Click here to view original web page at bearingarms.com
AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File At this point, Mayor Ted Wheeler might as well promise to completely eradicate murder inside the city limits. As long as you’re offering nothing more than empty rhetoric, you might as well shoot for the moon, right?
Wheeler issued a new “emergency declaration” for the city of Portland this week, pledging to reduce homicides by 10% over the next two years by directing $2.4-million to “community groups and prevention efforts.” While there are some community violence intervention programs that have a track record of some success, I doubt very much that Wheeler’s new declaration is going to lead to any substantive results, especially given the fact that homicides have soared by 65% across the city since last year, and have nearly doubled the 55 homicides recorded in 2020.
The centerpiece of Wheeler’s new proposal is called the Safer Summer PDX Plan, and the mayor says its intended to focus on the small number of individuals who are driving Portland’s violence . “We know that about 200 people are involved in local gun violence in Portland,” Wheeler said. “Rather than arrest and prosecute, our goal will be to offer each person at risk of gun violence a meaningful and workable plan tailored to each person’s needs to prevent them from getting involved with it in the first place.” The Safer Summer PDX plan draws extensively from a gun violence reduction program first launched in Boston in 1996 called Ceasefire, often credited for having contributed to dramatic gun violence reductions in cities including Oakland, Cincinnati, Chicago and Indianapolis. But those reductions are often short lived , and cities that implement the program frequently see rates of gun violence rebound. One component of Wheeler’s plan, called the Focused Investment Group, will have a $2.4 million budget and be tasked with […]
They’re Trying to Shut Us Down
Over the last several months, I’ve lost count of how many times the powers-that-be have tried to shut us down. They’ve sent hackers at us, forcing us to take extreme measures on web security. They sent attorneys after us, but thankfully we’re not easily intimidated by baseless accusations or threats. They’ve even gone so far as to make physical threats. Those can actually be a bit worrisome but Remington has me covered.
For us to continue to deliver the truth that Americans need to read and hear, we ask you, our amazing audience, for financial assistance. We have a Giving Fuel page to help us pay the bills. It’s brand new so don’t be discouraged by the lack of donations there. It’s a funny reality that the fewer the donations that have been made, the less likely people are willing to donate to it. One would think this is counterintuitive, but sometimes people are skeptical because they think that perhaps there’s a reason others haven’t been donating. In our situation, we’re just getting started so please don’t be shy if you have the means to help.
Thank you and God bless!
JD Rucker