Portland’s extremist protest groups apparently insist – and fully intend – on coming downtown for violent street demonstrations.  I’ve wondered how we might organize an event for them to do just that.

It could even be promoted and tickets could be sold! (sarcasm)

Mind you, I consider this entirely hypothetical.

On repeated occasions, we’ve watched opposing “Right Wing” and “Left Wing” protest groups come downtown.  We’ve watched repeatedly as so-called “peaceful protests” devolve into violent street fights.  People end up bloodied, bruised, beaten, or pepper sprayed.

Portland Police officers end up taking extremely harsh criticism from both sides for failing to “keep the protests peaceful.”

I can imagine officers’ frustration at that.

I can’t say I’ve talked directly to street cops about this, but I would understand if they threw up their hands and said, “screw this, if all you want to do is fight, why am I stopping you?”

(Again — they shouldn’t — but I can understand the frustration).

Imagine a world where Portland Police just declared a certain day and certain time frame as “downtown brawl day”.

Police could set the downtown location and set the rules.  First rule — no guns.

On this scheduled “downtown brawl day”, opposing political groups would be allowed to have at each other for a full hour (or however long it lasts).  Police could set a strong perimeter around the brawl and EMS could bring in ambulance units.

Anyone who gets hurt badly would have paramedics ready to care for them or take them to the hospital.

Anyone who tries to flee from the brawl — gets arrested.

When the brawl is over — everyone still standing — gets arrested.

Yeah, it’s a stupid idea.  You can’t intentionally start the cycle of violence.  It will only get worse, of course.  I know that.

But I’ve seen individuals in these opposing groups who are itching for a fight — every time.  That’s the only reason they show up and they continue showing up.

And I know for a fact I’m not the first person to think of this approach.

It’s the kind of thing almost all non-democratic, failed societies have allowed in the past.  I’m quite certain no American wants that for our society.

But it seems we keep approaching it…