Merrick, we get it, you are going to follow the rule and the letter of the law. That's what we want to happen as well. But we need you to stop trying to pretend these are "normal" times. We need you to acknowledge the reality that many of us have lost faith in the rule of law, whether it be because of Trump's ostentatious criminality before, during, and after his tenure occupying the Whitehouse or the long observed systematic failures of institutions to adequately and ablely serve our communities as a whole.

By all means, please follow the facts and the law to wherever they go, but please also realize we need leaders to speak confidently and passionately about the law, how we are actively correcting course, and why we should all have faith in the process.

We need you to understand and communicate the sense of urgency around the compounding injustices Americans are forced to confront on a daily basis. We need you to help us renew our faith in law enforcement. We need to you reassure us that everyone is entitled to due process and the fair maintenance of their rights regardless of pigmentation, political connections, or social status.

Anyone can see that Portland has been struggling for years on a number of civil and social justice issues. Tell us where you faith in the process comes from and why we should believe after getting burned so many times.