THE WAR ON EASTER

RE: Last week’s Easter-themed edition of One Day at a Time [April 26], in which One Day columnist Ann Romano called Easter a “bedtime story” about Christians’ “favorite friendly zombie,” characterized Bill O’Reilly’s meeting with Pope Francis as “one sexual predator shaking hands with a man who oversees an entire organization devoted to sexual predation,” and THEN called Easter 2017 “the worst Easter ever—and we’re including the one where that hippie wouldn’t stop hanging around.” Jesus, Ann.

Last month marked the Easter season, and local readers were treated to the standard stream of glib clichés aimed at Christianity and the Bible from the Mercury. Like a high school bully trying to impress a group of friends, the Mercury’s pundits simply must appeal to its readership with crude jabs veiled as politically-intelligent humor. Appealing to the masses requires little creativity, and it’s a troubling sign when the Mercury falls back to stereotypes and bigotry for the sake of boosting its circulation. Our society will begin to heal its wounds when we seek first to understand, and then be understood. This requires a high level of patience and self awareness, two attributes that appear to be in short supply at the Mercury.

S. Martin


AN APPOINTMENT... WITH DEATH

RE: “Obamacare Lives to See Another Day, But the GOP Could Still Fuck with Your Health Care” [Feature, April 26], Senior Editor Megan Burbank’s rundown of all the ways Republicans can kill you.

That was a really good piece about contraception, women’s health, and insurance. Mercury readers are seriously lucky to have you on the case. More about abortion, please—access, law, history, Oregon’s situation, etc. Thank you.

Judith Arcana


MAY DAY, MAY DAY

RE: “‘Riot’ Declared As Demonstrators Break Windows, Set Fires During May Day March” [Blogtown, May 1], and “Photos & Video: May Day Chaos in Downtown Portland” [Blogtown, May 1], News Editor Dirk VanderHart and News Reporter Doug Brown’s coverage of Portland’s May Day protests. “Today’s demonstrations have seen the worst property damage since a chaotic protest shortly after Donald Trump was elected president,” wrote VanderHart. “Windows were shattered at downtown businesses and at least one government building, while anarchists set fire to items in the street. The chaos followed a day of festivities that included a peaceful rally in honor of International Workers’ Day. But events soured when a permitted march through the streets of Portland was called off by police at around 4:30 pm, after a contingent in the crowd began hurling cans of Pepsi toward officers (cops said rocks and other objects were thrown as well), setting off smoke bombs, and damaging property.”

What a bunch of stupid assholes. There’s no coherent message, little to no organization, and nothing but destructive protests rather than constructive messaging beforehand or follow-up after the fact. This is how you simply piss people off in a counterproductive manner, rather than organizing for a real protest with a message to advance a particular cause.

FlavioSuave

About 48 hours after shaking hands with Portland Police officers while white nationalists provoked confrontation on Southeast 82nd, Mayor Ted Wheeler was nowhere to be found as police spared precious little pretense in breaking up a permitted demonstration of about 2,000, a march primarily comprised of students, immigrants, and workers.

To be sure, hurling Pepsi products at Portland Police deputies fully clad in riot gear is reckless and juvenile, but Wheeler and the rest of Portland’s residents should be asking if we are comfortable having a police force that intimidates the underclass and coddles the fascists.

August Spies

Where’s Kendall Jenner when we need her?

pollo

Pollo, for daring to speak aloud the question so many of us silently ask ourselves in the empty darkness of the night, we award you the Mercury’s letter of the week, and two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater. Maybe Kendall is in there?


Letters and comments may be edited for space. Email us at lovenotes@portlandmercury.com.