This is the question being asked by both sides in Portland, and other cities facing the same kind of standoff.

"Where are we headed as a country?"

The lines are drawn. And the media has picked its sides, making the situation worse, not better, as usual.

One side believes the Constitution and the country are better off with peaceful protests and demonstrations even if there is some property damage, looting and disturbing the peace. They believe that is necessary to get the public's attention on an important issue. Without it they fear, the country is illegitimate. They further fear that any government role to keep the peace is equally illegitimate ('defund the police') and if that role is exercised, with military precision, the country is headed to tyranny. - The left, represented by mainstream liberal media like The Washington Post, blame conservative media for portraying Democrats as presiding over urban battle zones in which demonstrators are desecrating federal property. -These weren’t looters or rioters or the “anarchists” . -Neither the chaos depicted in conservative media nor the president’s caricature of protesters as extremists who “hate our country” is reflected in what the city’s leaders describe as mostly peaceful assemblies, including by dozens of women who this week formed a “wall of moms” around demonstrators. The right believes the Constitution allows peaceful protest, but not destruction of property, threatening the population and disturbing the peace. They believe the Constitution requires communities to employ personnel, police and / or federal agents if the situation is too difficult for local authorities, to keep the peace. They believe that governments' most fundamental obligation is to safeguard life, liberty and property. They believe that it is ignorance of this fact and the objectives of the bad seeds in the protests who want to 'burn it all down' (meaning the country) that is getting in the way. They believe that without law & order, the country is headed for ruin and tyranny. - The Mess in Portland (WSJ): Anarchists and rioters have wreaked havoc on Portland, Ore., for nearly two months. Democrats have excused and emboldened them, and they’re now claiming the real problem is that federal law enforcement has intervened to restore order. Maybe the feds should leave and let the city put out its own fires.Peaceful protests broke out in Portland in late May in response to the killing of George Floyd, but they’ve quickly escalated to rioting and vandalism. Demonstrators have launched large fireworks at law enforcement, shone laser pointers at their eyes, thrown fecal matter, and assaulted at least one officer with a hammer. - “The attacks are escalating and they’re going to kill people,” claimed a “Blue Lives Matter” page. Which is true? What would you have President Trump do, nothing? Well, you can argue both are true, and that is what is happening. But, they are not both true. One is political messaging. Just like everything else, politics are divided and entrenched with my side is right and your side is wrong. And I am on the 'right' side of history. This situation is, of course, destructive. Both sides can't win. For progress to occur in this entrenched debate, one side has to lose. But that assumes all change is progress and its not. If the wrong side wins, the change is not progress, but destruction. The only way out is for reasonable people to get together and discuss the reality of the situation and not the wishful political thinking on either side. What is the true picture of the police and federal agents? Are they trying to protect life, liberty and property for our citizens? Or, are they government storm troopers meant to control the population? In reality, the former is true and the latter is clearly false. It is clearly false because these law enforcement authorities have no desire or instruction to take over the cities. Instead their orders are to eliminate those who are trying to take over and control the cities. The opposite of the media and political messaging. Which is the true picture of these protestors? Are they peaceful citizens? Are they rioters? The truth is they are both. But to argue that both are true in this situation in Portland is to ignore certain obvious facts. 1. The Constitution does not allow destruction of property or disturbing the peace. It allows peaceful assembly for the purpose of bringing a grievance to the attention of the government and the public. Which are we seeing in our major cities right now? Peaceful protests or burning, looting & destroying property (rioting)? Clearly rioting has taken over the peaceful protests. 2. True, there are people in the streets with a passion for a message to be heard and want it to be peaceful. There are also clearly others who are not there for that reason. To justify the actions of the others, or get yourself caught up in the bad element, like the "Moms' did, out of misguided purpose, is to make yourself part of the problem, not the solution. The mainstream media each write 10s of articles a day on this issue. Each dividing the country further by NOT discussing the truth of the situation. This is the 3rd article I have written about this since this weekend. The situation is painfully clear, peaceful demonstrators should separate themselves from the destructive rioters. With the rioters out of the way, the government and the public will be able to hear their message. So, "Where are we headed as a country?" The country is headed in the direction of the person/party you vote for in November. That is what all of this is about. It is not in error to say the Democrats support the protestor/demonstrator/rioter in the street and the Republicans support peaceful protest and peace in the streets. Vote Democrat for one and Republican for the other. Substance over style. Substance is always more important and the basic element of change and progress. Do you want rioting in the streets and military armed police trying to keep the peace? Tough choice, but not really. No one on either side wants militarized streets. The police are not in the streets in force if there is not a disturbance - end of story. If we want to stop all this, then go after the bad element and eliminate them. Then, lets discuss the issue the peaceful demonstrators want to discuss. If you think the riots are peaceful demonstration, you will be caught up in the confusion of eliminating the bad seeds. The truth is really obvious. The peaceful protestors have been taken over by rioters with other objectives in mind. Our cities are burning-fact! Buildings being torched and blue state governors and mayors ordering law enforcement to stand down or use a 'light touch' with the protestor/demonstrator/rioter. These same leaders are cheerleading the protestor/demonstrator/rioter after George Floyd, but not after the economic shutdown sent people into the streets. They (Democrat Governors & mayors) decided to sanction certain protests, but not others. Republicans supported the shutdown protestors. Interesting that the shutdown protestors did not destroy buildings, loot or otherwise takeover and burn cities. Maybe those were the real 'peaceful' protestors? Where are we headed as a country depends on how me make these very simple left/right choices. Others may be more difficult. This one is not. Streets run by protestors, gangs and rioters all mixed together. Or, streets free for citizens to live, work, play and peacefully protest.

That answer is where the country is headed.

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