Articles

Luck saved me from dying on North Lombard. Portlanders need a better solution.

/ Articles, Writing /

Published in the Sunday Oregonian, December 17th, 2023 About a year ago, I contacted Portland City Commissioner Mingus Mapps’ office about how dangerous the intersection of North Lombard Street and North Mississippi Avenue is. The city already knows Lombard poses considerable hazards – the transportation bureau designated the street as the third deadliest in Portland for traffic […]

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Behind the Black Umbrellas

/ Articles, Writing /

The direct action at the Democrats’ building lasted less than ten minutes. The police were nowhere in sight. But as the group began to wind back toward the park, a number of officers arrived on bicycles. They followed for several blocks, then closed in in the middle of an intersection, arresting three men. Activists yelled at the police, asking why the men were being arrested. A moment later a man shouted, “Everyone scatter – let’s go!” “Be water,” said others, and the group dissolved into side streets.

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What the New York Encounter taught me about faith, art and friendship

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During my first trip to the New York Encounter seven years ago, Pakistani Christian Paul Bhatti talked about forgiving the men who had killed his brother Shabaz for being an outspoken Christian in politics. Frank Simmonds, a former homeless drug addict, spoke about his journey to sobriety, fatherhood and faith. And I stood in the ice-cold lobby

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