Naked Man Incident in Portland

In recent times, it’s become quite apparent that many modern, urban leftists seem oblivious to the realities around them.

A Personal Reflection

I remember the relief I felt when I ended my daily commute on public transportation in Washington, D.C. Riding the train was always a gamble. Would it be today? Or perhaps on the way back home?

Encounters with passed-out drug users, filthy homeless individuals, visibly unstable people, and even criminals were common. Each ride left me wondering if I’d need to intervene in a dangerous situation.

In my last year riding, I experienced several close calls. I saw a couple of heavily tattooed individuals smoking marijuana on a crowded train. If children had been present, I honestly might have reacted. On one occasion, an intoxicated man was threatening an elderly homeless man who appeared to be unconscious due to drugs. Other passengers told him to “shut up and sit down.” I once positioned myself between a woman and her two young daughters, who looked like tourists, and a man who seemed ready to lash out.

He was ranting about having “had enough” of “white people,” and the girls looked understandably terrified.

A Disturbing Scene

Just this past weekend in a well-known Portland area, a naked man was engaged in a struggle with a mother over her seven-year-old daughter, according to police. They were reportedly pulling so forcefully that the girl’s feet barely touched the ground.

The police had just dealt with a situation involving a barricaded suspect nearby. Eventually, the girl’s father or perhaps a bystander noticed the chaos, rushed over, and subdued the naked man, as reported.

One Portland police officer lamented, “We don’t have the appropriate amount of police officers to handle the demand for police services.”

This situation reflects a grim reality. The Portland Police Department has seen a roughly 24% drop in staffing over the past few years, alongside significant budget cuts, amounting to about $20 million.

A Broader Context

How did we reach this point? It almost seems obvious, like a naked man wandering in broad daylight in a populated area. Following the protests in 2020 after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, there was a swift move by urban Democrats to target policing.

Jobs were eliminated, and the police department was partially defunded, as was frequently mentioned. Part of a $15 million budget reduction was supposedly redirected to “community programs,” which often appear to benefit non-profits connected to local Democrats.

In a situation where a naked man is trying to drag a child away, is anyone really calling a nonprofit for help?

During this time, violent crime surged, police morale dropped, and the so-called “Ferguson Effect” became a reality in cities like Portland.

The sad truth is that those most vulnerable—children, the elderly, and women—are often the victims in these chaotic situations. It’s distressing, and perhaps as absurd, as a man in women’s lingerie reading to kindergarteners at a library.

If you engage with many locals, dyed-haired students, or certain urban politicians, you’ll often hear them dismissing police as modern-day “gestapo.”

It’s alarming how out of touch some individuals have become. The reality around us is becoming increasingly visible to many.