A message from elected leaders in the Portland metropolitan area

August 16, 2017

View the message and those who signed it.

White supremacists gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday carrying torches and chanting vile messages of hate toward anyone unlike them. They marched through Virginia. They have marched through many parts of America, including Portland, since November. Two men in Portland lost their lives on a MAX train standing up to a white supremacist bullying two girls and now in Virginia three more lives have been lost. Wherever these extremists go, they stoke fear, ignite violence and try to further divide us. But the force of our love and care for our neighbors will triumph.

We have faced such hatred before, in world wars and in the struggle for civil rights. We stand here again, on the cusp of history, facing a choice.

Why hate when you can love? Why divide when you can connect? Why break when you can strengthen?

As leaders in the Portland metropolitan area, we embrace equity, justice and compassion. As people who call this country home, we feel responsible to live those values and condemn the racist extremists whose goal is to divide and oppress. We send our condolences to the people of Virginia and the families of those killed and injured as a result of Saturday’s violence. We call upon all Oregonians to join us in condemning hateful extremism. We stand with communities of color, the LGBTQ community and religious groups who are in particular affected, and targeted, by this hate.

Working together, we can and will, overcome this blight. We can, and will, build communities that shun hate, offer equitable opportunity and see our differences as cause for celebration, not division. Each of us can take a stand against racism: by supporting community organizations, speaking up when we hear words of discrimination or oppression, and reaching out to support our neighbors who are most affected. We look forward to more dialogue and partnership with our diverse communities as we build a path toward equity and justice together.

For every torch that burns with hate, we must shine a light of love and equality that is a thousand times brighter.

Multnomah  County

Chair Deborah Kafoury

Vice Chair Jessica Vega Pederson

Commissioner Sharon Meieran

Commissioner Loretta Smith

Commissioner Lori Stegmann

 

City of Portland

Mayor Ted Wheeler

Commissioner Amanda Fritz

Commissioner Dan Saltzman

Commissioner Nick Fish

Commissioner Chloe Eudaly

 

Metro

Council President Tom Hughes

Councilor Shirley Craddick

Councilor Carlotta Colette

Councilor Craig Dirksen

Councilor Kathryn Harrington

Councilor Sam Chase

Councilor Bob Stacey

 

Clackamas County

Chair Jim Bernard

 

City of Beaverton

Mayor Denny Doyle

Councilor Cate Arnold

Councilor Lacey Beaty

Councilor Betty Bode

Councilor Mark Fagin

Councilor Marc San Soucie

 

City of Forest Grove

Mayor Pete Truax

 

City of Hillsboro

Mayor Steve Callaway

 

City of Wilsonville

Mayor Tim Knapp

City of Wood Village

Mayor Tim Clark

City of Gladstone

Mayor Tammy Stempel

 

City of Milwaukie

Mayor Mark Gamba

Port of Portland

Executive Director Curtis Robinhold

 

City of Gresham

Mayor Shane Bemis

 

City of West Linn

Mayor Russ Axelrod