Moved my family of 6 from Oregon to South Dakota in July. Oregon has mandated masks against the science, evidence, Oregon constitution, and the recommendation of international health organizations. Lincoln County mandated that black people were exempt from masks because of their skin color. Critical race theory is being implemented in the schools of kids I know. I know of one case second hand of a classroom taking down the American flag and replacing it with a gay pride flag and BLM flag in my hometown. Schools in Oregon City were using my tax dollars to mandate that every classroom have transgender flags or posters. The police have had their hands tied by Oregon politicians and are now even defending antifa while they actively and openly assault people. I took my children to a parade to thank the local police and they were treated to a mob of angry professors spraying chemicals and blockading the parade route. They are celebrating segregation and teaching children backward ideologies. My ex-governor stole an entire year of education and foundational social growth from an entire generation of children. Churches and businesses were being fined daily for remaining open. My guns needed to have slide or trigger locks every second I wasn't actively shooting them. Dissidents were allowed to take and hold whole city blocks in major cities where law enforcement is kept out by threat of force. My neighbors are intent on abolishing the police. "Hate speech" is now being legislated in defiance of the first amendment in that state. We fought the greatest empire on earth over a two percent tax on tea but Oregon legislators pushed a 3000 percent tax on beer. The governor has dictated that there will be no testing in public schools because she believes that people who aren't of her "master race" can't pass exams. There are now permanent masking laws in effect as well. The judicial branch of Oregon has said it's not their job to protect our civil rights. I have a document that informs my government how I am to protect my own civil rights but I will do my best to take every legal recourse offered me before I resort to that protection. One legal recourse is to leave the oppressive government so that's what we did.
I really want to protect my kids as they're growing up and I want to do that by providing them with a culture that shares core values with them. Whatever you think of the issues that I have with the administration currently governing Oregon, it should encourage you that there are people willing to uproot their lives, move from the most beautiful place on earth, and give up their entire support system and sense of security in service to their convictions. Everybody's had the privilege of hearing most they know (and many they don't) complain, whine, and threaten non-stop, especially over the past two years, but know that there are still people who don't esteem comfort over their values, who aren't bottomless crypts full of empty threats, who don't posture on social media but shrivel in the face of actual conflict. Some people still truly have values and are willing to abide by them even when it seems nobody else agrees. Because truth isn't contingent on consensus and integrity takes no stock of fear.
I really want to protect my kids as they're growing up and I want to do that by providing them with a culture that shares core values with them. Whatever you think of the issues that I have with the administration currently governing Oregon, it should encourage you that there are people willing to uproot their lives, move from the most beautiful place on earth, and give up their entire support system and sense of security in service to their convictions. Everybody's had the privilege of hearing most they know (and many they don't) complain, whine, and threaten non-stop, especially over the past two years, but know that there are still people who don't esteem comfort over their values, who aren't bottomless crypts full of empty threats, who don't posture on social media but shrivel in the face of actual conflict. Some people still truly have values and are willing to abide by them even when it seems nobody else agrees. Because truth isn't contingent on consensus and integrity takes no stock of fear.
