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What Do You Get When You Cross a Panther With A Frog? · The Schmidt Show PDX

• 0:10
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to the Schmidt Show PDX.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_03: I'm Mike Schmidt, former district attorney turned podcaster.
• 0:15
  Very excited to have you join us this week for what I think is
• 0:17
  going to be a really great show.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_03: As you know,
• 0:20
  Portland has a special talent for turning a sidewalk into a
• 0:23
  battleground of ideas,
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_03: not with just hijinks or snappy slogans,
• 0:28
  but sometimes with retirees carrying informative signs like my
• 0:32
  good friend Sally
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_03: Jogan,
• 0:33
  who got tear gassed for the first time in her life at age 87
• 0:36
  this weekend.
• 0:39
  And sometimes with a seven-foot inflatable frog staring down
• 0:42
  the federal government
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_03: like it's auditioning for some very weird civic play.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_03: Today's episode is about power,
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_03: who has it,
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_03: who doesn't,
• 0:51
  and how people trying to reclaim it when the normal channels
• 0:54
  feel jammed up.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_03: First,
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_03: we're talking with the Portland Grey Panthers,
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_03: a long-running,
• 0:59
  hard-nosed social justice group that spent decades fighting
• 1:02
  ageism and pushing for
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_03: dignity in the systems that shape daily life.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_03: Housing, healthcare, safety, basic survival.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_03: Their work's not always flashy, but it is persistent.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_03: It's the slow grind of democracy,
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_03: meetings,
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: testimony,
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_03: organizing,
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_03: and refusing to let the most vulnerable get quietly erased.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_03: Then we're gonna be joined by Ribbit Wrangler,
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_03: a founder of the Portland Frog Brigade,
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_03: a newer kind of movement that uses nonviolent,
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_03: absurdist visibility as a tactic.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_03: Big costumes,
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_03: memes,
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_03: public presence,
• 1:37
  a form of protest that tries to disarm fear with creativity
• 1:41
  while still insisting
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_03: on rights,
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_03: accountability,
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_03: and solidarity.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_03: On the surface, these groups couldn't look more different.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_03: One is seasoned, policy-oriented, and built for endurance.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_03: The other is loud, viral, and built for the moment.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_03: But they're actually working the same problem from two different angles.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_03: How do you make a government see people it's trying so hard to ignore?
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_03: Because whether you're older,
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_03: disabled,
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_03: poor,
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_03: undocumented,
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_03: or just stuck in the gears of bureaucracy,
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_03: being unseen is how you get hurt.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_03: So today we're exploring two answers to that.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_03: The long game and the flashpoint.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_03: The committee meeting and the street corner.
• 2:20
  The grinding work of changing systems and the strange joy of
• 2:24
  refusing to be intimidated by them.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_03: Let's get into it.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_03: We'll be right back.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_03: Today,
• 3:00
  we're talking about what they're seeing on the ground in
• 3:02
  Portland and what actually
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_03: moves the needle.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so pleased to welcome Lou and Kate to the program.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_03: So Lou, we'll get started with you.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_03: Who are the Gray Panthers?
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: The Portland Gray Panthers,
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: along with our multi-state outreach arm,
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Gray Panthers Global Union,
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: is an activist grassroots coalition.
• 3:25
  We've worked on gun reform,
• 3:27
  housing,
• 3:27
  tenant rights and housing against homelessness.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: And
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Our founder is Maggie Kuhn, K-U-H-N.
• 3:35
  She started Panthers in 1970 when she got fired from her job
• 3:39
  for allegedly being
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: too old at a church back east.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Panthers have waxed and waned over time.
• 3:46
  We're working to activate and make visible Panthers in Oregon,
• 3:51
  but also in other states.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: So we have contacts,
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: organizers in Washington,
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: D.C.,
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Miami,
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Florida,
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Long Beach,
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: California,
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: and a couple other states.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_03: One of the most impressive things to me about the Panthers is,
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_03: Lou,
• 4:04
  you could probably tell me how many times I have spoken to the
• 4:07
  Portland Grey
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_03: Panthers.
• 4:09
  Mike has supported Panthers,
• 4:12
  but also with some of our other frequent speakers.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Mike's talked six times to Panthers in Portland.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: Simone Reedy has talked.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: She's a city auditor,
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: and she pronounced her name ready,
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: she told me,
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: finally,
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: has talked six times.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Keith Wilson,
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: the Portland mayor,
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: before and after being elected mayor,
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: talked six times with us.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: But the record holder.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: is Sharon Meyron, who is county commissioner.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: She's a doctor, a lawyer, and a street medic.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Sharon's basically an organizer with us now.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: She's talked with Panthers 14 times.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_03: 14.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_03: Well, something to aspire to.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_03: But I've always been impressed.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_03: The first time I went and spoke with the Panthers, I was a co-guest.
• 4:47
  Maybe I was the opening act to our then Attorney General,
• 4:50
  Ellen Rosenblum.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_03: It was a fantastic day.
• 4:53
  And I'm always impressed by the groups you get together and the
• 4:57
  folks that you
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_03: invite to speak,
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_03: and people show up.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: Kate,
• 5:01
  why don't you tell us a little bit more about what's happening
• 5:03
  now with the Grey
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_03: Panthers,
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_03: Portland Grey Panthers?
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:08
  What got me excited to get involved with the Panthers was for
• 5:13
  most of the last six
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: years,
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: I've been an in-home caregiver for very low income,
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: mostly senior,
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: disabled people.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: in Portland.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: And so when I learned about the two missions of the Grey Panthers,
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: they both spoke to me profoundly,
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: one of them being fighting for elders' rights,
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: housing conditions in nursing homes,
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: Social Security,
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: and
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: And fighting ageism and dispelling stereotypes around our elders.
• 5:46
  Because I think people tend to be devalued in our society after
• 5:51
  they don't produce
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: as much money capital for the economy.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: And...
• 5:58
  Being in the trenches there,
• 5:59
  I wanted to use that experience to do something positive.
• 6:04
  And also Maggie Kuhn's other sort of founding principle and
• 6:10
  goal was the value of
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: intergenerational organizing space.
• 6:13
  And I think that is desperately needed right now and sets the
• 6:16
  Panthers apart as a
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: little bit of a unique experience.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: space in an organization that's really centering that.
• 6:22
  I think a lot of of our of our sort of political and social
• 6:27
  hang ups have to do
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: with sort of intergenerational clashing instead of collaboration.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: So I was excited to find an organization that focuses on both of these.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: And speaking of Sharon Myron, Saturday, the 14th of February,
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: At the downtown library in room 1B from 11 to 1,
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: Portland Grey Panthers is hosting a housing forum.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: Housing is such a such a important.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: challenging, you know, central issue right now in Portland.
• 7:07
  And so we will have the wonderful music of Marilyn Keller of
• 7:12
  Augustana Lutheran Church.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_03: I love Augustana.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_03: Excellent.
• 7:17
  And is that something if folks go to a website or a social
• 7:21
  media handle they can see in print?
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: There will be a flyer up on the Portland Gray Panthers Facebook page.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: Portland Gray Panthers PAC is that Facebook page.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_03: That's amazing, Kay.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so glad you're having that conversation.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, housing and homelessness is top of mind for all Portlanders.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_03: And thank you for the work that you do.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_03: In-home care is great.
• 7:50
  I got to attend a bunch of Ways and Means roadshows across the
• 7:53
  state of Oregon last session.
• 7:55
  And a lot of in-home caregivers were there talking about how
• 7:58
  the budgets and the
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_03: funding has been cut and the very small amount of salary that folks get.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_03: And or especially for those caring for their own relatives,
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_03: how that is frequently not compensated at all.
• 8:11
  And so thank you for the work that you do in shining a light on
• 8:15
  that issue for people.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_03: Lou, we've talked a little bit about some of the policy areas.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_03: Let's talk a little bit about the politicians.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_03: You have had a lot of guests, myself included, over the years.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_03: The Grey Panthers curate spaces not only to talk about issues and to hold
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_03: educational things,
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_03: but you actually make endorsements.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_03: Correct.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_03: And you talk to a lot of politicians.
• 8:39
  Probably one of the most famous politicians that's been
• 8:43
  associated with the
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_03: Portland Grey Panthers has been Ron Wyden.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_03: Sure.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_03: But you've talked to very many over the years.
• 8:48
  Tell us a little bit about how the Gray Panthers interacts with
• 8:51
  folks seeking your endorsement.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we decided three years ago to form a political action committee.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's always been small.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's growing.
• 8:59
  But we think it prevents an opportunity for Panthers in Oregon
• 9:03
  and as we build out
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: into other states to be doing just what Maggie Kuhn did when she started,
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: which she was anti-war against Vietnam,
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: anti-racist,
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: anti-racist.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: And in terms of specific candidates that have taught,
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: sometimes people,
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: especially in ranked choice voting in Portland last year,
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: we probably had 80 plus candidates come and talk,
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: not just for city council.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: But sometimes when people come in 10th,
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: three people I'm thinking of in three different districts,
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: they're now Panther volunteers.
• 9:29
  A bit like Sharon Myron,
• 9:30
  just co-spied an outreach letter that we're doing.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: So she's a volunteer with us as well.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: I mentioned Keith Wilson's talked to us six times.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: He's becoming a controversial mayor on housing,
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: but perhaps much better to some extent on sanctuary cities.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: We also do a lot of activist stuff besides engaging elected people.
• 9:50
  And we're pretty visible in terms of what we call civic
• 9:53
  engagement and voting
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: education,
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: which is the speaker program.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: There's also the Walmart boycott to end gun violence.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: There's...
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: home safety action project and the Megacune postage stamp project.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: As long as you're born in the United States and dead,
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: which Megacune fits both criteria,
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: Ursula Glynn just got a postage stamp.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: So that's one of the things we're working on.
• 10:16
  But we also do stuff,
• 10:18
  Kate,
• 10:18
  me,
• 10:19
  Edie,
• 10:19
  a bunch of us were at the ICE process yesterday.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: Some of y'all who are listening may have been at that.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't get tear gassed at that one.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: I've been tear gassed before, but others who came were tear gassed.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: There's a really good turnout from labor.
• 10:32
  Last year,
• 10:33
  we worked a lot on Palestine at the occupation at Porton State
• 10:36
  at the library.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: So in terms of social justice and visible activist organizing,
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: We focus on that as well.
• 10:45
  I just got interviewed yesterday by a high school junior in
• 10:48
  Chicago who had heard
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: about Portland Grey Panthers.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: So she wanted to know, well, what do you do now?
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Don't tell me the mission statement.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me like, are you doing boycotts?
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: Are you doing pickets?
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: Are you doing demonstrations, press conference?
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: And we are.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: From a high school student.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: She's pressing you.
• 11:00
  Well,
• 11:00
  this is the intergenerational organizing model that we've
• 11:03
  always used.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: I thought it was...
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: We probably can't say BS, but I thought it was baloney.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Or what does Biden say?
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: Malarkey.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: I thought it was malarkey in high school that I was too young.
• 11:14
  And of the current steering committee people for Portland Gray
• 11:17
  Panthers,
• 11:19
  two are 28,
• 11:20
  one's 23.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's one who's over 30.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: So we feel it's really,
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: really important not to tell what younger people to do,
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: but to listen to how can we actually fix things now?
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: Do we have to wait for Trump to be gone in three years?
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: Are there local alternatives in elections for people who have been taking
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: conservative positions but might be good on housing?
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: I'm thinking of Maxine Dexter in particular.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I think that's so great.
• 11:44
  I love,
• 11:44
  and Kate,
• 11:45
  you brought this up,
• 11:45
  the intergenerational organizing aspect of things.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_03: It's so important.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_03: I frequently,
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_03: as district attorney,
• 11:51
  felt like there was a generational gap between how people view
• 11:55
  public safety,
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_03: the kind of tough on crime crowd.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: Did they think you were too young or too old?
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_03: I think they thought that my ideas were too young or too new.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: There is another guest in this studio that is quiet because she's asleep,
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: which is my six month old daughter,
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_01: Alice.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: So talking intergenerational,
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: I have come on board with the Panthers as a middle aged woman.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_01: I'm 40.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_01: I have four kids.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um,
• 12:22
  I so distinctly remember being a young person working for
• 12:27
  positive change and
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: feeling time and time again dismissed,
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: patronized,
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: ignored.
• 12:36
  I feel very privileged to be in this position in an
• 12:40
  organization that is bridging
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: generations and to try to be that support.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_03: Well said, Kate.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_03: Well,
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_03: Lou,
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_03: as we wrap up here,
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_03: our conversation with the Portland Gray Panthers,
• 12:54
  I think the big question that I want people to come away with
• 12:57
  is how do they get
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_03: involved?
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_03: And what are the various ways that people can support
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_03: support the work that you're doing,
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_03: connect,
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_03: benefit from either whether it be policy conversations,
• 13:09
  hearing from leaders who have amazing perspectives about
• 13:12
  housing or other issues
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_03: you're working on,
• 13:14
  or to hear from elected officials that are soliciting or
• 13:18
  seeking the Grey Panthers
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_03: endorsement.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_03: How do people get involved?
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: Well,
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: we do community election forums at Portland State,
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: sometimes Wednesday nights,
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: sometimes Saturday mornings.
• 13:28
  The current Facebook page,
• 13:29
  Portland Gray Panthers,
• 13:30
  is one way to find that.
• 13:31
  And we're working with Kate on website and social media
• 13:35
  expansion so we're more accessible.
• 13:38
  The February 14th annual community event gathering is a good
• 13:44
  way at the library,
• 13:45
  11 a.m.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: to 1 p.m.,
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: the first floor of the main library downtown,
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: which is 801 Southwest Main,
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: corner of Taylor and Main,
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: a pretty open space and a public facility.
• 13:56
  And I would say the main thing is to keep track of things that
• 14:00
  are going on now.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: So obviously, that's ICE and Trump.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's also seeing,
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: if possible,
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: which speakers are and should be held accountable who are elected,
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: whether it's city council,
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: whether it's county commission,
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: whether it's the state legislature,
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: or perhaps especially the congressional reps from Oregon and Washington,
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: D.C.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_01: The email address for the 501c3 is pdxgreypanthers at gmail.com.
• 14:27
  The email address for the political action committee is
• 14:30
  greypanthersportland at gmail.com.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: And then at the February 14th event,
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: and then after that on our pages,
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: there will be an announcement for a larger event in April or May 2020.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: that is going to focus on bringing the Gray Panthers back to our roots,
• 14:50
  back to Maggie Kuhn and her interactions with the Black
• 14:54
  Panthers that led to the
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_01: gift of permission to use the Panther name,
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: which is something I hold in great reverence and take very seriously.
• 15:04
  And so there will be an event to sort of bring Panthers back to
• 15:11
  our roots.
• 15:12
  And we'll also invite Joanne Hardesty,
• 15:14
  who's talked to us before when she was
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: on City Council.
• 15:17
  And one of the people I've talked to us already for an hour is
• 15:23
  the founder of Black
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: Panthers in Portland,
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: who's still around,
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: Kent Ford.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll ask him again to talk.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: When he talked with us at McMenamin's at PSU,
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: that was a day that Nick Kristoff also talked to us that day.
• 15:35
  But it was two days before Nick Kristoff was declared
• 15:37
  ineligible by the Oregon
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: Supreme Court because he's a New York resident.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_03: Well,
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_03: I've always felt that the Portland Gray Panthers are a best kept secret,
• 15:45
  but I hope we can change that by getting the word out and
• 15:47
  having more people join
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_03: you guys,
• 15:48
  because I think you punch way above your weight class in terms
• 15:52
  of the quality of
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_03: the content,
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_03: the quality of the people you get to speak with.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_03: And thank you so much,
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_03: Lou and Kate,
• 15:59
  for joining us today and sharing the good work you're doing in
• 16:01
  our community.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_01: Glad to be here.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_03: Ribbit Wrangler is one of the founders of the Portland Frog Brigade,
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_03: an art and activism collective that uses nonviolent,
• 16:25
  highly visible protest to draw attention to civil rights and
• 16:28
  what's happening
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_03: outside the ICE detention center in Portland and other places.
• 16:33
  If you've seen giant inflatable animal costumes in the streets,
• 16:35
  that's not random weirdness.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_03: It's strategy.
• 16:39
  Create attention,
• 16:40
  change the narrative and keep people showing up without
• 16:43
  escalating harm.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_03: Today,
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_03: we're talking about how it started,
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_03: how it's organized,
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_03: and what they think this kind of creative descent can really accomplish.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to the studio, Ribbit Wrangler.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_02: Pleasure to be here.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_02: Nice to see you, Mike.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_03: Well, good to see you.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so glad to get to talk to you.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_03: First of all, I just got to say I'm a huge fan.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_03: I really appreciate what you all are doing.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_03: And you have not only,
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_03: I think,
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_03: become a symbol here in Portland,
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_03: but nationally and maybe even internationally.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_03: So what's it like to be so famous?
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_02: Well, first of all, it's not me being famous.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_02: It's the frogs being famous, just to be very clear.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_02: Nobody actually knows who I am or what I do specifically.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_02: So this is all about the frogs.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_02: This is all about the symbol of the frogs.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_02: We are vehicles for that.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, we've been doing this since October.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_02: And I can tell you the origin story if you want to hear that.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_03: How did this get started in October?
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_03: What was the thought process?
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so it...
• 17:46
  In the beginning of October,
• 17:47
  there was one protester that was standing out at the ice
• 17:50
  facility.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_02: His name is Toad.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_02: And he was in an inflatable frog suit.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_02: And there was no particular reason why he had a frog suit,
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_02: per se,
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_02: why he chose that animal,
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_02: other than he likes frogs,
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_02: right?
• 18:00
  And he was standing out there facing off a heavily armed
• 18:04
  phalanx of ice officers at
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_02: the ice facility and kind of taunting them a little bit.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_02: And they went after him and pepper sprayed up his vent hole.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_03: So I remember seeing that video.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_03: I think a lot of people probably do.
• 18:20
  And I thought to myself,
• 18:21
  I mean,
• 18:22
  A,
• 18:22
  just how mean spirited that was,
• 18:25
  right?
• 18:25
  It wasn't just the person doing the pepper spraying understood
• 18:29
  like spraying an
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_03: inflatable in the face is really not going to be effective.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm going to reach around this person who it looked like at the time,
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_03: maybe he was trying to help someone else up.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_02: Right, right.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they knew what they were doing.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_02: They knew where they were aiming and why.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_02: That's sort of their MO is what we found.
• 18:44
  It's like trying to inflict as much,
• 18:46
  you know,
• 18:46
  taunting kind of damage as they can.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, pain.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_02: Like actual, actual pain.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_02: Just cruelty.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_02: Cruelty.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's kind of cold to watch.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_02: So that happened to Toad.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_02: As you said, that image went viral and that moment went viral.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_02: And it was, you know...
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_02: A powerful moment,
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_02: and my buddy Slurman,
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: who is a local artist here in Portland,
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_02: and I've known him for about 20 years doing art stuff together,
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_02: is an art instigator around these parts,
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_02: and he saw what Toad was doing out there,
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_02: and he loves being in costume anyway,
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_02: so he went out and joined Toad on the line,
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_02: kind of standing in solidarity with him,
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_02: right?
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_02: And movements don't start with the first frog.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_02: They start with the second frog, right?
• 19:26
  The first frog is just a nutter until the second person
• 19:28
  validates them,
• 19:29
  right?
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: So Slurmit was the second frog.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_02: And he, in my mind, sort of started that movement, right?
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_02: Toad was this flashpoint, right?
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_02: And the instigator, but there was one that validated what he was doing.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_02: And then I saw that.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_02: And with my background and experience in what I do,
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_02: I saw,
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_02: I've worked a lot in moving large groups of,
• 19:53
  and working in collaboration on creative projects for civic
• 19:58
  participation.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_02: And so I recognized what that frog potentially symbolized.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: And I went to , and I said, would you like to make this a thing?
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_02: I said, I think this could be a thing.
• 20:09
  It could have a much bigger impact on the resistance nationally
• 20:12
  and internationally
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_02: than what we're seeing here.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_02: Do you want to give it a whirl?
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_02: And he said, yes.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_02: And so I said, OK, great.
• 20:20
  You keep on doing the art and the production and the community
• 20:22
  and the protesting
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_02: and get out there and keep that engine going.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_02: I'll work back here and I'll make it matter.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I'll make that grow.
• 20:29
  So we've been working diligently the last four months with a
• 20:32
  very small volunteer
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_02: team to do exactly that.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_02: So we're building this as a basically it's a brand awareness campaign,
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: to put it kind of crassly.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_02: I don't like to use those terms, but that's effectively what it is.
• 20:43
  It's a propaganda campaign to spread this symbol for what it is
• 20:48
  and let it have its
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_02: power that it has.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_03: What I appreciated about it.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_03: So at the same time in October, you see this viral moment.
• 20:58
  Slurmit jumps in,
• 20:59
  validates this as what it is and you guys figuring this out.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_03: I was in other meetings.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_03: Mm-hmm.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_03: And I have been meeting for a while with community members.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_03: And I think one of the things that we talked a lot about,
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_03: and so just to back up a little bit,
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_03: my experience as district attorney through the 2020 protests,
• 21:21
  I think a lot of people were very concerned that when Trump too
• 21:24
  came into office
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_03: that he would immediately focus on Portland again.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_03: And he would try to provoke Portland like he did in his first term.
• 21:34
  And so we were talking in rooms a lot about how do we show up
• 21:39
  nonviolently,
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_03: peacefully,
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_03: but with joy,
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_03: you know,
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_03: with joy.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_03: And I think...
• 21:47
  you all are doing that did that seize that moment maybe talk a
• 21:52
  little bit about um
• 21:54
  the strategy there like i know we were talking about it hey we
• 21:59
  need to figure out
• 21:59
  how to do this then you went and captured that and are doing it
• 22:03
  why is that so
• 22:04
  powerful that that joy element in the face of what we're you're
• 22:08
  seeing well
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_02: long-standing movements
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_02: based on hate and resentment and anger won't last.
• 22:15
  Those aren't emotions that you can hang on to for too long and
• 22:19
  be a productive
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_02: human being in society and feel good about yourself.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: You need joy, right?
• 22:23
  So part of creating cultural movements is making a better
• 22:28
  party,
• 22:29
  frankly,
• 22:30
  right?
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, this is a much more fun, welcoming,
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_02: joyful way to express your rights.
• 22:38
  And not everybody's willing to stand up and have a pepper ball
• 22:41
  aimed at their face.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_02: And fair enough.
• 22:44
  This is a platform that allows people to come in who want to
• 22:47
  come in creatively and
• 22:48
  peacefully and express themselves and use the creative dissent
• 22:54
  techniques in a very
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: intentional way to
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_02: change things up, change the narrative, just disrupt things.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, joy is the thing that brings people back.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: And what we see,
• 23:08
  the most powerful thing for me being in that suit is going out
• 23:11
  and just seeing
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_02: people's faces as they react to you.
• 23:14
  It's really powerful because you see how desperately hungry
• 23:17
  they are for just one
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_02: little sliver of hope.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_02: And this is the one thing they've seen.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_03: Describe that.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_03: Describe a time and some faces.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_03: I really want people to see it in their mind.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, literally it's everywhere we go.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_02: All ages,
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_02: you know,
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_02: everyone high fives you,
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_02: everyone fist bumps,
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_02: everyone smiles,
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_02: everybody comes at you and wants their picture,
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: tells you how much they appreciate what you're doing.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_03: Did you get Kristi Noem to crack a smile?
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_03: Did you break through that super Botox exterior?
• 23:51
  I don't know if there's an industrial chisel that would be able
• 23:54
  to crack that one.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_02: We will keep on trying.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_03: Well,
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_02: you know,
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_03: that moment,
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_03: that was another moment,
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_03: at least in my mind,
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_03: and probably for a lot of Portlanders,
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_03: that is a little indelible.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_03: Her scowling face surveying the crowd.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_03: So absurd.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_03: And seeing a giant, a man in a giant chicken costume.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_02: So what we do is we bring absurdity to an insanity fight.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_02: So the only reasonable response to something that's that insane,
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_02: like her standing up there and trying to look all this serious,
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_02: make this claim that we're this war zone,
• 24:27
  and meanwhile the camera literally pans over and there's a guy
• 24:31
  in a chicken suit,
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_02: it's like you just look like an idiot.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_02: That's how creative dissent works.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_03: Giving people say,
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_03: hey,
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_03: you know,
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_03: if they're down there in inflatable frog suits,
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_03: I can go join that too.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_03: Because what I've seen from the tactics,
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_03: the pepper balling a priest in the head and obviously grabbing people,
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_03: throwing them to the ground,
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_03: all that.
• 24:51
  It seems like the tactics are intentionally meant to scare,
• 24:55
  to frighten,
• 24:56
  to say,
• 24:56
  stay home.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 24:58
  And I think when I see the frogs out there in the inflatable
• 25:02
  costumes,
• 25:02
  I say,
• 25:03
  you know what?
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, they're scary, but maybe I can go be a part of that as well.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_02: There's a way.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, when you're in that costume, you do feel safe.
• 25:10
  I mean,
• 25:11
  you're never safe completely out there,
• 25:13
  to be completely clear and fair.
• 25:15
  But you have a certain sense of safety in there because there
• 25:17
  is that weird,
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_02: like,
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_02: no one knows what to do with you exactly.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's kind of like going to a Halloween party.
• 25:21
  And even if you see your best friend and they're in a mask,
• 25:24
  you can't really talk to them.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_02: Because it's like your brain just glitches, right?
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: And you're just like, I can't talk to you.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_02: It's because your brain is getting so many visual cues.
• 25:31
  Communication is much more about visual cues than it is audio
• 25:34
  cues,
• 25:34
  right?
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_02: And so when you have that mask up,
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_02: people just go...
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_02: And so,
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: yeah,
• 25:39
  it really does create opportunities to have different kind of
• 25:43
  conversations with
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_02: people and different kind of interaction.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_02: And so, yeah, so when you're down there in the frog suit, you are...
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_02: you're playing a whole bunch of different roles at the same time, right?
• 25:54
  And you have to really be in the moment and live in the moment
• 25:58
  and figure out what
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_02: you need to do in any given time to sort of help the community,
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_02: bring attention to what needs attention,
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_02: create a sort of de-escalating,
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_02: like a calming presence to it,
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_02: but also strong and resistant and powerful.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_02: We're not rolling over.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_02: We might dance, but we're not rolling over.
• 26:21
  If an ICE agent wants to drag me out of the ICE facility
• 26:24
  driveway,
• 26:25
  I'm going to let them.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to get that on camera.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_02: But I'm not going to fight back.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_02: That's the main thing.
• 26:33
  It's like we can be strong,
• 26:34
  we can be forceful,
• 26:35
  we can be angry,
• 26:36
  and we damn well should.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_02: We have every right to be.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_02: And this is the moment when we absolutely need to do that.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_02: We are playing one particular role in that greater picture.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_02: We are just one piece of the puzzle.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_02: All of those pieces are essential to this.
• 26:50
  And the one that we provide and offer and offer as a platform
• 26:53
  for people to do is a
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: peaceful,
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: creative expression of your First Amendment rights.
• 26:59
  Give us a story about one of your experiences on the front
• 27:04
  lines in front of the ICE building.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_03: I think as much as I just talked about, some people can feel safe.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_03: There are a lot of people that don't feel safe.
• 27:12
  There are black and brown people who are saying,
• 27:16
  I need to stay in my house right now.
• 27:17
  And certainly going to the front lines of a protest is not
• 27:21
  where they could be safe.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_03: There's just too much at risk.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_03: Give us a story for those especially that haven't been able to
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_03: experience it themselves to go down to the facility?
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_03: What's it like?
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_02: There's a few different dynamics happening down there.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_02: There's the action with the feds that are manning the ICE facility.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_02: There's the MAGAs, or we call them the maggots.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_02: And then there's the city police.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_02: Those are the sort of three.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_02: And then the protesters.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_02: Those are the forces that are kind of playing down there.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_02: What you see more often than not,
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_02: especially on the spicier evenings on Friday night and Saturday night,
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_02: it's a live stream battle.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_02: So the MAGA agitators come out and they want to instigate.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_02: They're all live streaming.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_02: They've monetized their live streams.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_02: And liberal side, same thing.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_02: They're all out there doing the exact same thing.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's a big battle of narratives.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_02: The reality is we're living in a reality TV show right now.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_02: We really are.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like it or not.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_02: And whoever controls the narrative,
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_02: of that reality TV show gets to write the future.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_02: The Truman Show meets Idiocracy.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_02: 100%.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_02: Idiocracy suddenly became a documentary.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_02: That was the scariest part, right?
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_02: So it's a live stream battle,
• 28:36
  which is so fascinating and just a symptom of everything we're
• 28:40
  seeing in the Times.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_03: You could have the MAGA people with their live stream,
• 28:45
  and it's reinforcing the narrative that they want to put out
• 28:48
  there at the exact
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_03: same event,
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_03: the exact same time.
• 28:50
  You have the liberal person who's out there,
• 28:53
  and their people are seeing what they want to see.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_03: And it's the same thing.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_02: That's right.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_02: 100%.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_02: And that's what you see more...
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_02: you see it really viscerally down there,
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_02: and it becomes very clear,
• 29:07
  the degree to which we are living in completely different
• 29:09
  realities on different
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_02: sides of this divide right now.
• 29:13
  Literally,
• 29:13
  people are saying things that they believe fully that are just
• 29:17
  complete...
• 29:19
  complete lies and just things that they've been persuaded of by
• 29:23
  Fox News over so
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_02: much time that they really do believe this stuff.
• 29:27
  They pulled some dude in from some protester into the back and
• 29:31
  they interrogated
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_02: him for four hours.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_02: They asked him stuff like, where's the Antifa headquarters?
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_02: Who's paying you?
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_02: Who's your leader?
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_02: Where is your leader?
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_02: If you give us your leader, we'll be lenient on you.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_02: They actually believe this stuff.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_02: There is no Antifa organization.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_02: There's no headquarters, no leader.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_02: It's an idea.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to tangent for a second.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_02: Liberals are terrible at naming things.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_02: We're fucking terrible at it.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: It's like we want to fail.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_02: We named things like, why did you name it that?
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_03: Unlike the big, beautiful bill.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_03: Unlike the big, beautiful bill.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I mean, it's wild.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_03: And I think probably many people,
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_03: myself included,
• 30:17
  have family members from across the country and even locally
• 30:21
  that also believe
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_03: those things.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_03: And I've had to tell family members like,
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_03: yeah,
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_03: they're not cashing George Soros checks down there.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_02: They really believe this stuff.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_03: They really do.
• 30:32
  And that's the scary thing is that they've been brainwashed so
• 30:38
  much for so long.
• 30:40
  It gets to the point where you're just like,
• 30:42
  there's no point in bothering to try.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_02: So what I do instead in those cases- Yeah, what do you do?
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_03: Someone's shouting in your face, you commie frog.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_03: What do you do?
• 30:51
  No,
• 30:52
  it's more like pedophile and terrorist is literally what
• 30:54
  they're screaming at my face.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, in my face, I'm like, what?
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_02: What?
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_02: Like, where are you getting this idea that I would be a pedophile?
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: Really?
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: What terror am I inspiring?
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_02: Literally, I said that to him.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, so I'm terrorizing you right now in this frog suit.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_02: Really?
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_02: You're that weak that I'm terrorizing you.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, come on, guys.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_02: What I do is I try and break through and get to their humanity.
• 31:17
  Because you're never going to get anywhere with someone who's
• 31:20
  live streaming
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_02: because they're performing.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_02: Because that's the point.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_02: That's the point.
• 31:23
  And the more inflamed they get me or get themselves,
• 31:27
  the more money they make.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_02: I watch those people down there,
• 31:29
  and you're asking what the dynamics of the experience are at
• 31:32
  the ICE facility.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_02: It's watching people literally,
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not exaggerating this,
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_02: standing with megaphones three feet from each other,
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_02: aimed at each other,
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_02: screaming insults.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: for five minutes straight.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not kidding.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_02: That's exactly what it is.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_02: And it's completely ludicrous and stupid.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_03: I'm too old.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_03: My ears.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'm not joking.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, and I'm watching this going, how does this end?
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_02: Where does this go?
• 31:54
  How do we ever sit down together in the same,
• 31:58
  how do these guys ever go to a restaurant?
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_02: How does an ICE agent ever go to a restaurant again after this?
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_02: and not think that their food's getting spit in.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I'm saying?
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah.
• 32:06
  It's like there needs to be some sort of empathetic
• 32:08
  understanding and communication
• 32:09
  for this to have any kind of reasonable result that doesn't
• 32:11
  look like the French
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_02: Revolution at the tail end.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I'm saying?
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I do.
• 32:16
  And so that's one of my main concerns is not just the fact that
• 32:19
  this sucks and it's
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_02: terrible,
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_02: but how does this play out?
• 32:24
  And so one of the roles that I want to see the frogs play is
• 32:28
  to,
• 32:28
  because we create that...
• 32:30
  weird little short circuit and an opportunity to have like a
• 32:33
  more human conversation.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_02: I want to find ways for the frogs to facilitate that for people.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_02: So it's a de-escalation tactic, right?
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_02: And then the second part is the parlay that into constructive dialogue.
• 32:45
  Two people sitting together in a moderated conversation that
• 32:48
  is,
• 32:48
  you know,
• 32:49
  that's,
• 32:50
  you know,
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_02: meant for understanding and empathy purely.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_02: And just do that again and again and again.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_02: Seriously,
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_02: I hate to say this and I hate to even think this,
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_02: but this is literally what I think has to happen in this country.
• 33:01
  It has to be person by person having those kinds of
• 33:04
  conversations on a human level.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_02: And you're not going to do it in any kind of group setting.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_02: You're not going to do it in any kind of Fox News kind of setting.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_02: You're not going to do it on a live stream.
• 33:13
  But you are going to do it when human beings are sitting down
• 33:16
  and talking to each other again.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not sure what that looks like for the frogs yet, right?
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_02: But we want to find some way to help.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_03: Awesome.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_03: Well,
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_03: I think,
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_03: you know,
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_03: where I want to wrap this conversation is for folks listening out there.
• 33:30
  I'm sure a lot of people that listen to this podcast feel
• 33:33
  similar to me and
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_03: appreciate the work that you're doing.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_03: How do they get involved?
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_03: If they're like, you know what, this is awesome.
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_03: So great.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_03: River Wrangler.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_03: Very excited.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_03: What do I do?
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_03: I can clap and cheer, but how do I help?
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_02: Anybody anywhere can frog.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_02: If you go to our website,
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_02: portlandfrogbrigade.com,
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_02: you'll find a page on there that is how to frog,
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_02: and it's a kit.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_02: You can download the kit, and it's everything you need to know.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_02: It includes where to buy a suit,
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_02: how to augment that suit for long-term use,
• 34:04
  and using it in demonstrations rather than just at a kid's
• 34:07
  birthday party,
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_02: which are two very different things.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_02: And so we train you in there entirely on how to do frog properly,
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_02: safely,
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_02: effectively,
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_02: how to practice,
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_02: how to be,
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_02: all the things.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_02: So I call it, you can go to zero to frog in seconds with this thing.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a great way to participate wherever you are.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't matter.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have to be in Portland.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have to be around us.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have to be associated with us.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_02: I don't care.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_02: go out there and frog.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_02: That's one way.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_02: You can join us.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_02: Join the brigade.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_02: There's a join us page on there.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_02: And we are always taking new frogs.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_02: We take tadpoles, and we train them up and get them out there.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_02: And we have different ways for people to participate, I should say.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_02: So you can be out at ICE if that's your bent.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_02: Otherwise, you can
• 34:53
  go with us to a school walkout march or a peaceful rally out at
• 34:58
  Lake Oswego or
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_02: something like that.
• 35:00
  So we do a whole variety of different kinds of things with
• 35:03
  different risk profiles
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_02: and different personalities that we're coming with as frogs.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_02: So people can come in and participate however they feel comfortable.
• 35:12
  And there's also ways to participate in the back office too
• 35:15
  that aren't even
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_02: getting in a suit because not everybody wants to get in a suit.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_03: Your accountants aren't in the suit.
• 35:19
  They're not in the,
• 35:20
  in the back office wearing the frog suits,
• 35:22
  typing emails.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_02: It's really hard to type in those things.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_02: Otherwise we, otherwise we'd probably try.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so yeah, those are two ways.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_02: And then the third thing I'll say is that,
• 35:31
  SPEAKER_02: um,
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_02: so yes,
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_02: anybody,
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_02: please come,
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_02: come with us and frog join us.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_02: We'd love to have you.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um,
• 35:37
  The next thing I'll say is that we have a new program that we
• 35:39
  just started up
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_02: called the Frog Resistance Assistance Program,
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_02: because we don't want to do just things that are just tactical frivolity,
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_02: which is equally important,
• 35:49
  but we want to do something that actually has tangible action
• 35:52
  and value that we're
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_02: delivering as well,
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_02: because that's where our heart is.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_02: That's where our morals lie.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_02: So what we're doing is we are going to be reaching out to immigrant
• 36:03
  run restaurants that are struggling because of all the ICE
• 36:09
  terror around them.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_02: Their employees are unable to come into the restaurants,
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_02: and the patrons are staying away,
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_02: so we're going to go buy food from them.
• 36:19
  We're going to raise money,
• 36:20
  buy food from them,
• 36:21
  and then deliver it down to the protesters.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_02: There's a free food table at the ICE facility all the time.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_02: We're going to keep that stocked.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_02: There's also a medic station down there that those guys run.
• 36:31
  And so we're going to be collecting donations to buy medical
• 36:33
  supplies that they
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_02: need,
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_02: and then we're going to be delivering those.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_02: We've got a storage facility set up and ready to go,
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_02: and we're building the pipeline for that,
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_02: and we've got a donation.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_02: form on our website where you can make a donation directly to that.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_02: And those funds go directly to those medical supplies and food.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_02: And so those are the kinds of things that we're doing.
• 36:52
  So we're looking for people to volunteer and help pick up those
• 36:56
  meals and deliver
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_02: them to the facility.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_02: And we're looking for people to make donations.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_02: There's a lot of people sitting out there with
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_02: money in their hands and looking for something to do,
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_02: looking for some way to participate in the resistance.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm here to tell you that money is participation right now.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_02: Whatever you can,
• 37:17
  fund the things that you think are going to have some traction
• 37:21
  and rhyme with you,
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_02: right?
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_02: Find the things, because everybody counts.
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_02: Every little part of this counts as a holistic effort.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_02: And if everybody's going and making some degree of improvement,
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_02: wherever their particular affinity is,
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_02: then we'll hit everything,
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_02: right?
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_02: So-
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_03: And the future of the frogs, you have some national plans?
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_03: We do.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_03: We do.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_03: Is it too early to talk about those?
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_02: No, we can talk about those.
• 37:45
  Our plan is to get the frog brigade here as functional as
• 37:51
  possible and test it,
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_02: build it,
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_02: test it,
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_02: kick the tires,
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_02: and then refine it,
• 37:56
  and then be able to export what we've learned to other people
• 37:59
  so they can frog
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_02: brigade wherever they are.
• 38:02
  The goal ultimately is to have a national federation of frog
• 38:05
  brigades in every city
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_02: where they're needed,
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_02: as they're needed specifically.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_02: As a
• 38:12
  city is about to be hammered,
• 38:15
  we can spin up a brigade in anticipation of them showing up.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_02: We're still, at this point,
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_02: reacting when they show up.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_02: But now we're starting to anticipate where they're going.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_02: So we can look at Indeed.com and see where ICE is hiring,
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_02: and we'll know where they're going to be next.
• 38:30
  We can look at where they're building massive detention
• 38:32
  facilities,
• 38:33
  like in Phoenix right now.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_02: So we know they're going to hit Phoenix next.
• 38:35
  We hear the scuttlebutt in the news that they're going to come
• 38:37
  after Oregon again,
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_02: just like they did with Minneapolis.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, OK, we need to prepare.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_02: We just spun up a frog brigade in Minneapolis.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_02: So they are up and running as of last weekend.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_02: We sent them suits.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_02: We gave them the frog kit.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_02: We got on a meeting with them,
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_02: trained them up,
• 38:52
  gave them the inspiration and the working philosophy of how we
• 38:56
  do this and the
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_02: mechanisms and stuff.
• 38:59
  They learned the hard way what it's like to wear these suits in
• 39:01
  30 degree below weather.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_03: I was gonna say that might not be an Oregon experience you could.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_02: Holy shit, dude, it was hysterical.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_02: They were like,
• 39:08
  they were telling me what they were wearing under their suits
• 39:10
  and they were
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_02: describing pieces of clothing and I didn't even know what they were.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, what even is that?
• 39:15
  SPEAKER_02: And they were talking about like, it's a natural thing.
• 39:17
  Of course,
• 39:17
  well,
• 39:17
  I had my buff and I'm like,
• 39:18
  I didn't even know what that is,
• 39:20
  but okay.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_03: You're like, what happens when the fan freezes?
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_03: How do you guys deal with that in Portland?
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_02: Dude,
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_02: what actually,
• 39:26
  what turns out what happened is that the water vapor from your
• 39:31
  breath condenses and
• 39:34
  it collects on the inside of the surface of the suit and it
• 39:37
  freezes and then it
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_02: falls down.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_02: So you end up in your own little snowstorm.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_02: You're in a little snow globe, apparently.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, okay, that's hysterical.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_02: But maybe the suits aren't great for that kind of weather.
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_02: So we're getting them, and they just did a sit-in at Target yesterday.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_02: I said, go send your frogs.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_02: And we're helping them, like coming up with wacky ideas.
• 39:54
  Go do a sit-in at Target in the pet aisle and fill the space
• 40:00
  and just be a dumb,
• 40:01
  SPEAKER_02: slow,
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_02: disrupt things,
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_02: right?
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, so Minneapolis is up and running in response to
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_02: the surge in Minneapolis.
• 40:11
  And now we are looking at other cities and spinning up them as
• 40:16
  they are needed.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_02: So Phoenix is our next one.
• 40:18
  SPEAKER_02: So we're looking for,
• 40:19
  I'm about to start reaching out to people in Phoenix and see
• 40:21
  who I can gather
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_02: together to create a brigade there.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_02: So that way,
• 40:27
  our hope is that these cities are prepared for the smack in the
• 40:33
  face they're about
• 40:33
  to get and not be caught on their heels and are already
• 40:38
  crouched and ready to be
• 40:39
  SPEAKER_02: able to respond when these guys come down on them.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_03: So say it one more time.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_03: Where can people find you so that they can show you that support?
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, portlandfrogbrigade.com.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah,
• 40:51
  we welcome any kind of financial support to keep our operations
• 40:54
  going and to
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_02: purchase our materials and also the resistance assistance program.
• 41:00
  If anybody's willing to donate money or materials to that,
• 41:04
  we would greatly appreciate it.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_02: And so would the folks down at the line at the ICE facility.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you, Ribbit, Mr. Wrangler, Ribbit Wrangler.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_03: So appreciate the work that you all are doing,
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_03: standing up for Portland,
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_03: standing up for our values,
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_03: and across the nation,
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_03: standing up to fascism.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, my pleasure.
• 41:24
  It feels good to be playing my little part in this,
• 41:27
  and I hope everybody else does too.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_03: Well,
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_03: as you know,
• 41:31
  I mentioned at the beginning when we were off microphone that
• 41:35
  we like to play a
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_03: little game around here.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_03: I typically try to make this be kind of funny, and I think it's harder.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_03: It's funny.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_03: It's harder to make it funny when your whole point is hilarity.
• 41:52
  right but but in a very serious but in a serious way right and
• 41:55
  so it's like uh i
• 41:56
  can see christy gnomes uh you know the challenge for her right
• 42:00
  yeah um so i'm gonna
• 42:02
  just all i'm gonna do is i'm gonna give you a location a
• 42:06
  situation and you are
• 42:07
  gonna say how the frogs would show up okay all right so uh i'm
• 42:13
  gonna try to make
• 42:14
  SPEAKER_03: this really hard on you um funeral
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_02: We've dealt with that situation.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_02: After Renee Goode was murdered, we had to change tactics.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_02: We had to think about the moment.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_02: So we tried to read the room.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_02: And in moments like that, the frogs hold space.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_02: We are a community presence.
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_02: We are a reminder of community solidarity.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_02: That's what we represent in that moment.
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_02: So we sort of hold that personality, hold that space.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_02: And it's kind of like the...
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_02: those weird ghosts in Spirited Away that are just kind of there,
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_02: but they're a little bit disconcerting,
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_02: but they're kind of calming.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, it's kind of like that.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_03: All right.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_02: A march.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_02: We love going to marches.
• 43:01
  SPEAKER_02: We are cheerleaders at marches, right?
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_02: And we try as hard as we can to give the mic to other people.
• 43:08
  SPEAKER_02: So we support and amplify and inspire folks on a march.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_02: And then we absolutely get out of the spotlight,
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_02: hand the mic to them so that they can have the attention that they need.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_03: An MLK brunch full of elected dignitaries.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_03: That recently happened.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_02: That recently happened.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_02: It's about creating that community joy.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_02: It's almost like a rally in a way, right?
• 43:36
  Just like that feeling of getting people inspired that there's
• 43:40
  hope and things are
• 43:41
  happening and that there are people left and right of them that
• 43:43
  they can stand
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_02: beside and move things forward.
• 43:48
  So I was there at the MLK brunch and actually got to be on
• 43:53
  stage with you.
• 43:53
  SPEAKER_03: And I will say the choreographed dance was fantastic.
• 43:58
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 43:59
  But the playing off the stage to Yakety Sax,
• 44:04
  that was one of the highlights for me.
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_03: And,
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_03: you know,
• 44:08
  it's not surprising that you would imagine like little kids or
• 44:13
  other people run up
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_03: to frogs and they're like,
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_03: oh,
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_03: yeah,
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_03: I have a picture,
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_03: right?
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_03: To see the governor beeline over and to see our senator,
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_03: our congressional delegation beeline to the frogs.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_03: I was like,
• 44:23
  I think they were pushing kids out of the way to get to the
• 44:26
  photo opportunity with
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_03: you all.
• 44:29
  SPEAKER_02: They know a powerful symbol when they see it.
• 44:31
  SPEAKER_03: You're not kidding.
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_02: Honk and waves.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_02: Honka, we just did one yesterday in Gresham.
• 44:36
  We do them in Lake Oswego weekly and dispatch frogs as they are
• 44:41
  available to go out there.
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_02: And in that moment,
• 44:44
  we're the magnet for the community love in a lot of ways and an
• 44:50
  amplifier of that.
• 44:51
  And the Honka Wave organizers love us having out there and they
• 44:55
  love putting us in
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_02: strategic positions on the different corners and stuff so that we...
• 45:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we're a locus for people's love right now and hope and energy.
• 45:05
  And it's a really inspiring thing to be able to do and to be
• 45:09
  able to facilitate for me.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_02: I get goosebumps every time I do it, really.
• 45:12
  SPEAKER_02: It's true.
• 45:14
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you so much.
• 45:15
  I say at the MLK brunch,
• 45:18
  I got a little piece of Frog Brigade swag that I love.
• 45:22
  I got a little lapel pin so I can wear it as my form of
• 45:26
  resistance to professional settings.
• 45:29
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm not in the inflatable costume, but I'm still showing solidarity.
• 45:33
  SPEAKER_03: That was the idea.
• 45:34
  SPEAKER_03: Unfortunately, my eight-year-old took it from me immediately.
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_03: So I might have to get another one from you.
• 45:39
  SPEAKER_03: Fair enough.
• 45:40
  SPEAKER_03: But River Wrangler, thank you so much for everything you do.
• 45:42
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for coming on the pod.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_03: It's been a pleasure.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_02: My pleasure.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for having me, Mike.
• 45:53
  SPEAKER_03: Well, that's our episode.
• 45:54
  Huge thanks to the Portland Gray Panthers for coming on and
• 45:57
  bringing the Longview
• 45:58
  SPEAKER_03: real world perspective,
• 46:00
  SPEAKER_03: organizing that's less about vibes and more about results.
• 46:04
  And thanks to Ribbit Wrangler and the Portland Frog Brigade for
• 46:07
  joining us to proof
• 46:09
  SPEAKER_03: that creative nonviolence can be serious,
• 46:11
  SPEAKER_03: strategic and surprisingly effective.
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_03: If you want to learn more or get involved,
• 46:16
  look up the Portland Gray Panthers online on their website or
• 46:20
  on Facebook and check
• 46:22
  out the Portland Frog Brigade at PortlandFrogBrigade.com and on
• 46:26
  their socials as
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_03: well.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_03: And if you like this episode,
• 46:28
  SPEAKER_03: as always,
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_03: follow the show,
• 46:30
  SPEAKER_03: leave a rating and a review,
• 46:32
  and share it with one person who cares about Portland and wants
• 46:35
  better answers than
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_03: just yelling into the void.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_03: You can also follow us on Substack for updates,
• 46:40
  SPEAKER_03: new episodes,
• 46:41
  SPEAKER_03: and extra content,
• 46:42
  or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss
• 46:45
  what's next.
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_03: All right.
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thanks again for spending time with us this week.
• 46:50
  Until next time,
• 46:51
  stay curious,
• 46:52
  stay kind,
• 46:53
  and keep showing up for Portland.
• 46:57
  Bye.