President Kelly said current Portland narratives “mostly miss the point” in a Sept. 28 Instagram post that reflects on the city UP calls home.
“Portland finds itself in the news,” Kelly said in the post. “So many of our neighbors from across the country and around the globe are on the receiving end of narratives that would seek to narrowly define our community … the presently-circulating narratives about our city mostly miss the point.”
The “Sunday Reflection” post, shared from Kelly’s official account, comes amid President Donald Trump’s move to send troops to Portland.
Trump announced the decision in a Sept. 27 Truth Social post, writing that troops would be sent to protect “War ravaged” Portland.
On Sept. 28, Trump invoked Title 10 to deploy 200 National Guard members into Portland for the next 60 days.
The move has been met with a lawsuit from the state of Oregon and city of Portland, as well as hundreds of protestors.
In the Sunday Reflection post, Kelly encouraged community members to resist narratives about Portland that “distort the truth.”
“Portlanders return their carts after they are finished loading their groceries, say ‘thank you’ to the bus driver when they disembark, and wouldn't dream of honking their horns,” Kelly said in the post. “Our parks and playgrounds are full of children laughing, our hiking and biking trails receive heavy use, our concert venues and stadiums are packed. These things are not signs of a city under siege.”
Maggie Dapp is the News and Managing Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at dapp26@up.edu.
