THE STICKING POINT
DEAR MERCURY—Not sure what film Ezra was watching but, as usual with his reviews, he latches onto a singular point and lets that override everything else (positive or negative) in his review/article ["Patron Saint of Punk," Film, Nov 8]. Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten does feature a number of celebrities talking about the central figure. And, yes, Bono is among those—for maybe a grand total of two to three minutes. As usual, Ezra lets some pettiness overwhelm his article and marginalize it such that, in my opinion, the review is not only useless, but also misleading.
Noland Bell
TOUGH POOP
TO JENNIFER LEMBACH—As a young woman who has been dealt a rough hand of cards in life, I felt compelled to respond to your letter to the editor ["Heartless is Heartless," Letters, Nov 15]. You mentioned all of the heartbreaking statistics that many homeless youth endure. Tough shit. I've worked on Hawthorne for over three years and these little assholes have gotten worse and worse. Am I happy I endured the pain I've endured in my life? Of course not. But I work, I pay my bills, and I have functioning relationships with other members of society. What I DON'T do is beg for money and cigarettes and have a fit when someone says no.
Bellefast Hilton
HAIL SATAN
DEAR MERCURY—A letter published in the November 15 issue of the Merc asked that you refrain from writing about the arts due to ignorance ["Less Arts Coverage, Please," Letters, Nov 15]. On behalf of metal, may I make a similar request? Don't write about metal or do previews regarding [extreme] metal shows anymore ["Free at Last," Music, Nov 15]. Your assertion that Satan is a "Christian construct" and, therefore, hypocritical when in aversion to Christendom, is just flat-out ignorant! Satan, as a concept, has come to represent the power of the individual against such an unnatural, false structure as Christian religion!
Damos Abadon
BALANCING ACT
MR. DAVIS—I am writing to compliment you on your excellent article documenting the stabbing of Michael Evans by Eric Nash ["Revisionism," News, Nov 15]. Please continue your aggressive reporting of stories like this. Also, please remember that law enforcement is a difficult and dangerous job and that many people who come into contact with law enforcement, and have complaints about that contact, are not credible. On the other hand, I believe a significant percentage of complaints against law enforcement are credible, and are not addressed adequately either within law enforcement organizations or in the media. Therefore, when you report on issues that involve misconduct of law enforcement you should be especially careful to make your reporting appear balanced and well supported by credible information.
Colin Hackett
LUCK OF THE IRISH
HEY FREAKS—I assume by "Redhead" you mean "Irish" ["Redheaded Slavery," Letters, Nov 15, in which the author stated that redheads "got shipped here as slaves, too"]. Even when Irish people were coming as indentured servants, they weren't kidnapped wholesale, piled in a ship's hold on top of each other in pools of their own waste, "seasoned," bred like livestock, and forced to drive the economy of the United States for a few hundred years with only the barest of compensation and no acknowledgment of their labor in the official history. I'm proud to be part of my family, and of the work I do, but I'm not proud to be white.
Robby Kunkle
WAR AGAINST MORONS
DEAR MERC—Yes there are drivers who don't signal, yes there are cyclists who don't obey stop signs. It's not their mode of transportation that's to blame, it's the fact that they're fucking morons. Rather than try to fuel a war between drivers and cyclists, join me in the war against morons [Letters, Nov 15]. I've been waiting a long time.
Doug Young
CONGRATULATIONS TO DOUG for recognizing the moronic potential of everyone on the road, no matter their mode of transport. We hereby join Doug in the fight against morons, and bestow upon him two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish!, where morons are not on the menu.
