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The Takeaway

Remembering the Men Who Stood Up to Hate in Portland

From PRI (Opens in new window) and WNYC (Opens in new window)

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview. 

It's an event that has started to feel all too common in recent months. On Friday, three men were stabbed on a Portland train after confronting a man who was directing hate speech at two female passengers, one of whom was wearing a hijab. Two of the men, Rick Best and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, died in the attack. A third, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, was hospitalized but is expected to survive.

Reports have already begun to emerge about Jeremy Christian, the man charged in Friday’s attack, and his history of making statements that, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, strongly indicate that "he holds some racist and other extremist beliefs."  Today, The Takeaway looks at the lives of the three heroes who stood up to Christian.

Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, is a student at Portland State University. Micah's mother, Margie Fletcher, told Portland’s ABC affiliate KATU that her son has never been in the habit of being a silent bystander, and a video on Youtube shows that Fletcher has been outspoken against Islamophobia for several years.

Rick Best was a 53-year-old father of four who served for 23 years in the military. His son, Erik Best, spoke with KATU yesterday, and said his father taught him that "we’re all people and we all bleed red and it doesn’t matter what color or religion, it doesn’t matter, we’re all human beings."

Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche was 23 years old and graduated in 2016 from Reed College. He had spent the following year working as an environmental consultant. According to a statement released by his family Saturday, he "lived a joyous and full life."

The statement continues: "His enthusiasm was infectious. We lost him in a senseless act that brought close to home the insidious rift of prejudice and intolerance that is too familiar, too common. He was resolute in his conduct (and) respect of all people. In his final act of bravery, he held true to what he believed is the way forward. He will live in our hearts forever as the just, brave, loving, hilarious and beautiful soul he was. We ask that in honor of his memory, we use this tragedy as an opportunity for reflection and change. We choose love. Safe journey Taliesin. We love you."

While he was a student at Reed College, Namkai-Meche took Introduction to Islam with professor Kambiz GhaneaBassiri. GhaneaBassiri joins The Takeaway to remember his student and discuss how the Portland community has responded in the days following the attack.