When we built our forever home on a cul de sac in Lake Oswego, Oregon, 50 years ago, it was the only house on the block. Three years later we had five new neighbors, all of whom were friendly Republicans. Over time, as Oregon’s political posture veered further left, our city and small neighborhood followed. After 45 years, we were the only conservatives in our immediate neighborhood in a city that was once a bastion of conservatism.
When we displayed a George W. Bush lawn sign in our front garden, and a bumper sticker on our car, we experienced the wrath of our Democrat opponents. Like you, Diane, I escaped Oregon to live in a more conservative rural area of Washington State. However, that deadly drumbeat from a communist government can be heard from Seattle, just 25 miles away.
Democrats no longer have any ethics nor morals, but do have a single goal — raw power. Nothing else matters to them. Democrats do not govern. They use, abuse, tax, corrupt and destroy if it allows them to rule over the ashes — which is what the radical Democrat state governments of California, Oregon and Washington are doing.
My husband was raised in Lake Oswego, graduated from LO High in 1964. His family home was on Chandler Road, just off Iron Mountain, not far from old town, "downtown" LO. His parents built their home in 1949. What part of town did you live in? I shared your comment on Substack Notes.
South side of LO, about a mile from Lakeridge High School and the old municipal golf course. Our home was built on the site of an abandoned city water reservoir that once supplied city residents with their drinking water.
I'm glad that worked to get conservative neighbors for you. But when Hillary ran against Trump in 2016, nearly every person I knew who had a Trump sign or bumper sticker had his/her car or house vandalized.
Awh! I knew it had to be a Carolina! Forgive me, because I have never been to either one, I can't keep North and South straight. Ha! We have lived in both the Dakotas, so hubby & I are the few who can keep them straight.
NC is the one that is high-tech. Research Triangle Park, Duke, NC State, SAS, Cisco, IBM, Lenovo, Apple, LexisNexis --- a zillion tech firms in the area and more settling here all the time.
The Dakotas are the only 2 continental states I never drove to.
Geez!!! Time to visit! Trump will be at Mt. Rushmore July 3rd, just like in 2020. Both times we were unable to get tickets. Rats!!!! Construction is going crazy here because Patriots are escaping Blue States to come to a state that has, mostly, normal Americans, low crime, no hatred, low taxes, no race baiting, no race grifting.
The issue really is the same as the chart running around X regarding what happens with a 2%, 5%, 10% influx of muz. Totalitarians, all. When they reach a % at which they figure the adults will kowtow to them, they get loud, obnoxious, overbearing and need to be tossed out of civil society, as Irish in Belfast are doing today. Yank them out, push them off and burn them down. If the government not only refuses to protect society, we’ll do it ourselves. This is the foundation of self-government.
After COVID we could no longer deal with the overcrowding, too much traffic, too much big city pathology, increasingly deep blue place anymore and moved to a red county, lower property taxes, deeply conservative, 2A sanctuary. Our neighbors were nervous about the city people buying the estate property on a little dead end road in the sticks. We didn't bring up politics and they didn't either.
Of course, I knew ALL of my neighbors political leanings because I checked them all through the Board of Elections website. Mostly Republicans, a few independents who all lean R.
2022 election, my nearest neighbor expressed relief after seeing all of my R candidate yard signs. They were overjoyed when I mentioned I was an at large local Republican party member, volunteer, poll observer, 2024 poll worker, then later a local party chief poll judge at our local precinct. This year I was asked who in our contentious primary to vote for since they didn't know so many of the candidates. I was honored.
We had to leave our dream house in a Portland burb because of the Democrat-funded & promoted riots in 2020. Neighbors were had known FOR DECADES turned ugly when Trump beat Clinton. But, it got much, much worse when they started promoting BLM/Antifa violence. Portland gave birth to Antifa in 2007 and politicians LOVE THEM.
WOW, thanks for this article Diane. I read it while having coffee & breakfast this morning, and for some reason it just made my day. It has that rare property of being subtly humorous and yet deadly serious at the same time. 😝
Many Americans dismiss warnings about political polarization as exaggeration. Yet history shows that when ideological movements gain unchecked power, dissenting voices often face marginalization, retaliation, and pressure to conform. Those who believe in limited government, constitutional rights, and traditional American values should carefully consider where they choose to build their future, raise families, and invest their lives. Supporters of this view argue that the cultural and political trends accelerated during the Obama years and continued under subsequent Democratic leadership threaten those freedoms. Ignore the warning if you wish—but do not claim nobody saw the danger coming.
The deeper point is that Democrats destroyed “live and let live,” then complained when conservatives adapted. For decades, normal Republicans were told to keep quiet, be polite, absorb the insults, and let blue-culture bullies dominate schools, clubs, boards, HOAs, workplaces, and neighborhoods. That era is over. If the permanent political class can sort people by DEI, sanctuary status, zoning ideology, and activist compliance, ordinary Americans can fly a flag and signal their values. Nobody is entitled to buy social harmony by moving into a neighborhood they despise. Culture matters. Neighbors matter. Peace matters. Choose your ground and defend it.
On the off chance that the lunatic liberal is not a hater, then they are useful idiots parroting propaganda. Don’t move to South Carolina. The big trees will scare you at night.
I like the strategy. I think it probably works 80% of the time. Your story is similar to a lot of conservatives. I worked and lived in and around Portland and Metro. I enjoyed Portland up until about 2010. After living in Albany for 12 years i moved up here to Whatcom County in WA(Im originally from Eastern WA)to help my elderly mother. I miss my old Linn County Sheriff. And dispise our county officials; a new jail thats no bigger than the old one because we need more jail space? Crazy. A steering committe last year told me everything. The PD was saying that they have 5 times the case load per PD than King County, and pay a lot less. The result is predictable. Massive turn over is a major understatement. The DA’s office rep stated the same thing, just not as drastic of turn over. They just need to do a better job of mentoring their younger attorneys. The Corrections rep complained about jail space and the lack there of. Especially now that Yakistan has refused to accept anymore transports from our County.
I guess the point I’m making is that controlling your neighborhood is just part of a consideration. I don’t like that we’ve arrived to the point of self segregating based not just on race but now political ideology, but I guess that’s where we’re at. Maybe we always have been…but the county reps are a huge influence as well. You can move to a blue state and still have quality of life. Though liberal, Linn County in Oregon had conservative county reps and it made a difference. Just my two cents.
I was born & raised in East Wenatchee, and spent most of my adult life in and around Portland. My two nephews were also raised in East Wenatchee. Shortly after they graduated from high school, in early 1990s, they both moved to Bellingham. In my humble opinion, that is one of the most disgustingly Woke places, except for Seattle, in Washington State. Bellingham School District worked very hard at transgendering little kids. Yes, one of their three sons thinks he is a woman. When BLM/Antifa terrorists arrived in our West Linn neighborhood and police were told to let them do whatever they wanted, (two friends of mine were hurt, both older women, a 25-year-old man was looking for me to beat up) we moved to our beach house in Oysterville on the Long Beach Peninsula. Pacific County is purple, having voted three times for Trump; but, the lunatic Liberals on the peninsula think they own it. We and our Oysterville neighbors have fought hard to keep Libs from buying on our 7-home private easement road. It only takes one hateful Lib to destroy the whole neighborhood.
Bellingham does indeed have a hard left leaning political ideology. Bad for me. Good for my 22 year old intellectually compromised trans rights socialist daughter; Bellingham is an Asylum posing as a town.
We sold our Lincoln City beach house in 1994, becoming too crowded after a casino was put in our neighborhood. Then, bought 20 acres in Oysterville. Never even thought about politics on the peninsula UNTIL the BLM signs went up.
When we built our forever home on a cul de sac in Lake Oswego, Oregon, 50 years ago, it was the only house on the block. Three years later we had five new neighbors, all of whom were friendly Republicans. Over time, as Oregon’s political posture veered further left, our city and small neighborhood followed. After 45 years, we were the only conservatives in our immediate neighborhood in a city that was once a bastion of conservatism.
When we displayed a George W. Bush lawn sign in our front garden, and a bumper sticker on our car, we experienced the wrath of our Democrat opponents. Like you, Diane, I escaped Oregon to live in a more conservative rural area of Washington State. However, that deadly drumbeat from a communist government can be heard from Seattle, just 25 miles away.
Democrats no longer have any ethics nor morals, but do have a single goal — raw power. Nothing else matters to them. Democrats do not govern. They use, abuse, tax, corrupt and destroy if it allows them to rule over the ashes — which is what the radical Democrat state governments of California, Oregon and Washington are doing.
My husband was raised in Lake Oswego, graduated from LO High in 1964. His family home was on Chandler Road, just off Iron Mountain, not far from old town, "downtown" LO. His parents built their home in 1949. What part of town did you live in? I shared your comment on Substack Notes.
South side of LO, about a mile from Lakeridge High School and the old municipal golf course. Our home was built on the site of an abandoned city water reservoir that once supplied city residents with their drinking water.
I'm glad that worked to get conservative neighbors for you. But when Hillary ran against Trump in 2016, nearly every person I knew who had a Trump sign or bumper sticker had his/her car or house vandalized.
I know! I know! Since the 1990s Democrat thugs in Portland & burbs if you had a GOP yard sign or bump stickers. This does not happen in a Red or Purple cities. When we moved, I went crazy with bumper stickers and wrote an article about it: https://dianelgruber.substack.com/p/living-behind-enemies-lines-tale?utm_source=publication-search
Kathy: I have several subscribers named Kathy. Are you the one who lives in South Carolina or Washington? Diane
Raleigh, North Carolina. The retired school teacher/truck driver/prison teacher.
Awh! I knew it had to be a Carolina! Forgive me, because I have never been to either one, I can't keep North and South straight. Ha! We have lived in both the Dakotas, so hubby & I are the few who can keep them straight.
NC is the one that is high-tech. Research Triangle Park, Duke, NC State, SAS, Cisco, IBM, Lenovo, Apple, LexisNexis --- a zillion tech firms in the area and more settling here all the time.
The Dakotas are the only 2 continental states I never drove to.
Geez!!! Time to visit! Trump will be at Mt. Rushmore July 3rd, just like in 2020. Both times we were unable to get tickets. Rats!!!! Construction is going crazy here because Patriots are escaping Blue States to come to a state that has, mostly, normal Americans, low crime, no hatred, low taxes, no race baiting, no race grifting.
The issue really is the same as the chart running around X regarding what happens with a 2%, 5%, 10% influx of muz. Totalitarians, all. When they reach a % at which they figure the adults will kowtow to them, they get loud, obnoxious, overbearing and need to be tossed out of civil society, as Irish in Belfast are doing today. Yank them out, push them off and burn them down. If the government not only refuses to protect society, we’ll do it ourselves. This is the foundation of self-government.
Yep! That is Jihad. I shared your comment on Notes.
What state do you live in?
After COVID we could no longer deal with the overcrowding, too much traffic, too much big city pathology, increasingly deep blue place anymore and moved to a red county, lower property taxes, deeply conservative, 2A sanctuary. Our neighbors were nervous about the city people buying the estate property on a little dead end road in the sticks. We didn't bring up politics and they didn't either.
Of course, I knew ALL of my neighbors political leanings because I checked them all through the Board of Elections website. Mostly Republicans, a few independents who all lean R.
2022 election, my nearest neighbor expressed relief after seeing all of my R candidate yard signs. They were overjoyed when I mentioned I was an at large local Republican party member, volunteer, poll observer, 2024 poll worker, then later a local party chief poll judge at our local precinct. This year I was asked who in our contentious primary to vote for since they didn't know so many of the candidates. I was honored.
Ha! I shared your comment on Substack Notes. You moved from where to where?
The NC triangle area, to the NC mountains.
The NC triangle consists of what cities?
It's sad one must and/or want to leave their home because of politics and property taxes.
We had to leave our dream house in a Portland burb because of the Democrat-funded & promoted riots in 2020. Neighbors were had known FOR DECADES turned ugly when Trump beat Clinton. But, it got much, much worse when they started promoting BLM/Antifa violence. Portland gave birth to Antifa in 2007 and politicians LOVE THEM.
WOW, thanks for this article Diane. I read it while having coffee & breakfast this morning, and for some reason it just made my day. It has that rare property of being subtly humorous and yet deadly serious at the same time. 😝
Thank you for your kind remark, David.
Ha! I shared your comment on Substack Notes.
Many Americans dismiss warnings about political polarization as exaggeration. Yet history shows that when ideological movements gain unchecked power, dissenting voices often face marginalization, retaliation, and pressure to conform. Those who believe in limited government, constitutional rights, and traditional American values should carefully consider where they choose to build their future, raise families, and invest their lives. Supporters of this view argue that the cultural and political trends accelerated during the Obama years and continued under subsequent Democratic leadership threaten those freedoms. Ignore the warning if you wish—but do not claim nobody saw the danger coming.
Where do you live?
Impressive! I shared on Substack's Notes. Thank you, Pinky.
The deeper point is that Democrats destroyed “live and let live,” then complained when conservatives adapted. For decades, normal Republicans were told to keep quiet, be polite, absorb the insults, and let blue-culture bullies dominate schools, clubs, boards, HOAs, workplaces, and neighborhoods. That era is over. If the permanent political class can sort people by DEI, sanctuary status, zoning ideology, and activist compliance, ordinary Americans can fly a flag and signal their values. Nobody is entitled to buy social harmony by moving into a neighborhood they despise. Culture matters. Neighbors matter. Peace matters. Choose your ground and defend it.
I shared on Notes. Thank you!!!
Where do you live, Richard?
I live in Southwest Florida now. I’m originally from Staten Island, New York.
On the off chance that the lunatic liberal is not a hater, then they are useful idiots parroting propaganda. Don’t move to South Carolina. The big trees will scare you at night.
Ha! I shared you comment on Substack Notes.
I like the strategy. I think it probably works 80% of the time. Your story is similar to a lot of conservatives. I worked and lived in and around Portland and Metro. I enjoyed Portland up until about 2010. After living in Albany for 12 years i moved up here to Whatcom County in WA(Im originally from Eastern WA)to help my elderly mother. I miss my old Linn County Sheriff. And dispise our county officials; a new jail thats no bigger than the old one because we need more jail space? Crazy. A steering committe last year told me everything. The PD was saying that they have 5 times the case load per PD than King County, and pay a lot less. The result is predictable. Massive turn over is a major understatement. The DA’s office rep stated the same thing, just not as drastic of turn over. They just need to do a better job of mentoring their younger attorneys. The Corrections rep complained about jail space and the lack there of. Especially now that Yakistan has refused to accept anymore transports from our County.
I guess the point I’m making is that controlling your neighborhood is just part of a consideration. I don’t like that we’ve arrived to the point of self segregating based not just on race but now political ideology, but I guess that’s where we’re at. Maybe we always have been…but the county reps are a huge influence as well. You can move to a blue state and still have quality of life. Though liberal, Linn County in Oregon had conservative county reps and it made a difference. Just my two cents.
Thank you!!! I shared your comment on Substack's Notes.
I was born & raised in East Wenatchee, and spent most of my adult life in and around Portland. My two nephews were also raised in East Wenatchee. Shortly after they graduated from high school, in early 1990s, they both moved to Bellingham. In my humble opinion, that is one of the most disgustingly Woke places, except for Seattle, in Washington State. Bellingham School District worked very hard at transgendering little kids. Yes, one of their three sons thinks he is a woman. When BLM/Antifa terrorists arrived in our West Linn neighborhood and police were told to let them do whatever they wanted, (two friends of mine were hurt, both older women, a 25-year-old man was looking for me to beat up) we moved to our beach house in Oysterville on the Long Beach Peninsula. Pacific County is purple, having voted three times for Trump; but, the lunatic Liberals on the peninsula think they own it. We and our Oysterville neighbors have fought hard to keep Libs from buying on our 7-home private easement road. It only takes one hateful Lib to destroy the whole neighborhood.
Bellingham does indeed have a hard left leaning political ideology. Bad for me. Good for my 22 year old intellectually compromised trans rights socialist daughter; Bellingham is an Asylum posing as a town.
I just hope your daughter does not decide to "transition" to male.
Nice. I haven’t been in that area for a long time. My ex mother in law had a second home there. It was a nice getaway from Portland/Vancouver.
We sold our Lincoln City beach house in 1994, becoming too crowded after a casino was put in our neighborhood. Then, bought 20 acres in Oysterville. Never even thought about politics on the peninsula UNTIL the BLM signs went up.
Amen
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, plus numerous infill towns and increasingly crowded surrounding counties. Orange, Durham, and Wake are the counties.
I am sorry to hear that.
Have Randy Quaid mow your property. Lol.
Old movie reference.
Who can remember it?
I don't remember the movie, but if Randy Quaid was in it, it must have been hilarious!
It was Moving with Richard Pryor and the gorgeous conservative Stacey Dash.
Ha!! But, there is a point at which Liberals stop being amusing and becomes ever more oppressive. Here are just 4 relatively minor examples of Living Behind Enemy Lines in Washington & Oregon: https://dianelgruber.substack.com/p/speaking-behind-enemy-lines-in-oregon?r=hr2uv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true