On April 1, Commissioner Dan Saltzman will introduce a “flag-lowering” resolution at City Council that, if approved, would honor every Portland child who died as a result of a crime.
The final resolution isn’t due to the clerk’s office until March 26. But Saltzman said this morning his idea would be to lower the Portland flag (pictured below) at City Hall, the Portland Building, Pioneer Square and other city-owned locations whenever a Portlander, 18 and younger, died as a result of violence, abuse or neglect. “These things go on even though they don’t often make headlines,” Saltzman says.
There are about five such deaths a year, Saltzman estimates, and his office has already worked out a system for recognizing those children. If one child dies in one month, the flag will be lowered on the first day of the next month. If two children die, the flag will be lowered on the second day of the following month. And information on those children will be available from Saltzman’s office.
It’s difficult to be cynical about honoring dead children having just written about the death of a 17-year-old poodle named Pepe, so I’ll leave that to WWire’s loyal readers. Have at it. (P.S. The city has no authority to order the lowering of the state flag, pictured above.)
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is this an April fool’s joke? it’s a novel, and heartwarming idea, but shouldn’t Saltzman choose a different day?
What an idiot.
Oh, I forgot to mention that April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Let’s also see how many were in government approved custody.
As many have learned when dealing with this career commissioner, never expect genuine commitment when a gesture might pass for more.
Lower the flag for Pepe. In fact, put the rope on a motorized pulley, and we can raise and lower it all day, at whatever frequency is required, out of respect for every child on the planet who dies needlessly.
Although empty gestures are good vote-getters, as Bush taught us, why don’t we pass a resolution to protect all the children in Oregon? A good start. And leave the damn flag alone.