Salem Political Snark

Daniel Benjamin looks on as black guy gets threatened at Trump rally

If this is how ex-Salem city councilor Daniel Benjamin is working on rehabilitating his image after being unanimously censured by the Ciry Council for racial insensitivity on Facebook, he needs to rethink his approach. 

Below is a video of a recent pro-Trump rally at the Capitol that drew counter-protesters to a Stand For Love rally. A Statesman Journal story, "Trump rally, protests turn violent at State Capitol," describes what's shown in the video: Cameron Whitten, a Portland activist, being threatened, cursed at, and generally treated nastily by the Trump supporters.

Cameron Whitten, 25, live streamed the environment leading up to the fight, but captured his own altercation with Trump supporters who falsely accused him of being the leader of Portland's Resistance, Micah Rhodes, who was accused of sex abuse of a minor.

"They immediately assumed that I was that person," Whitten said. "The group circled around me and called me a child rapist and they were threatening me."

Whitten's live stream shows a masked man wearing camouflage garb screaming. The confrontation got ugly and included threats and expletives.

"Someone saw me as a black person, confused me for another black person, and now I'm a target," Whitten said. 

Daniel Benjamin appears in the background of the video at about the 2:50 mark. Here's some screenshots I took.

Now, Benjamin had every right to be at the pro-Trump rally.

But standing by within close earshot and eyeshot while the masked Trump supporter curses at Cameron Whitten, threatening him with violence, while Whitten calmly keeps asking "What's my name?" as the masked guy keeps mistakenly calling him a child molester, is disturbing. 

Here's how the person who sent me a link to the video described the situation.

I compare this to the posting of a video of cars running over black protesters to your Facebook page. [Which is what Benjamin did that led to his being censured by the City Council.]

Here Benjamin is a witness to the terrible, violent harassment of a black man who (very foolishly, but without malice, I think) was trying to engage with Trump supporters. I think that makes him a participant. In a way this is worse than what Benjamin did to cause his forced resignation from the City Council.

About this whole episode, most of the commentary is focused on the Black Bloc protesters (including Tom Andersen’s in the paper today). But they told the organizer of the Stand for Love rally that their main purpose in being there was to protect our rally from the March4Trump participants whose original plan, I understand was to march in front of the Capitol where we were having our rally. They never did that, thankfully.

Should the Black Bloc protesters have gone down to confront and disrupt the March4Trump? No. Should they have burned an American flag? No. 

Those two things were provocative and ill-advised. But it needs to be emphasized, I think, that it was the March4Trump people who sent two people to the hospital and had one of their members, a felon, arrested for having a gun. Their behavior was far worse than the Black Bloc.

A story in The Skanner, "Black Man Assaulted at Trump March in Salem, Ignored by Police," provides another perspective on what happened. Excerpts:

Portland activist Cameron Whitten was met with racist remarks, physical aggression and death threats during the pro-Trump rally, “Oregon Make America Great Again March” in Salem on Saturday. Onsite police did little to mitigate the hostile incident.   

Whitten, the 25-year-old executive director of the nonprofit Know Your City – which provides educational and arts programs to youth and adults in Portland – attended the rally on March 25 because, he explained in a Facebook post about the encounter, “I personally believe there is value in talking to everyone. Even people you disagree with.”

Whitten had hoped to engage in civil discourse on the Salem Capitol grounds, but was instead surrounded by several masked members of a patriot movement group. One of the men loudly and aggressively threatened Whitten’s physical safety, while accusing him of being a child molester.

“I made the grave mistake of thinking that I could stand peacefully at the March4Trump rally without becoming a target of threats and hostility,” wrote Whitten in a letter addressed to Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett and Salem City Council. “Because I am a Black man, a White Trump supporter saw me and loudly accused me of being a child sex predator, because they thought I looked like a different Black man who has been accused of such crimes in the media.”

...Whitten is asking local government to view his livestream footage to ascertain that he was not conducting himself in a disrespectful or disruptive manner; and that the Salem police ignored his concerns for safety and did not wear any visible identification, making it impossible for Whitten to direct these concerns to any individual.

...Whitten hopes his testimony will be considered by the Salem City Council and local law enforcement as verified proof of racial profiling.

In case you're wondering how much Cameron Whitten looks like Micah Rhodes, who's been accused of sex abuse of a minor, the answer is... not much. But apparently all black people look alike to racists and thugs.

Micah Rhodes

Cameron Whitten

Daniel Benjamin's right-wing "compassion." No sidewalks in your part of Salem? Just move.

A couple of weeks ago Mary Nikas shared this photo in a post on the Salem City Council Facebook page (a private page which isn't associated with the City of Salem).

She said: "Photo taken this morning on Oakhill Road in SE Salem. Can we start spending our community development money on sidewalks now, please?!"

When I saw the photo of a woman having to ride an electric wheelchair in the road, I thought This is terrible, Salem needs sidewalks everywhere so people can get around safely. 

Just about everyone who left comments on the post felt the same way.

But notably, not ex-city councilor Daniel Benjamin, who was unanimously censured by the City Council last year following his Facebook sharing of a video showing Black Lives Matter protesters being rammed by cars, which led to his resignation.

Below I've shared some comment interchanges on the post between Benjamin, a conservative guy who was endorsed by the Salem Chamber of Commerce when he ran for the City Council in 2014, and liberal people who had a much more compassionate attitude toward the woman who was forced to ride her wheelchair in the street.

The back-and-forth comment conversation says a lot about the political landscape in Salem. This is a liberal-leaning town. I'm confident that most people reject the right-wing view that taxes should be as low as possible, even if they are needed to pay for vital public services. Like, sidewalks.

However, unfortunately the Chamber of Commerce'ish viewpoint expressed by Benjamin still has a lot of influence in Salem. An excessive amount of money and power still is in the hands of the aptly-named Powers That Be.

As you can read below, Benjamin believes that if someone lives in a part of town without sidewalks, and they need to get around in a wheelchair, the solution is simple: move to an area of Salem that does have sidewalks. 

Selfish? Yes. Stupid? Yes. 

Yet Benjamin isn't alone in favoring public policies that screw over the poor, and bestow even more wealth on the rich. That's the Republican playbook. And believe me, it isn't only guiding conservatives in Washington, D.C. Anyone who closely watches goings-on at the Salem City Hall, as I do, can see the attitude expressed by Benjamin -- need a sidewalk? tough, suck it up -- reflected in local public policy decisions.

Read on for the comment conversation. I highlighted some pertinent liberal views in green, and some of Benjamin's conservative views in red. 

----------------------

Daniel Benjamin Probably shouldn't use it when on foot...or in this case... electric wheelchair.... I can't imagine what's so important that one would risk their life in that manner.

Mary Ann Baclawski This is the only way some people can get to the store for groceries and other necessities.

Daniel Benjamin That is the only street and route to the grocery store?

Susann Kaltwasser No sidewalks anywhere in that area. There is a bus stop at Commercial. So if you want to get anywhere you must walk or ride in the street until you get to Commercial. Know you city...

Daniel Benjamin

 

Evan Manvel I'd invite people like Mr. Eastwood who aren't familiar with the experience of not being able to drive places to tour the neighborhood via GoogleMaps satellite view. 

(Or even better, spend a day in a wheelchair to understand how difficult it is to get around to meet one's basic needs). 

From my brief look, it appears as if people can either:

(a) travel on Madrona and Commerical, busy streets with sidewalks but lots of cars turning across them, or 

(b) travel on virtually any other road, without sidewalks. And to access option (a), people have to do (b) anyways.

We have a complete network for people who drive. We have very incomplete network for the 30% of Salemites who cannot.

Daniel Benjamin Good thing the last budget Community add more money to sidewalks Construction and repair.

Jennifer Hillman-Magnuson Now imagine you don't have a car, and you are not physically able. Some people have to risk their lives for mundane things like going to the store for food.

Chelsea Safe-Dogs Edwards It is at least 3 miles of no sidewalk and no bus routes before I can get to a bus stop or sidewalk to take me to a grocery store, pharmacy or other necessity. 

I am disabled and often cannot walk at all, let alone 3+ miles in terribly unsafe conditions (River Rd S is a super fast thoroughfare) to meet just the basic needs of existing, like food and medicine, let alone doctor visits or quality of life. 

In a Capital city this is primitive, archaic and a gross misuse of funds (we certainly do not need another mall or bridge before safe walkways and transportation routes).

Daniel Benjamin Alright I'm not trying to be mean here.... if your environment is so inhospitable perhaps you should change your environment... I agree more sidewalks are definitely needed as well as bus service.... however your needs aren't the only ones that need to be met and regards the sidewalks...

 

Chelsea Safe-Dogs Edwards So it's my fault because I don't just up and move along to a much more upscale neighborhood that has these basics of urban dwelling, I see. 

Thank you so much for your wise observations, I will take note and apply that nonsense at first opportunity.

 

Daniel Benjamin It's what I what do.... if I want better schools I moved the neighborhood with the better schools or want better access to I-5 I move somewhere that has better access to I-5... I need to be close to the goods and services or even a hospital.... that's just common sense lady... or you can call it nonsense whatever.

 

Chelsea Safe-Dogs Edwards May you always be able bodied, resource rich and never have to make any hard choices that pit one basic need against another. May you never have to experience these kinds of obstacles or understand the consequences of things beyond your control. May you always feel justified in hiding behind societal acceptance of hate and discrimination (if one has to preface a statement with "Alright I'm not trying to be mean here" perhaps it is pertinent to rethink the statement period). May you never have to walk a step in the shoes of your fellow citizens that may not possess your resources, abilities or social privilege. 

The oversimplification of the struggles within our society is void of compassion, observation and reality. The strategies you employ my internet stranger-friend are a failed attempt at distracting from the reality that the City of Salem and the County of Marion have not done their jobs in providing for all of it's citizens, even the most basic of needs, as this photo presents a compelling case for. 

I am finished engaging you, for there is no benefit to what you have to offer, it is only masked xenophobia and hate, neither of which do I choose to feed. Good day to you. May it be blessed with diversity and sidewalks.

 

Daniel Benjamin May I help you move?....how is that that for "intolerant" "hate" and "discrimination?"

 

...Susann Kaltwasser Jennifer Hillman-Magnuson True! I havea friend who must used a motorized wheelchair as their main transportation. Every time she goes to the grocery store, she almost get hit by some car that either has not patience or doesn't yield the right of way...even in a crosswalk with a light, she is at risk. This is shameful!

 

Susann Kaltwasser Daniel Benjamin If you can find them a place, pay their application fee, their deposit and first and last month's rent, then that might be a reasonable offer.

 

...Susan Elizabeth-Marsh Tanabe Regular bus transportation and sidewalks... these should be as basic and required as water lines and electricity. And yes, I know that means more taxes. As much as I'd feel the pain, it know it is worth it.

 

Chelsea Safe-Dogs Edwards It doesn't even have to mean more taxes, only that the existing taxes be used more responsibly.

 

Daniel Benjamin Chelsea Safe-Dogs Edwards...take a look at the City Budget from just last year...then look at it from 5 years ago...all you would have to look at is how much the city spends on sidewalks.... then comment back what you found.

 

Daniel Benjamin As my drill sergeant used to say.."I can't hear you!"
Funny how folks say the government needs to spend more wisely so their particular need or cause can get more funding...and you point out the government budget...then they get quite. 
I want better streets so I can drive my car with safety and assurance... but somehow now I'm supposed to sacrifice my safety and assurance so other people can have sidewalks... I propose we have a sidewalk tax... that way you can increase the amount of sidewalks that are installed and maintained...any takers?

 

Chelsea Safe-Dogs Edwards I stopped engaging you a while back. It has nothing to do with disagreement on any given topic. It has to do with managing my time in far more productive and successful ways. Arguing with strangers on the internet is not one of my strategies. Sorry, you will have to find someone else to hawk your opinions at. My best advice to you is this: Just. Stop.

 

Daniel Benjamin Lol... I offer Solutions and you call me Petty... typical leftist... good luck to you I hope you get your sidewalks

 

Swearing-in of three new Salem city councilors notable for what wasn't said

Tonight there was a packed house in the City Council chambers for the swearing-in of newly elected Mayor Chuck Bennett and four city councilors: Cara Kaser, Sally Cook, Matt Ausec, and Brad Nanke. 

Bennett and Nanke were already on the City Council (Bennett moved to Mayor from his Ward 1 seat now held by Kaser). So the big turnout mostly was due to progressives wanting to celebrate the election of Kaser, Cook, and Ausec. 

The three of them join fellow progressive Tom Andersen to form a much-needed counterweight to the conservative majority that has dominated the City Council for quite a while. Now the tide has turned to a 4-4 progressive/conservative split, with one seat vacant.

(I'm putting Mayor Bennett in the conservative camp, because that's the way he's been voting on important issues such as the Billion Dollar Boondoggle, otherwise known as the Third Bridge/Salem River Crossing.)

So as I watched the smiles, laughter, good cheer, and platitudes fill the Council chambers during the speechifying and thank you's, I kept thinking about what wasn't being said, yet was on the minds of everybody with a sense of how the political winds are shifting in Salem.

Before Ward 6 councilor Daniel Benjamin resigned last November, which spurred an intense discussion of racism and bigotry in this town, it was felt that the next two years would be marked by a 5-4 conservative majority on the City Council (again, putting Bennett in the conservative camp, where he certainly seems to belong). 

Progressives were looking forward to 2018 as their opportunity to vote out Bennett, Benjamin, Jim Lewis, and Steve McCoid. Taking any of those seats would tilt the balance of power in a left-leaning direction. 

Now, though, all eyes are on a special March 14 election to fill the Ward 6 seat. Today the Statesman Journal reported that four candidates have filed for that city council position: Jonathan Crow, Greg Peterson, Christopher Hoy and Timothy Perkins.

I don't know anything about Crow and Perkins.

Peterson has a Facebook page promoting his candidacy. From what I've heard, he is the Chamber of Commerce candidate in the election. Which in my opinion is exactly what Ward 6 doesn't need. Daniel Benjamin was a Chamber pick; he turned out to be a bad city councilor.

Interestingly, Peterson is a buddy of Benjamin, as reported by KATU in "Close friend runs for seat of former city councilor who resigned amid racial controversy." 

After former Salem City Councilor Daniel Benjamin stepped down amid a racially charged controversy in November, the city announced plans for a special election to fill his seat on March 14.

Now Greg Peterson, a businessman who says he considers Benjamin like family, is running to replace him.

“We’re different," Peterson, who is African-American, told KATU on Monday. "We have different views on life. But I’ve never felt anything negative from him as far as race.”

Peterson, who was born and raised in Compton, California, said Benjamin was the first person he met when he moved to Salem in 1991.

“His mom and dad are my daughter’s godparents," said Peterson. “His sister is my sister, his niece is my niece. His dog and cat was my dog and cat. We’re just like one family.”

Well, it'll be interesting to see if Peterson will be able to make his close friendship with Benjamin into an asset in the Ward 6 race. The KATU story quotes Peterson as saying that Benjamin "never displayed anything to me ever that seemed to be racist or hateful."

Many people in Salem, though, would argue with that assessment of Benjamin. [Update: I've included several KATU TV stories about the Daniel Benjamin uproar.]

Progressive Salem is endorsing Christopher Hoy (above), who also has a Facebook page. Hoy is Chief Deputy for the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. His bio on the Sheriff's Office "Leadership Team" page says that Hoy has a bachelor's degree from Willamette University in Political Science, so he brings an interesting background to the Ward 6 race.

I'll end with some lighter moments I captured at the swearing-in ceremony. 

I used my iPhone to record videos of each newly-elected person's "thank you" remarks after being sworn in. Ward 7 city councilor Sally Cook wins the prize for Most Entertaining, largely due to her expressive youngest daughter being both thrilled and reluctant to be photographed with her mom, dad, and Governor Brown. 

All the seats in the City Council chamber were filled by the time I got there, so I had to stand by the after-swearing-in snack table. I was struck by the juxtaposition of a carrot cake cautiously labeled "No Nuts" and a tasty-looking bowl of the sometimes dangerous food a few inches away.

Ward 1 City Councilor Cara Kaser walked by and posed for a photo. I got her laughing by saying, "Congratulations! You now can look forward to four years of no pay and countless hours of boring meetings."

Bagpipes!

I always find them funny, because my Uncle Jack played them and he was a notorious jokester. Also, cows would moo when he bagpiped away. He tried to get me to learn how to play, sending me a chanter (mini-bagpipe) when I was young, but my musical ineptness prevented me from becoming a bagpiper.

To which my wife and neighbors likely would say, 'Thank god." 

Lastly, at one point newly-departed Mayor Anna Peterson used one of her favorite descriptions of Salem during her term in office: Collaboration Capital. Someone I know who was standing behind me said, "Time to barf." 

He was right. Ex-Mayor Peterson presided over a hugely uncollaborative City Hall administration. Her guiding principle was "my way or the highway." There were few attempts to genuinely involve citizens in policy decisions before they  were decided upon. 

So, yeah, the time to barf comment was apt. Like I said in 2015, "Salem Mayor Anna Peterson unduly proud of her 'collaboration capital.'"

Citizens speak to City Council about racism and bigotry in Salem

Last night I was thankful to be part of a beautiful discussion of an ugly subject: racism, misogyny, and other forms of bigotry here in Salem, Oregon.

The City Council meeting was held in the Library's Loucks Auditorium because so many people were expected to speak about the resignation of Ward 6 councilor Daniel Benjamin following his Facebook sharing of a video showing Black Lives Matter protesters being rammed by cars. 

That expectation came true.

The auditorium was almost filled to capacity when the meeting started. (I took this photo earlier than that.) Dozens of people used the public comment period to talk about Benjamin's bigotry, and their own experiences with the darker side of this town. It took about two hours for the City Council to hear everyone who wanted to speak for a maximum of three minutes.

Below I've shared three videos I made from the full CCTV recording of the meeting. These will give you a feel for the marvelous honest outpouring of concern, anger, hope, fear, and other emotions expressed so thoughtfully by a wide variety of people. Almost all were from Salem; a few were from Portland.

It was an amazing experience -- a hugely satisfying display of citizen activism.

The dismaying election of Donald Trump helped stimulate the fervent cries for tolerance, compassion, equity, and other civic virtues that are sadly missing from our president-elect's vision of our national future. But speaker after speaker made clear that discrimination and bigotry have been part of the Salem scene for a long time.

So the City Council's censuring of Daniel Benjamin, and the acceptance of his resignation, wasn't the Big Story last night. This happened at the beginning of the meeting and was marked by a dismaying degree of self-congratulatory excess from the Mayor and seven remaining councilors.

Four city councilors, the City Attorney, and Mayor Peterson

Each member of the City Council had to make a mini-speech about how intolerance won't be tolerated in this town; how disturbed they were by Benjamin's actions; how Salem isn't the sort of place where racism can take root.

When motions were made to censure Benjamin and accept his resignation, every city councilor frantically waved a hand in the air to indicate how badly they wanted to second it. Understand: there wasn't anything wrong with this display of political self-righteousness. It just struck me as an awkward attempt, aimed in part at the cameras from Portland television stations in the back of the room, to paint Salem as a town where These Sorts of Things Just Don't Happen, Aside from This One Time.

After which, the dozens of people basically replied,  No, let me tell you how it really is.

I'm a white guy liberal from south Salem. I share the views of the people of color who spoke; of the LBGTQ people who spoke; of the community action/social agency people who spoke.

But I haven't shared the experiences of these people. So it was a gift to sit in my Loucks auditorium chair and be exposed to emotions and thoughts from individuals who were dealing directly with problems I knew existed, yet don't touch me personally.

I scribbled notes to remind myself what was said last night. I'd intended to summarize these into themes, systematizing the raw energy of the people who addressed the City Council. Now I've changed my mind. Whatever more I could say here isn't nearly as compelling as what was actually said at the meeting. 

This is the entire CCTV video of the City Council meeting. The public testimony runs from about the 00:27 mark to the 2:22 mark. I encourage you to watch it. Most of the speakers were pleasingly compelling; a few were weird, yet still compelling in their own way.

And here are the three videos I made from the public testimony. 

This is the three minute testimony of Francisco Lopez. I liked both his style and message.

This is a six minute video of the testimony by Catherine Moore and Cameron Kershel -- whose names I've gotten phonetically right but likely written wrong. In between them, Mayor Anna Peterson gets irked at the applause that followed Moore's remarks. Peterson should have been more relaxed, but she's a stickler for following rules rigidly, which is one reason among many I'll be glad to see her term in office end soon.

Last, and definitely least, here's my own testimony. I talk about how Daniel Benjamin came to be, and how we can try to prevent more "Daniel Benjamin's" from being elected to the City Council.

Daniel Benjamin was arrested twice for beating up women in the 1990's

Yesterday social media in Salem became abuzz with the news that a call had been made for City Councilor Daniel Benjamin to resign after he posted a racially charged video on Facebook that shows Black Lives Matter protesters being struck by speeding cars.

Here's the KATU story that set off the uproar. (It should play after a brief ad.)

Now there's a Facebook page demanding the immediate resignation of Benjamin.

When I signed on this morning, 17 people said they planned to go to the Monday, November 28 meeting of the Salem City Council to urge that this happens. Currently 69 people say they're going to attend the meeting. Hopefully the number will grow even further.

I have my own history with Daniel Benjamin. 

In May 2014 I wrote "Salem's Daniel Benjamin and his domestic violence arrest." Salem's daily newspaper, the Statesman Journal, didn't report this information until just before the May primary election where City Council races almost always are decided, even though they knew about Benjamin's 1992 arrest weeks before.

But our alternative paper, Salem Weekly, did do a good job of informing citizens about Benjamin's criminal history. I shared the Salem Weekly reporting in "Daniel Benjamin threw a girl into a dumpster before hitting her." This is what the arresting officer said about the incident. See:
Download Gresham-Police-Report Daniel Benjamin
Download Daniel Benjamin court documents 1993

On 12-31-92 at 1915 hrs., I was at 1132 N.E. 17th on a dispatched call. As I left the apt. of the call, Margaret Lynch told me that a guy was beating up his girlfriend on the opposite end of the building. Margaret said that the guy had put the girl into a trash can but that he was now hitting her again.

I went to the south-east end of the parking lot and heard a woman screaming. I radioed for cover. I saw the suspect Daniel Benjamin, on top of the victim Karin Dianich. Daniel was pushing Karin's face into the snow and punching her in the back and ribs. I struck Daniel on the upper back just below his right shoulder blade with my flashlight and then forced him to the ground. I handcuffed Daniel and held him there until Officer Durbin and Officer Mitchell arrived to assist. I contacted Karin and took her statement. She had a swollen lower lip.

After Benjamin unfortunately was elected to the City Council with an underwhelming 752 votes (total, not the margin), someone gave me additional information about Benjamin's criminal past: public records relating to another domestic violence arrest in 1996.

This is the report of the arresting officer in that case. I've put in the names of the victim, Chase, and the attacker, Benjamin, because the report is more personal this way, rather than using the officer's "CO" for Chase and "A1" for Benjamin. See:
Download Daniel Benjamin 1996 arrest record

Chase states that while she slept at home, Benjamin, her live-in boyfriend, came home drunk and began causing a loud disturbance. When Chase told Benjamin to leave or be quiet, Benjamin struck Chase with a closed left fist to Chase's right eye. I observed swelling and bruising under Chase's eyes 1 hour after the assault. I found Benjamin in the apartment and arrested him. I read Miranda to Benjamin. Benjamin said he hit Chase once in self-defense as Chase was beating him. Benjamin had no marks of physical assault upon him. Benjamin lodged MCDC [Multnomah County Detention Center]. Chase willing to prosecute. 

Why didn't I share this information before?

Well, I believed Daniel Benjamin when he told me in June 2014 that he was a changed man. We met at a downtown Salem coffeehouse after I'd emailed him with questions about his second domestic violence arrest following my receipt of the records relating to his 1996 attack on Chase.

Daniel, thanks for being open to answering some questions. Here they are. As background I’ve attached a document about your 1996 arrest for domestic assault.

(1) At the May City Council work session, you told me that you were a changed man after getting counseling following your 1992 domestic violence arrest for causing physical injury to Karin Dianich. However, in 1996 you were arrested for causing physical injury to another woman, Jamie Ann Chase. 

Please explain. I’m confused about your “changed man” statement. Obviously you hadn’t done enough changing by 1996. Did you get further counseling after the 1996 arrest? Feel free to share any thoughts about this. I’ll share them unedited if I write a blog post about this subject.

(2) Is there anything in the arrest report that you disagree with? The arresting officer describes what Jamie Chase and you told him. If you disagree with that description on page 2, please let me know what you consider to be inaccurate.

Understand: if you weren’t a just-elected city councilor who had assured the Statesman Journal that there are no “skeletons in your closet” I wouldn’t be pursuing this. I think the public has a right to know about the 1992 and 1996 domestic violence arrests since what you have said, and not said, about this bears on your credibility as a public servant. 

I look forward to hearing from you.      

          — Brian

Benjamin replied that he wanted to talk in person with me, rather than answer my questions in writing. Hence, our coffeehouse talk. I didn't take notes of the meeting, but I recall that Benjamin was contrite and said that if I wrote about his 1996 domestic violence arrest, this would cause distress to his wife.

I ended up deciding not to publicize the 1996 arrest records, even though it bothered me -- a lot -- that just three years after he got counseling for his domestic violence and drinking problems, Benjamin got drunk and punched his new girlfriend in the eye. 

Maybe this was a mistake, but I believe in second chances. Well, also third chances, because Benjamin blew his second chance when he was arrested another time for domestic violence. I hoped that Benjamin had learned that he needed to treat other people, including women, non-violently.

But when I heard about the KATU story, and Benjamin's irritating response to it, I decided that people needed to have the full story about Daniel Benjamin's criminal past. 

Salem Mayor Anna M. Peterson said she's horrified by the video.

"It actually made my stomach churn when I could see people actually being mowed down on purpose," Peterson said.

She told KATU she talked with Benjamin Monday afternoon.

"I told him that I was disappointed and shocked at the video and I suggested that he take it down," Peterson said. "We're striving hard to let people in the community know that the city of Salem stands firmly beside the civil rights of every person in this city."

Benjamin told a KATU reporter off-camera the post was on his personal Facebook page and although it was public, anyone who doesn't like it can unfriend him.

He also said it has nothing to do with race and, "To infer I'm a racist is actually racist."

That's bullshit. As are many other Facebook posts/comments Benjamin has put up in the past few years that I've come across.

 

He likes to get into it with people who disagree with his deeply right-wing views, which seemed like a stupid thing for a Salem city councilor to do. But now that Trump has been elected, maybe Benjamin thinks he has a perfect right to act like a jerk on Facebook.

 

I want Benjamin gone.

 

If enough pressure is put on him by City officials, his fellow city councilors, and other people in Salem, maybe he'll do the right thing and resign. If that doesn't happen, then he needs to be voted out of office in 2018.  

 

Email the Salem City Council and other city officials: [email protected]  

Tell them Daniel Benjamin should, at minimum, be strongly censured by the City Council. Your message also will go to Benjamin, since he is a city councilor. Tell him that he should resign immediately. Otherwise, his presence on the City Council will be a continuing source of shame for Salem.