This is the second installment of a multipart series on a group of liberals who counter protested Portland Oregon’s Tax Day TEA Party. Despite attention from national media outlets, local left-wing media and politicians uniformly ignored the hateful rhetoric of these Left-wingers. Part Two covers the values and tolerance of the Oregon TEA Party and how they remained steadfast in the face of bigotry. The culpability of the International Socialists Organization (ISO) at Portland State University (PSU) is elaborated upon, including their slurs against homosexuals.
>> Caution Strong Language Content: Reader Discretion is Advised. <<
(front) Despite repeated goading from Kevin J. Nelson of Gresham, not a single incident of racism or violence by TEA Partiers occurred. (back left) counter protestor looks on and smiles. (Right) Anarchist: “How’s that Koch C*ck taste bro?”
TEA TOLERANCE
Something worth noting is that despite counter protesters’ varied approach to intimidate, including insults to race and sexual orientation, TEA Partiers stayed on theme and continued with the event. Kristina Ribali is the unofficial TEA Party Mom, and a tireless advocate for school choice and educational reform. She’s also a staunch advocate of the Second Amendment. She described what happened:
Many of us brought children and our families, because freedom is a family event. We were met by some of the vilest protesters I’ve ever seen in my life. They screamed obscenities, spat on us, and attempted to disrupt us. Despite the blaring air horns and the horrendous vulgar shout outs, our presenters did a fantastic job staying on message. The music and the speakers represent what is truly great about our movement: In spite of the cold, the rain and the “unwelcoming committee” they persevered. These people sacrifice time, money and effort on a daily basis. I wasn’t surprised in the least at how well they handled the entire situation.
TEA-riffic: (Left) Kristina Ribali “The Blond Momshell” champions education reform; (Right) icon Jeff Reynolds has Clinton Charisma with Reaganesque underpinnings.
An icon in the local Conservative movement, Jeff Reynolds is Chair of the Multnomah County Republican Party and serves a dual role as part of the leadership of the TEA Party. Even at home over a local brew Reynolds seems positively gubernatorial. “You know, I think they really wanted to intimidate us and shout us down,” says Reynolds. “But the protesters only steeled our resolve. After all, the contrast between the two belief systems couldn’t have been made clearer. We believe in freedom, liberty, small government, and all the things that make America the greatest experiment in human history. They clearly showed that they want to tear it down based on their hatred and envy.”
“YOU FU@KING HOMO RIGHT HERE”
As the counter protesters began their chanting: “Racist, Fascist Anti-Gay” the irony was not lost on anyone in the TEA Party. Indeed, the only people exhibiting these characteristics were the counter protesters themselves. A prime example was the use of homosexual slurs by the ISO protest leader himself.
Homophobic Slurs: Left: An as yet unidentified Anarchist: “Right here homo,” (holds cell phone as phallus as accomplice “flips the bird” )
Right: Neil Thomas (ISO) to videographer:
“Hey that guy’s a fu@kin’ Teabagger!”
Neil Thomas, the leader of the PSU socialists can be heard numerous times in the video screaming: “Hey that guy’s a fu@kin’ TEABagger.” For readers not familiar with his crass vernacular, this is a phrase commonly used to disparage homosexuals. It has been adopted by the Left to insult TEA Partiers. To explain, without exceeding the boundaries of censorship, it’s gay bashing shorthand for performing oral sex on a scrotum. There were many homosexuals in the TEA Party and on stage who were deeply offended by the vulgar degradation of sexual orientation by the ISO.
By far some of the worst slurs came from participants in the counter protest who have been linked to the Portland Anarchists mingling with the ISO. To quote one counter protester trying to intimidate a videographer: “Hey take a picture of this you f*cking homo right here,” as he held his extended cell phone in the area of his genitals as a phallus. As seen in Part I of this series, organizer Neil Thomas can be seen in the background as this happens, unconcerned with what is going on. A young woman also identified as an Anarchist, probably in her teens, looks on and smiles. She then flips the videographer her middle finger.
A third anarchist, the same who had engaged in the racism against blacks earlier joined in the homosexual slurs as well. “How’s that Koch C*ck taste bro?” he screamed multiple times at men in the TEA Party. Again, many families, including those with small children, were in earshot. Not a single member of the ISO has come forward to decry any of this.
THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF PSU AND THE ISO
While we know the ISO was an organizing force here, it’s clear that at least some individual members were not comfortable with Thomas’s leadership in the protest. They have begun to come forward. One ISO member, who spoke anonymously, was clearly embarrassed: “I came to videotape you guys but actually stopped,” he said. “I was embarrassed for our side. I’m sorry for what you guys had to endure.” But leadership in the ISO has yet to come forward to apologize and accept responsibility for their abhorrent behavior.
Left: Provost Balzer on YouTube – “Parents and family members are so important to us” Right: Student organizations must “demonstrate compliance with PSU’s prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race … sexual orientation …”
Members of the ISO have a moral responsibility to be well-behaved members of the community or suffer the consequences. ISO activities are enabled through taxpayer-funded resources including conference rooms, email accounts, computer systems, and networks. This has infuriated TEA Party members that not only resent high taxes but are also subjected to having their tax dollars thrown back at them in the form of racist and homophobic rhetoric.
The PSU guidelines are simple and straightforward and it’s quite clear they have been violated. According to the PSU Student Activities and Leadership Programs (SALP) web site the ISO must:
- Maintain communication with the assigned Advisor;
- Conduct affairs in a lawful and ethical manner …
- Demonstrate compliance with Portland State’s prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, …
A concerned citizen, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, has now sent a letter of complaint to PSU Vice Provost for Student Affaires Jackie Balzer with copies up the management chain to President of the University. The letter specifically singles out Neil Thomas, and includes photos and links to all the videos. Will Thomas and the ISO be held accountable under the rules of the school?
To quote the letter:
The videos will show that [Thomas] is clearly a very angry person, and in my opinion, unstable. I also would like him held accountable for his actions under the disciplinary codes for the school. Were taxpayer resources used by the ISO student group to plan or perpetrate this? Were PSU meeting rooms or email accounts used? If so I would like further action taken against the ISO as a student organization and your personal assurances that this kind of thing never happens again. Where was the faculty advisor for this group while all this was taking place? Is this the kind of behavior you expect from your students?
Credit PSU with providing an initial response quickly. Provost Balzer has so far stepped up to “do the right thing.” “Thank You for bringing this to my attention,” she writes, “I will look into the situation and discuss your concerns with the person who oversees our student organizations.” We look forward to hearing whether Vice Provost Balzer stays on track. The author of the letter has agreed to keep me informed, so stay tuned to future installments.
NEXT UP
The next installment in this series will address the lawlessness of the counter-protest, anti-Americanism, disrespect for the flag, and the veterans. Every effort was made to get the story straight. Please send tips and corrections to dansandini@gmail.com.
[Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 (coming soon)]
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About the Author
Inspired by Andrew Beitbart and James O’Keefe, Dan Sandini is an independent citizen journalist working out of Portland, Oregon. He is a staunch advocate of the First Amendment. In 2010 he was assaulted by Democrat thugs for having the temerity to record a speech by then gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber, at a forum that was open to the public and being recorded by the local news. He produced a video of the Orwellian experience which has received almost 70,000 views. Following the 2011 Tax Day TEA Party he produced videos detailing the hateful rhetoric and behavior of the Left, including homophobia, racism, anti-Americanism, and threats of violence. These videos have scored almost 300,000 YouTube views and were featured on The Glenn Beck Program, The O’Reilly Factor, and Sean Hannity. |