Like many cities across America, Portland has experienced a wave of gun violence in 2021-2022.   A culture of incitement to violence is the probable cause, but city leaders have ignored this.   Predictably, they are asking for more money for DAs, and hiring more guns:  police, security guards.  No.  First, stop valorizing and promoting force of arms and gun violence through public statuary that fetishizes bodies and brandished weapons.  Specifically, De-accession the Spanish-American Soldier monument that stands in the downtown Portland Civic Plaza. 

In protest, and in equal and opposite reaction to the brandished gun, many protests and riots were held here in 2020, under the banner of the brandished right fist, on the doorstep of the Federal Courthouse.  Is brazen intimidation all that the law teaches?  If guns and war are the meaning of life, then fists will be raised, violence will be incited, and a murder epidemic is inevitable, and no one should be surprised by this.  

Retain the pedestal, put out an RFC for a series of bronze bas-relief plaques that will encircle it, telling the story in words and in design, of America's foreign adventures or misadventures in Cuba, Guam, and the Phillipines during that conflict with the Spanish empire, and the stories of the subsequent independence movements of those nations.

HOW TO RECORD HISTORY:

The Oregon WWII Memorial on the grounds of the Salem capitol is an example of this intellectual and educational approach to history.    The Vietnam war memorial in D.C. is an example of a more humble approach to history.  Regardless of your opinion of any of these wars, or of war in general, or your valuation of America, these approaches to history are better for the moral and intellectual health of our youth and citizenry than the religiously idolatrous approach to historical monumentation offered by Portland.

Stop celebrating war, and instead, faithfully recount the history with reverence for war's cost in human life.  Instead of fetishisation of bodies and brandished weapons, recite people's notable sayings and recount their valorous (or shameful) deeds.

WHY THAT and NOT THIS?

When fighting and war are valorized and rage is promoted and taught, children and youth are learn the erroneous lesson that fighting and war is the meaning of life.  Its not.  Even when war is just, if it ever is, the purpose is peace.   And if not, it is not a just war.   The warrior ethos of struggle for its own sake, is taught throught our comic books, video games, advertising, and other fan-fiction.  Changing our civic monuments is only one part of a broader cultural change of our media consumption habits, in order to teach and learn the different lesson that courage is a moral and civic virtue that requires us to use our intellect and words and not merely our arms. 

We request comments from all citizens and civic groups, but especially from the departments of History at PSU, UofO, and OSU, and associations of Philipino-Americans, Cuban-Americans, and Chamorros, Oregon National Guard and association of War Veterans.

The council should revise its public art policy, and to stop funding, promoting, or allowing such projects on public land or buildings.  The pen is mightier, and our leaders should teach this.  Then, we call on the RACC to deaccession ALL statuary and mural projects that feature weapons in this style, and to do so without prejudice or favoritism to any group:  also remove brandished swords, raised fists, and war generals on horseback regardless of whether they were union or confederate.  Life Matters!

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS, and WHAT THIS IS NOT:

The Three Arrows on our petitions banner were originally used by Democrats who fought fascisim as the Iron Front, not by communists.  To clear up the confusion about "Antifascism", that has been deliberately sown and perpetuated by an ignorant media, the rosecityironfront.org that supports this petition also opposes Bolshevik-Leninism, and has promoted a petition to remove the Lenin Statue in Seattle-Fremont.   

Signing this petition does not signal that you agree with their full platform or sign up for their coalition.   However, it is provided here for your information, since it is relevant to the concern over "what is antifa?", since many anarcho-communists also appropriate the three arrows, and some of them may even sign this petition.  But signing this petition does not indicate that you are part of the AntifasistAction, "antifa" for short, which was a Stalinist front in 30's germany that actually fought against the Iron Front. 

Incitement to violence will not be celebrated or condoned, and real leaders will say this.  (right Ted?)

The City Council should direct the Regional Arts and Culture Commission to remove the Spanish-American Soldier monument that is currently in Lownsdale square of the Portland Plaza.     

The American Historical Association (AHA) said in an August 2017 statement on the confederate monuments controversy said that to "remove monuments is neither to 'change' history nor 'erase' it.  What changes with such removals is what American communities decide is worthy of civic honor" 

The AHA stated that most monuments were erected "without anything resembling a democratic process," and recommended that it was "time to reconsider these decisions."

When people act out these fantasies of power, people start dying, and it is the poor and the marginalized who are most affected, and this has occurred in Portland.  The manichaean martial dualism may be good for selling comic books and fantasy epic novels and movies, but it is bad for our mental and physical health.   Down with the soldier statue!  Lower your weapon!

In 2020, we circulated a petition to firstly remove the pioneer family "Promised land" statue, because of the peculiar intersection of anti-indigenous and anti-Jewish supercessionism and replacement theology found in christian dominionism, and the city removed the statue.  Thank you.  We also asked to remove the soldier monument, and we now ask them again.

Here the RACC explains its new policy and explains why the 9 other toppled statues will remain mothballed:

Hawthorne says local officials haven’t determined the four statues’ fate. “We need to review all of the possibilities of what could be the ultimate disposition of George Washington or any of those sculptures,” While RACC plans to present its new policy to the Portland City Council this summer (2021), it doesn’t plan to hold public hearings on each statue’s fate. Calhoun says the nonprofit is seeking input on wider questions. “How do we have a public realm where everyone feels represented and safe and seen and heard? What does that look like?” she asks. “Even: Do you want monuments? Not everybody does.”

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