HOW TO DIE IN PORTLAND
RE: âHow to Die in Portlandâ [Feature, May 17], Music Editor Ciara Dolanâs story about Portlandâs death care industry.
On May 17, my mother, surrounded by her five children and her brother, died. We wept, wailed, hugged, shared family lore, and laughed as my mom breathed her last breaths. We were supported by our own families and the amazing professionals of Kaiserâs hospice services. In my raw grief, my interest was piqued by your âHow to Die in Portlandâ cover. The writer, however, dealt with the business of death, rather than the philosophical, cultural, and personal implications of death. Dying in Portland requires more than knowing the difference between a funeral home and a crematorium. It requires letting your family and health care providers know how you want to live with a terminal illness; preparing your soul to either battle or accept a sickness; researching Oregonâs Death with Dignity Act; accessing palliative and hospice services; and most importantly, especially for the elderly, it requires Medicare and Social Security. My mom contemplated her own death, picked her battles, endured and overcame pain, shared her life with her hospice team, and died surrounded by the lives she brought into the world. Rather than spending her time with the proprietors of death services, I wish the writer would have hung out with my mom or anybody in hospice to see that dying is a lot more than getting rid of a body.
Max Margolis
POOR WIDDLE ANARCHISTS
RE: âGet to Know an Anarchistâ [News, May 17] and âAnarchist Interviews, Part 2: âMay Day Was a Complete Successââ [Blogtown, May 18], News Reporter Doug Brownâs interviews with âJeff S.â and another anonymous anarchist who felt anarchists got a bad rap when Portlandâs May Day protest ended with smashed windows, tire fires, and over two dozen arrests.
I appreciate the interview and Jeffâs forthrightness. That said, it does seem like he hasnât met very many actual people in his life. He talks about power and violence and authority, but the only mention he makes of responsibility is in response to a direct question, and then he shifts the responsibility to another individual/group. His group canât even manage to convince their own to avoid âdrunk smashing.â His group accepts zero responsibility for anything, nor does it provide remedies for what should happen when bad behavior does occur.
If he can solve the problem of scarcity of resources, Iâm willing to give his worldview a listen. But short of that utopian landmark, I find it impossible to see his actions as anything other than just smashing stuff because he wants what he wants and is upset that he doesnât have the authority to get it.
bridger
I sympathize with the anarchists, but this whole âdestroying property is not violenceâ is something only privileged white males would come up with. Try stealing someoneâs phone, especially if itâs the only connection they have to work and family. Try destroying someoneâs bike if itâs the only way they can get to work. Smash the window of a business owned by a woman who voted for Bernie Sanders, and see if she comes away from that in favor of anarchy.
Mr. Greener
My favorite thing from May Day: Someone spray-painted a very important message on the pedestal upon which Abe Lincoln stands in the Park Blocks. It read, âWHEREâS YOUR FEE COUNTY.â I mean, I know what they were going for, but... it just sums up the intellectual level of the people involved.
rich bachelor
ART CONTEST!
RE: âOne Day at a Time,â Ann Romanoâs weekly news roundup, and one of Annâs regular interview subjectsâEmperor Klaaktu, warlord of Rigel VII and Scientologyâs chief spokesalien.
I live for One Day at a Time and would like to draw or paint Emperor Klaaktu for Ann Romano. I am an artist and would do it solely to bring joy to her heart. Let me know if there is any interest on her behalf.
Aric
ANN ROMANO RESPONDS! Oh, thereâs interest, dear! Weâd love to see thatâand weâre going to open this up to everyone else, too! Send in your beautiful Klaaktu art to the Mercury (lovenotes@portlandmercury.com), and on Monday, June 26, the artiste behind our fave Klaaktu will win our eternal gratitude... and a copy of L. Ron Hubbardâs Dianetics, signed by Klaaktu himself! MWAH!