Before Donald J. Trump arrived on the political stage, Black Lives Matter and Antifa already owned the streets of Portland, Oregon, in part, because law-abiding Americans were not allowed to protect themselves: The Second Amendment did not exist.
“RIGHT-WING” JOURNALIST INJURED, DISABLED
In March 2015 Left-Wing video journalist Skye Fitzgerald met with the Right-Wing video journalist, Michael Strickland at a restaurant in Gresham, a suburb of Portland. They met to discuss Fitzgerald’s gun control documentary. You guessed it: The Liberal could not win the argument using facts & logic, so he resorted to violence when Michael asked him “Why are you lying to people in your documentary?”
With that, Fitzgerald grabbed both of Michael’s cameras. They scuffled inside the restaurant so the manager told them to leave. Fitzgerald walked out with Michael following & talking with the 911 dispatcher on his cellphone. The two wound up in the parking lot, where Fitzgerald beat Strickland, a smaller man, to a pulp breaking his arm in three places and dislocating his shoulder. His arm was so badly damaged that it required multiple surgeries, 13 screws and hospitalization to put it back together. This writer shared a stage with him in May 2019, over four years after he was beaten, and he told me that his left arm that was about 50% worthless.
Gresham Police cited Fitzgerald, but the Multnomah County District Attorney refused to prosecute the Liberal journalist. The office was headed by a Liberal activist pretending to be looking out “for the people.” His attitude was that Conservatives deserve whatever they get from Liberals.
16 MONTHS LATER
The Far Left owns the Oregon court system, and Oregonians were shown a perfect example of it when Michael Strickland was put on trial AND CONVICTED for brandishing his weapon as 10-12 Black Lives Matter thugs with clubs were surrounding, pushing & threatening him.
With a left arm that was 50% worthless, Strickland decided to legally purchase a firearm, take the mandatory training and obtain a concealed carry permit, which is not easy to do in Multnomah County.
Michael Strickland was an independent journalist/videographer who was covering a Black Lives Matter riot in downtown Portland on July 7, 2016 when he became surrounded, at first, by a 10-12 masked men, some with clubs. As the mob continued to surround and outflank him, they chanted “get him” and other threatening words. Mike did what any self-defense expert would tell him to do. He retreated as best he could before being surrounded and overwhelmed by the ever-growing mob.
Then, he pulled back his jacket to expose his handgun hoping the thugs would back off. They kept coming. Realizing he was now completely surrounded and in fear for his life, Mike drew his lawfully concealed firearm and used it to keep the crowd at bay. Strickland can be heard saying “Get the hell back!” before pulling out his gun. The gun was out of his holster for about 15 SECONDS. He never fired a shot. His finger never touched the trigger. All this was caught on numerous videos.
PROSECUTOR SAW A CHANCE TO SILENCE AN EFFECTIVE RIGHT-WING JOURNALIST
Law enforcement arrived later. Strickland was questioned and released the night of his attack and was ordered to court on a misdemeanor count of menacing. When prosecutors discovered who they had, the hated Laughing at Liberals guy, the one misdemeanor charge ballooned into 20 felonies and one misdemeanor, and Strickland’s bail blew up to $250,000. He was facing possibly 50 years in prison.
The Democrat Machine in Portland had their guy and they weren’t going to let him go. When jury selection began, Strickland’s attorney discovered that the jury pool was tainted because some potential jurors had actually been part of the BLM riot that day. This anti-Second Amendment judge kept them in the jury pool, so Mike opted for a bench trial. THAT did not help him.
JUDGE SIDED WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER THUGS
A witness in court testified there had been a conspiracy by the BLM thugs to beat Strickland within an inch of his life. Court watchers said the corrupt judge pondered for fewer than five minutes before announcing his verdict: guilty on all 21 counts.
The judge said the attack by the mob should have NO bearing on Strickland’s actions that day. He was not entitled to protect himself. Say what?
The judge sides with BLM thugs and found Michael Aaron Strickland, 37, guilty of 10 counts of unlawful use of a weapon, 10 counts of menacing and one count of second-degree disorderly conduct for pointing his Glock semi-automatic handgun at 10 protesters FOR 15 SECONDS. As a convicted felon, Mike could not possess a firearm again.
STRICKLAND’S KEYBOARD WAS DANGEROUS
Mike was sentenced to 40 days in jail, community service, probation and fines. As part of his sentence Strickland could not write or blog. He could not go near any protest or march, nor can he video one. Thus, he was unable to work.
The judge not only made Strickland unemployed (was he eligible for food stamps?), but made him homeless. Well, at least the county had to house him for 40 days.
The institutional left in Portland has silenced a journalist and a contrary political voice.
THIS WAS A ONE-TWO PUNCH FOR OREGONIANS
Michael Strickland was convicted in February 2017 for defending himself with a display of his handgun. That August, Oregon’s freedom-hating governor, Kate Brown (my law school classmate), signed a bill which allows judges and police to confiscate firearms from law-abiding citizens without due process.
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The author, Diane L. Gruber, is a First Amendment advocate who writes for Substack. She calls her Substack newsletter America First Re-Ignited. Follow me on X @DianeLGruber.
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