Why the MCRP Will Accept Volunteer Security Services

Multiple sources have requested an explanation for the decision of the Central Committee of the Multnomah County Republican Party at its Monday, June 26, 2017 meeting, to adopt the following resolution:

“Resolved that the MCRP may utilize volunteers from the Oregon Three Percenters, Oath Keepers, and other security groups to provide security where such volunteers are certified to provide private security service by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training.”

The explanation is simple:

To conduct Party business requires volunteers to work in public;
Volunteers don’t feel safe on the streets of Portland and want protection;
Unlike Oregon Democrats, funded by billionaires and unions, we are a small, grassroots organization with very little money and can only provide protection with volunteers;
People are not motivated to volunteer for us unless they support Republican goals;
Security volunteers will likely come from organizations concerned about excessive government;
The resolution provided disclosure about likely sources of volunteers for our members to consider; and
The DPSST certification is more important to our members than whatever other groups the volunteer may belong to.

The Party took these steps in response to specific attacks on members and threats against them for no other reason than having a point of view that intolerant Portland Leftists disagree with. We reject media attempts to portray reasonable defense against the threat of Leftist violence as an affirmative attack or escalation. We trust the People of Oregon know which side is causing the problem here.

Do you like this post?

Showing 2 reactions

Sign in with

James Buchal commented 2017-07-01 18:43:17 -0700
Mr. Dugan, we will discuss your risk analysis at our next meeting. The Party is run by those who show up, and the decisions will thus give significant weight to those who are actually on the streets and experiencing the security problems. It is a difficult balance between the need to rely on volunteers to deal with the problem we face now, and the goal of having a better public perception of Republicans. We remain hopeful that Oregonians can distinguish between offense and defense, and any “offense” here on our side is largely the product of false propaganda about the nature and risks of likely sources of volunteers.
James Buchal commented 2017-07-01 18:35:21 -0700
Mr. Westmoreland, as far as we know, the Patriot Prayer group has made efforts to remove neo-Nazis, anti-Semites and white supremacists from attendance to the extent this is feasible in a public setting. We see Antifa attacking both patriotism and prayer without regard to the presence of provocateurs, as in their threats concerning the Avenue of Roses Parade. And this is not directly relevant to the question we face. Neo-Nazis, anti-Semites, and white supremacists are not the sort of locally-based, DPSST-certified volunteers we may welcome to protect us. As far as we can tell, your fear is the product of propaganda that should be viewed with a more discerning eye.

Multnomah County Republicans