thought came to me. What would happen if a bunch of people wore Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats without going to a protest or march but just in their everyday lives?

Often times a story will make the rounds in the media that someone in a MAGA hat did something bad. Sometimes these stories are pure fabrication, such as the instance of the Covington kids, drummed up by big media companies desperate to stay relevant. Other times they are legitimate people doing bad things while wearing a MAGA hat.

On the other side you will also see stories of people being harassed, assaulted, or discriminated against for simply wearing a MAGA hat. It is these stories, about the fringe people in our society, that forms most people’s opinions of someone wearing a MAGA hat.

This realization led me to ask the question, what if regular people wear MAGA hats and go about their lives as normal? What if people have regular everyday interaction with someone in a MAGA hat that is not only calm and peaceful but pleasant?

What would happen if regular people wore MAGA hats for a whole month?

The Idea

I first pitched the idea to a group engaged in spreading the ideas of liberty. It was received well but ultimately turned down due to requirements around their non-profit status. Next I spoke with individuals within that group who would be interested in working on this project on the side.

My idea was to promote the idea of getting people to wear MAGA hats for a whole month and just go about their daily lives. After some discussion we thought it would be a good idea to include an activity that each individual could do to Make America Great Again. This could be anything from improving your own personal life (stop smoking, clean your room) to volunteering at or organizing a charitable event.

The reasoning behind this idea was that if you want America to be Great than you need to adopt the responsibility of making it so. These acts could be shared (but don’t have to be) under the #makingamericagreatagain.

The Problem

The problem with this idea was that my friends and I had no real way of promoting it to a wide audience nor did we have the time necessary to get everything rolling. I wrote a blog post outlining the general rules and ideas and encouraged engagement but it got lost in the internet shuffle.

I created a few memes but they did not take off. We came up with the name March MAGAness (a play on March Madness) but decided that we needed more time to generate interest in the idea and participation. We moved it to May and came up with the name MayAGA.

Again we all had full time jobs as well as other obligations (family, non-profits, and live streams) that we had to attend to. The idea did not catch on. People thought it was either an interesting idea or a crazy idea. I was told that it was stupid because it opens you up to being assaulted or that it put you in danger.

I took those criticisms to heart and almost gave up the idea at that time. It was then that I made a choice. I admitted to myself that I did not have a big reach and that I might not be able to promote this idea well but there was one thing that I could do.

I could do it myself.

My Experiment

I have made the choice that I will wear my MAGA hat for the month of May. I will wear it around the house, when I go around town, and while at work. Part of me is worried about what will happen but I did not come to this choice improperly.

I asked myself hard questions and gave myself honest answers. Am I just wearing the MAGA hat to trigger people? No, while the hat may upset some people that is not my reasoning behind wearing it. I am wearing it because I want to say that I will not be intimidated into keeping silent. I will not be told what I can and cannot wear or what I have to say.

Will I take the hat off? No. I will not be hostile about it but I will refuse to take it off unless I make the choice to do so. I will not allow the government nor the mob to intimidate me into doing something that I don’t want to do.

I asked myself these and other questions but ultimately I made the choice to wear my MAGA hat for the month of May. I live in Oregon, near ‘Progressive Portland’ and I know that I will face challenges for doing this. I also have confronted the idea that this might either be foolhardy or courageous.

But I have determined to try and walk that line.

Happy MayAGA everyone, I’ll let you know how it goes.

Mr. Wheeler Has No Clothes

In a Republic the public elects and imbues representatives with certain authority and responsibility. This is the people willingly giving up a piece of their rights and liberty in order to make their lives a better place.

When an elected official abandons their responsibility to the people, that imbued authority is also abdicated.

An elected official also abdicates their authority when their responsibility has become corrupted. If they only feel responsible for those whom they share an ideology their sense of responsibility has been corrupted.

It is with this corruption or abandonment of responsibility that the authority can no longer be claimed by the elected official. The constitution is clear in this situation, if the authority has been abdicated it is to return to the people.

Losing Faith

Mr. Wheeler has refused to support his police officers, instead he favors the ideologically possessed activists who are only interested in exerting power over others.

Why should they break up a fight among two people if ideological activists will spin it to make it seem like a legitimate exercise of authority is an abuse of power and the media will gladly fan the flames created by those lies simply because it feeds their ideological desire?

Then the Mayor, the person who is supposed to represent them and support them, sacrifices them for his own personal and political gain all while wearing the mask of compassion.

This is how you get violent thugs in the street blocking traffic and attacking cars while the police watch and do nothing. This is how you get masked groups of vandals destroying property and attacking groups who have a legally approved and permitted protests with mortars all under the guise of 'protest.'

Businesses have lost faith in the mayor as well. A mayor who supports the homeless person urinating on the sidewalk of a business to the point where no amount of water will rinse away the stench.

 

A mayor who not only supports the homeless people who aggressively harass employees but promotes the very activists who would love nothing more than to see these businesses destroyed either out of misguided sense of outrage or an actual hatred of anyone possessing a shred of competence.

Abdication

It seems that Mr. Wheeler believes that if he exercises his authority he is doing something wrong. He seems to be on a campaign to seek approval from the radical activists in Portland and with that approval find someone with whom he can exercise his authority.

He is the one the people of Portland invested with the authority and responsibility of managing and maintaining the city. The people of Portland did not elect the activists who seem to have such a stranglehold on the mayor.

This would seem to imply that the mayor has not simply abandoned his authority and responsibility but has prostituted it out to the ideological activists on whom he seeks approval.

The people of Portland invested the authority in the mayor and if he is going to give up some of that power he needs to return it to all the people not just the radical activists who yell at him the most. With his latest interview the mayor of Portland seems upset that he does not have the power to oppress those who he disagrees with ideologically.

He says he wants to stop people fighting in the street but he believes that the only way to do that is to oppress Patriot Prayer or groups like them. The truth is those groups have the right to protest just as much as anyone else and that the real problem in the city are those whom the mayor agrees with on an ideological level.

I am talking about Antifa and the violent masked activists. They disrespect the police, the people of Portland (at the same time they claim to stand up for and defend the ‘community’), and anyone who holds an opinion different than theirs.

Mr. Wheeler seems beholden to these ideological groups even to the point where the good people of Portland are left to suffer. While these things might not have impacted you yet, it is only a matter of time before Antifa comes for your business or bash your head in for flying the wrong flag (even if you agree with them).

While they might not do these things at the express direction of the mayor they do so knowing full well that Mr. Wheeler will turn a blind eye to their activities. I would ask the people of Portland, put aside your political ‘group’ and take an honest look at the mayor of Portland. Does he stand for clear principles or does he simply try to please those who are loudest?

What is MayAGA and will you stand with us?

What is MayAGA? It is a month where liberty loving Americans say they will not be silent anymore, don a MAGA hat, and do what they can to Make America Great.

While the MAGA hat is linked to President Trump I ask that you consider looking deeper at the meaning of wearing a MAGA hat. I am not asking people to wear it in support of President Trump, rather wear it as a symbol that you will not be afraid anymore. Afraid that if you dare to speak the truth as you see it you will be attacked and ostracized.

Participation

The basic level of participation is to wear a MAGA hat during the month of May and go about your life as normal. Wear it to the grocery store, to the movie theater, or out to a restaurant. Do not make a scene or big deal about wearing the hat, just wear it and act normally.

The next level is to do something during the month to Make America Great. Organize a food drive, accomplish a personal goal, pick up trash in your local community, or help an elderly person carry their groceries to the car. We are not asking you to change the world only do something that makes something slightly better for yourself or someone else.

Anything more beyond that is up to each individual to decide.

The Rules

I.          You must remain 100% non-violent. Meaning even if you are attacked physically you do not fight back. You protect yourself, take the attack, stand up, dust yourself off and refuse to back down.

II.        You must be 100% non-racist. MAGA does not know skin color, everyone is welcome.

III.       Speak carefully. Tell the truth as best you can and if you wouldn’t say it to or in front of your mother don’t say it. Remember the media is hungry to take you out of context to sell their narrative.

IV.       Do not wear a MAGA hat if you WANT TO piss people off or trigger others. Rather wear it as a sign that you will not be told what to say or believe.

V.        Ignore the haters. Some people might call you names, shout or yell at you. Do not engage them, they are not interested in a conversation and not worth the time or risk.

VI.       Always remain calm and never back down or apologize for your MAGA hat.

VII.     Treat everyone as an individual not as a representative of their group. One man does not speak for all men simply because he is a man.

VIII.    If someone is afraid of you or your hat offer to have a conversation with them. If they refuse do not push the issue or mock them.

IX.       Do not chastise, name call, or play the shouting game with people who spew hate at you. Most of them simply do not understand or are enslaved by their ideology.

X.        If someone takes your MAGA hat, demand it back but do not attack them. They can take or destroy the hat but they cannot take or destroy your liberty.

XI.       Do at least one thing during the month to Make America Great Again. Personal and local community betterment make bigger impacts than you think.

Concerns

I understand people have concerns about participating in MayAGA. The main concern is that people are afraid they are going to be attacked and hurt. While this is something to worry about I do not believe it is as common as we all believe.

The truth is that liberty is not safe and that this is a legitimate concern. The real question is what do you do about it? Do you allow yourself to be silent out of fear, enjoying the temporary security of obscurity and bondage? Or do you face it directly and ultimately become stronger for the struggle?

Participating is going to take a certain amount of courage and risk. If someone comes to hurt you remain calm but do not back down. Ultimately they want to silence you and make you afraid to be you. Do not give them the satisfaction.

If this happens you need to understand that the many eyed media monster will be watching you. How you act in this situation can determine how this whole project will be viewed. Remember most of the media wants to make you out to be a villain for standing on your own.

It is not just the media who will be watching your actions. Other liberty centered Americans will be watching too. They will be watching and waiting to see if they want to stand with you or if you are just another provocateur looking for self-aggrandizement. Act in such a way to inspire others to stand with you and join the cause of liberty.

The other side of this concern is if people who claim they are participating do something unsavory. This is always a possibility with any movement, but some safe guards have been built into this project to protect against this.

The chief among these are the clearly stated rules. Violating these rules breaks the association and the person or persons violating them will be barred from official participation.

The media will not care about this, they have a narrative they want to sell at any cost. The truth is we are not doing this for them or their praise or approval. We are participating for our own individual reasons and to answer the call to do something courageous. You are not guilty for the actions of others and if someone does something you do not like you can disagree with them.

We are not a collective, we are an association of individuals capable of making up our own minds and making our own choices and living with the consequences of doing so.

If you have other concerns feel free to contact me and we can address them together.