Today there is a planned confrontation (street brawl?) in Portland.

Oath Keepers have made a statement.

This is a time for discipline.

 August 15, 2019

I wish I didn’t have to do this, but it must be done. I must make it clear that Oath Keepers will not be participating in the “End Domestic Terrorism” rally scheduled for this Saturday, August 17, 2019, which is being organized by Joe Biggs and the Proud Boys.
I must also make it clear that Oath Keepers is NOT an organizer of this event, as has been erroneously reported by some media outlets. This event is being organized by Joe Biggs and the Proud Boys, not Oath Keepers. Oath Keepers was invited to attend, but we will not be attending.
We fully support free speech, and we fully agree that Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization that uses force and the threatened use of force to intimidate, silence, and suppress the free speech of Americans.   However, we cannot participate in this event for the following reasons:
A.   We have not seen adequate steps taken by the organizers to exclude known or suspected white nationalists from attending this event.  Oath Keepers has a zero tolerance policy for white nationalism or any other ethno-nationalist ideology that discriminates along racial lines (as our bylaws make clear) and we do not, and cannot, knowingly associate with known or suspected white nationalists.
First, we consider white nationalists (along with any other ethno-nationalists) to be dangerous domestic enemies of the Constitution, every bit as deadly to our Republic as the violent communists within Antifa, because white nationalists also hold the Constitution in contempt and wish to overthrow it and replace it with their own desired totalitarian system. On that, the white nationalists and the communists are in agreement. And all of us who swore to defend the Constitution must stand against both of them as clear domestic enemies of the Constitution.
Second, we have a considerable number of active duty military and police in our membership who cannot knowingly associate with racists and we owe it to them to be diligent in avoiding participating in any event where white nationalists will not be actively,  stringently excluded.
Third, the left in this nation is desperate to paint all conservatives and, especially, all Trump supporters as “white nationalists” to the point of absurdity. Allowing any actual white nationalists into an event where attendees are encouraged to bring Trump flags as well as American flags would be a grave mistake and does no favors to either President Trump or to the broader conservative cause. Conservatives, libertarians, and Trump supporters must be diligent about making sure the events they organize exclude white nationalists who want the same thing the left wants – to paint the false impression that we agree with their racist, collectivist, anti-constitution agenda (which is exactly why CNN loves to give airtime to the white nationalist troll Richard Spencer, as he desperately tries to tie his Neo-Nazi agenda to Trump).
I want to stress that we at Oath Keepers DO NOT believe that Joe Biggs or Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, the two organizers of this event, are white nationalists. Nor do we believe that the great majority of those groups and individuals who plan on attending the event are white nationalists.   But we do not believe the organizers are taking the steps necessary to ensure that white nationalist and suspected white nationalist groups and individuals will be excluded.
A closely related problem is that the organizers have not secured a permit for exclusive use of the Waterfront Park where they will be holding the rally this Saturday in Portland.  Yes, they still have a right to free speech, but one of the advantages of securing a permit to use a public space for a particular time is that it allows you to exclude others from using that same space at that time, such as excluding known or suspected white nationalists.
We saw the problems a lack of a permit can bring when we helped to protect a free speech event in Berkeley, CA in April, 2017. That was an un-permitted event, and because the event organizers had not secured a permit for exclusive use of the MLK park, they could not exclude the white nationalists group Identity Evropa from entering the park.   Identity Evropa promptly placed themselves and their anti-Semitic, racist signs front and center, facing off with Antifa.
I instructed those under our command in the event security element that under no circumstances were they to allow Identity Evropa to enter our security inner perimeter around the audience and the stage. I was willing to go to jail to prevent Identity Evropa from actually entering the audience for the event, but we could not kick them out of the park. And, of course, the media all focused their cameras on Identity Evropa. We were able to maintain some separation between them and the event we were securing, but it did give Identity Evropa the opportunity to attempt to co-opt the event for their own agenda.
For this event in Portland, in contrast to the April 2017 event in Berkeley, Oath Keepers is not in charge of the security element and, if we attended this Saturday, we would not be able to actively exclude suspected white nationalists as we did in Berkeley. As such, we cannot attend.
B.  Some of the past rhetoric, public statements, and memes/graphics posted online by the event organizer and by planned attendees expose those who attend the August 17 rally to possible civil and criminal law liability.  
We understand the anger and frustration among patriots after watching the footage of the violent Antifa attack on Andy Ngo on June 29, 2019 and the horrific attack on two other patriots that same day. However, angry, undisciplined public statements  that can be construed as expressing an intent to come to Portland to seek out Antifa and engage them in street fights and to assault them, and memes posted online to that effect, or worse, do a disservice to anyone who wants to attend a free speech event in protest against Antifa terrorism and against the failure of Portland officials to secure the free speech rights of Americans.
Those angry statements cannot be undone, and despite the organizers and planned attendees subsequently dialing back on the rhetoric, those prior statements are already being used against them by their political opponents and by the leftist dominated media.   All of the angry videos,Twitter posts, and incriminating photos, etc by the organizer leading up to this rally have been preserved by Antifa and their supporters. Likewise for memes/graphics posted by planned attendees depicting violence against Antifa.
Further, those prior statements, videos, photos, and memes/graphics by the event organizer and other planned attendees potentially expose all attendees to possible prosecution using both an Oregon state “rioting” statute and a federal rioting statute that was used on some of the attendees of the disastrous Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally in August, 2017 (which Oath Keepers also did NOT attend). Even though the vast majority of the planned attendees for the Portland rally this Saturday have no intention of initiating unlawful violence against Antifa, the prior statements of the event organizer, expressing his intent, can potentially be used against all attendees.
I share the frustrations many patriots feel about the obvious double standard of Antifa having free rein in Portland while patriots are under the microscope. But I cannot and will not expose Oath Keepers members to possible persecution/prosecution because of undisciplined statements made by others, however understandable the anger that prompted the undisciplined statements. Therefore, I must urge all Oath Keepers members to stay clear of this event in Portland on August 17, 2019.
C.  More Than Ever, This is a Time for Discipline and Professionalism 
Because of their own actions, Antifa is currently on the ropes and is on the verge of being declared a domestic terrorist organization. Much has taken place since Joe Biggs first announced his intent to hold this rally.   First, on July 13, 2019, the self-identified Antifa terrorist Willem Van Spronsen used a rifle and Molotov cocktails to attack the ICE detention facility in Tacoma, WA.  Only by the grace of God was he not able to kill responding officers. Van Spronsen pointed his AR-15 at the officers, but it apparently malfunctioned, and he was shot and killed before he could fix that malfunction. He also failed in his attempt to ignite a 500 lb propane tank.  If he had been successful, it could have killed all the personnel and the detainees in the center. Thankfully he was an incompetent terrorist.
Since that attack, Antifa has lauded Van Spronsen as a martyr and an example to follow, and, in the graphics promoting their planned assault on the border in El Paso, Texas September 1-10, Antifa has openly threatened to kill CBP personnel.
And, of course, Antifa widely celebrated the July 12 illegal trespassing at the Aurora, CO ICE facility where protesters tore down the American flag, attempted to burn it, and in its place hoisted up the Mexican flagand also flew a defaced, upside down “blue lives matter” flag with “Abolish ICE” written on it in red.
And most recently, at 3am on August 13, 2019, shots were fired into the occupied ICE offices in San Antonio, Texas.
A maxim of warfare, expressed by Napoleon Bonaparte, is to “never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” Patriots, conservatives, Trump supporters, all need to be disciplined and let Antifa continue to show their true colors.  It would be counterproductive to engage in undisciplined activities (or in a rally who’s main organizer made undisciplined statements of intent) that can be construed by the media and politicians to paint patriots as the aggressors and Antifa as the victims.
Frankly, given the prior statements of Joe Biggs that will be used against all attendees of his rally, it would be best for the patriot/conservative cause if this August 17 rally were simply canceled. Those who want to protest the way Portland coddles Antifa should start over, with a clean slate, and then do so in a much more disciplined manner.
In addition to the above noted Antifa terrorism, after the mass shootings in California, El Paso, and Ohio, we are in a decidedly “kinetic” (guns and bombs) environment and we should expect Antifa to use even more deadly force as they go full “Weather Underground” in their revolutionary communist-terrorist trajectory. Expect it.
As such, Oath Keepers will be very disciplined about what events we participate in, and we are currently instructing our members to focus on publicly supporting and directly backing up ICE and CBP personnel in a disciplined, purely defensive posture, using only clearly lawful self defense and defense of others, and to focus on our upcoming operation in El Paso, TX where we will also be assisting in securing private property (including homes) against deadly threat by Antifa.
If the event organizers do continue on with their planned event this Saturday, we sincerely hope it goes off without a hitch and is peaceful and successful. But Oath Keepers will be focusing our resources elsewhere.
For the Republic,
Stewart Rhodes
Founder and National President of Oath Keepers
Credits:
Author, Stewart Rhodes at OathKeepers.org
Recommended by andyocoregon here at WQTH

Let’s P.R.A.Y.!

Whatever the outcome today, may I suggest to include this struggle in our prayers. Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will Be Done.
Think *3

#WWG1WGA

This very special
2nd Amendment SUNDAY open thread

is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody
to post whatever they feel they would like
to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the KAG!KMAG world.

Header photo credit: http://andyporterimages.com/night-sky-at-bryce-canyon

Say what you want, comment on what other people said,
comment on people’s comments.
Keep it civil.  Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.

See the January 1st daily thread for the rules of the road,
which are few but important.

Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS:
I AM PRAYING FOR YOU

2nd Amendment Sunday

Well, it’s really quite the hot August and there are a lot of chores to be done around our place. To be honest, the number of really excellent threads inspires me. To not be very wordy. To allow for some strong conversations here…

Let Trump’s Base Speak [on gun control]…

Not to mention the conversations here…

Top 10 Reasons Red Flag Laws Are Bad For America

We are not alone in the fight. We have one another. We have the patriots. We have our Lion PDJT. And we have One greater than every enemy around us.

We have examples of how this works.

So let’s do this!

This very special
You’ve Got to Know SUNDAY open thread

is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody
to post whatever they feel they would like
to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the KAG!KMAG world.

Say what you want, comment on what other people said,
comment on people’s comments.
Keep it civil.  Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.

See the January 1st daily thread for the rules of the road,
which are few but important.

Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS:
I AM PRAYING FOR YOU

You’ve Got To “Know When” Sunday

In researching for the prayer post earlier this week, I came across the following story of a family returning to their home town in Iraq after ISIS was finally driven out. It is told from the perspective of the young daughter and includes video of earlier interviews from the time when her family was in exile in Egypt.
This is a beautiful story of resilience anchored in hope.

Assessing Situations

The lyrics from Kenny Rogers song, The Gambler, succinctly sum up the necessary task of discerning the right response to a high stakes environment. If you judge the situation correctly you can sometimes take in big winnings, just stay in the game for future wins, move on or live another day.

See also: https://genius.com/Kenny-rogers-the-gambler-lyrics

Jesus’ Parable About Investment

Jesus often taught principles of the Kingdom of Heaven using stories (parables). In the following parable, Jesus is gently directing his disciples attention away from their expectation of God’s immediate judgment coming to earth, wiping out their enemies, and the restoration of Paradise for the righteous among them.
As you read through it, consider your own expectations. What you expect from God. From the White Hats. And, most important of all, what do you expect from yourself?

¹¹ While he had their attention, and because they were getting close to Jerusalem by this time and expectation was building that God’s kingdom would appear any minute, he told this story:

^12-13 “There was once a man descended from a royal house who needed to make a long trip back to headquarters to get authorization for his rule and then return. But first he called ten servants together, gave them each a sum of money, and instructed them, ‘Operate with this until I return.’
¹⁴ “But the citizens there hated him. So they sent a commission with a signed petition to oppose his rule: ‘We don’t want this man to rule us.’
¹⁵ “When he came back bringing the authorization of his rule, he called those ten servants to whom he had given the money to find out how they had done.
¹⁶ “The first said, ‘Master, I doubled your money.’
¹⁷ “He said, ‘Good servant! Great work! Because you’ve been trustworthy in this small job, I’m making you governor of ten towns.’
¹⁸ “The second said, ‘Master, I made a fifty percent profit on your money.’
¹⁹ “He said, ‘I’m putting you in charge of five towns.’
^20-21 “The next servant said, ‘Master, here’s your money safe and sound. I kept it hidden in the cellar. To tell you the truth, I was a little afraid. I know you have high standards and hate sloppiness, and don’t suffer fools gladly.’
^22-23 “He said, ‘You’re right that I don’t suffer fools gladly—and you’ve acted the fool! Why didn’t you at least invest the money in securities so I would have gotten a little interest on it?’
²⁴ “Then he said to those standing there, ‘Take the money from him and give it to the servant who doubled my stake.’
²⁵ “They said, ‘But Master, he already has double . . .’
²⁶ “He said, ‘That’s what I mean: Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag.“

Luke 19:11-26 The Message (MSG)

And so we come to the very heart of this exploration.

How do we assess the appropriate response when the place where we live is in outright rebellion to our Heavenly King and His ways?

Whether it’s Baltimore or Broward County, Cleveland or California, the right move for you and your family will require discernment. We can all agree that these places come with a higher level of toxicity than other places.

What is a Toxic Environment?

Chernobyl comes to mind. But did you know that plant and animal life around the reactor is stronger and more diverse than before the accident? From an Institute for Creation Research article just published this week (emphasis added):

“Interestingly, in addition to this innate resilience to radiation, some plants in the Chernobyl exclusion zone seem to be using extra mechanisms to protect their DNA, changing its chemistry to make it more resistant to damage, and turning on systems to repair it if this doesn’t work [added emphasis].” His observations coincide with research on the progeny of Arabidopsis plants from Chernobyl.

Several Russian scientists discovered that when exposed to high radiation there was a resistance to mutations through a more than 10-fold decreased frequency of extrachromosomal homologous recombination, major differences in the expression of genes controlling DNA-repair and for proteins removing dangerous free radicals, and a higher level of global genome methylation.

Other research on several bird species at Chernobyl found that they also have internal mechanisms for detecting free radical molecules that are a byproduct of radiation exposure and then up-regulate mechanisms for DNA repair.

Because all DNA damage was repaired more quickly, radiation-exposed birds surprisingly “may even obtain beneficial hormetic effects following an adaptive response.”

It is now obvious that creatures have innate mechanisms that enable them to self-adjust to a higher range of radiation than anticipated. The existence of these systems precedes radiation exposure—Chernobyl was a unique radiation producing event—as there has not been enough time for them to have developed due to evolutionary “tinkering” via “trial-and-error” struggles to survive.

… [T]he Institute for Creation Research has been promoting an organism-focused, design-based model of adaptation called Continuous Environmental Tracking (CET). 

This model explains what organisms are doing when they adapt. The organism-focused arm of the framework hypothesizes that: organisms possess internal mechanisms that enable them to actively and continuously track environmental variables and respond by self-adjusting to changing environments—which results in their adaptation.

The other design-based arm assumes that these internal mechanisms utilize the same engineering principles that constrain how human-designed objects self-adjust to changes.

CET postulates that how organisms adapt is via innate systems with elements analogous to those within human-engineered tracking systems, namely: input sensors, internal logic mechanisms to select suitable responses, and actuators to execute responses. CET, therefore, expects that the creatures’ self-adjustments would be characterized as regulated, rapid, and targeted to specific challenges.

The Foolish Servant

In the parable above, the foolish servant was a complete failure at adaptation. Maybe he saw the rebellion fomenting and buried his master’s money in hopes of cashing in if the rebellion succeeded. Maybe he just was really afraid of loss and that’s why he hid it.
But look at the admonition of the King to this foolish servant, “Why didn’t you at least invest the money in securities so I would have gotten a little interest on it?”
Apparently, Jesus wants his followers to understand that He rewards smart risk taking for potential gain and will be more pleased with someone gaining a little in a very safe investment rather than not investing what they have been given at all.

Risky Investments: Exhibit A

If there is anyone out there putting the gifts he has been given into good use, Scott Pressler certainly makes the list!

His work reminds me of a story that takes place during the settling of the “promised land” by the Israelites. Certain tribes wanted to settle on the east side of the Jordan river which had already been conquered. This would be allowed, but the stipulation was that they had to agree to send their fighting men to the west side to help take the whole of the land for their nation before they could enjoy the peace of their own territory.

Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.” Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.”

Joshua 1:14-16 

In Scott’s case, he is traveling around the country to invest his talents in whatever way benefits all patriotic Americans. He is fighting for us! May the Lord guide, protect and equip this young man for what lies ahead in his life.

Risky Investments: Exhibit B

Later in Israel’s history, their land was conquered and the people were carried away captive to Babylon. God gave their prophet, Jeremiah, instructions to help them know how to respond to this upheaval.

“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.”

Jeremiah 29:4-6

Now imagine the risk of following these instructions. What if the situation changes and you are able to return to your homeland quickly? What if the Babylonians decide to relocate you and all your work is for nothing? Quite the risky investment.
And yet, they are told to pour their sweat equity into building houses, growing food and making big families. They are to seek the welfare of the city where they have been placed–while remaining in captivity!
As it turned out, they were there for some 70 years. Those that heeded the words of the prophet would be coming out of captivity strong and prosperous.

Risky Investments: Exhibit C

In the case of the Iraqi Christian family returning to Qaraqosh (mentioned at the top of this article), they are returning to their hometown which has been bombed, looted, nearly destroyed–with about half of the original residents choosing to not return to rebuild. A different set of risks, but certainly made the choice to return and invest in the community they came from instead of seeking refuge in another, perhaps safer, place.

So back to that pesky question…

How do we assess the appropriate response when the place where we live is in outright rebellion to our Heavenly King and His ways?

I don’t think there is a simple answer.
It’s true that for some people there comes a point in time when they just know in their hearts it is time to leave. And for others it is just as clear that they are to stay and “pray to the Lord” on the behalf of the city God has placed them in.
Many will spend a long time working out what is right for them. But that is the journey and no one else can tell anyone what is the right path for another. I have deep respect for anyone that takes that journey. A journey of truly seeking God’s highest and best purpose for them no matter the cost.
May God grant us all discernment, wisdom, and peace in the process.
Think *3

(just for fun!)