The San Francisco Experience

Gonzaga University's Institute of Hate Studies, located in Spokane, Washington is a center focused on understanding the roots of Hate in the public square and working to eradicate it. The ADL's Pyramid of Hate is a graphic visual depiction of the five progressive steps of hate culminating in Genocide. During the 20th Century, 21 genocides were perpetrated with 14 of them in the last four decades of the century, when most of us were alive. (Mount Holyoke College).  Hate speech in particular is one manifestation of Hate which is growing through Social Media amplification, especially during these polarized political times. 

The 3700 California prison inmates who volunteer to be firefighters as we wage war on the Wildfires, will be eligible to have their records expunged as a result of their service.  Governor Gavin Newsom signed the legislation into law yesterday.  It's  an important step for former inmates to obtain a professional certification as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) the pre-requisite to apply for a civilian firefighter job.  the 3700 inmate firefighters make up 26% of those on the frontlines of the wildfires. They earn a nominal $1 per hour versus their civilian comrades who earn $40,000 per year. 

San Francisco's skies turned the color of Irish Single Malt Whiskey, even down to that hint of smokiness on Wednesday morning. The deep orange/amber twilight persisted most of Wednesday forcing everyone to turn on their headlights and don N95 surgical masks against the ash that swirled in the air. As if the Coronavirus were not enough. Massive wildfires, 100 miles to the North East of San Francisco exploded to life during overnight wind storms. The resulting mountains of smoke poured into the Bay Area. A heavy marine layer has trapped the smoke in place giving us dirty air with an AQI reading of 227 Friday morning. Delhi, India the city with the worlds dirtiest air had an AQI of 159 Friday morning.  That's not a first place San Francisco can be proud of. 

California needs a practical, proven and immediate Strategic Plan to deal with our wildfires. And then we need to be consistent, persistent and strategic in implementing it.

The recent murder of right wing Patriot Prayer member Jay Danielson by Antifa activist Michael Reinoehl on the streets of Portland, was a dangerous escalation in the street protests of this Summer. Reinoehl was subsequently killed by US Marshals in a gunfight near the Washington state capital Olympia.  Does this mark the start of right versus left street killings ?  

The Southern Poverty Law Center tracks 52 right wing groups in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, but not Antifa. What's wrong with that picture ?

Michael Reinoehl, the confessed murderer of Patriot Prayer member Aaorn Jay Danielson, in Portland Saturday, August 29, has died in a gunfight with a law enforcement Task Force led by US Marhalls, close to Olympia, Washington, Thursday, September 3, 2020.  In a series of fast moving events Thursday, Reinoehl acknowledeged that he shot Danielson in self defense, in an interview with Vice News. When the Task Force attempted to arrest him on a murder warrant, a gunfight ensued and he was killed. The law enforcement officers were unharmed. President Trump sent out two Tweets on the matter. The first was a message of sympathy for  "RIP Jay" and the second one was critical of the Portland Police in being slow to arrest Reinoehl. 

Will Reinoehl's social media postings about Antifa and Black Lives Matter turn him into a martyr ?

Aaron Danielson a 39 year old Trump supporter and Patriot Prayer was shot and killed by Michael Reinoehl, 48, years old and a self described 100% Antifa follower.  The killing brings into sharp contrast the ideological battle lines of a divided country against the backdrop of 90 nights of continual protests in Portland, Oregon. Will this murder enflame the political debate or could it serve as a timeout for both sides to stop and take stock ?

Portland's fraught racial history and the profusion of extremist political movements in the Pacific North West are the subject of today's podcast.

Qanon is a right wing conspiracy movement with a formidable Social Media presence  on Twitter, Facebook and several bulletin board sites like 4Chan, 8Chan and 8kun  . Its' theories have been embraced by many Republicans and 14  current Congressional candidates have prominently espoused their views. One, Marjorie Taylor Greene won the Republican primary in Georgia's 14th district, a safe Republican seat with the endorsement of President Trump and is likely to win in November. But Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants nothing to do with Qanon.  And what role will they play in the race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden ?