Hi, Oregonian here, from a liberal college town. When I first arrived here from northern Virginia, it blew me away that the KKK and sun-down towns were a thing here as well. So I'm certainly not denying the racist history and present racism of Oregon.

However, it is important to note that 70% of the population lives in the Willamette Valley, and the issues motivating secession are multi-faceted. I don't agree with any of their reasons, but I understand some of their frustration; the liberal part of the state dominates politics. From cap and trade, to logging, to wolf-reintroduction, there's a lot of issues more associated with the rural/urban divide than racism, for example. Add to that liberal vs. conservative takes on guns, God and COVID. Well...