TREATIN' WOMEN PROPER

DEAR EDITORS—To the cowardly little storm troopers profiled in your August 9 issue ["Day Labor Debate Heats Up," News, Aug 9]: I am a member of Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR). Rather than gang up to harass female OFIR members, pick on me instead. At that time, I shall be pleased to discuss with you civil public behavior, respect for others' free speech, and the proper treatment of women.

Richard F. LaMountain

YOU DECIDE!

DEAR MERCURY—Who the fuck do you think you are, Mr. Berg ["I'll Sign Anything," Letters, Aug 30], to say that you or anyone else should be allowed to vote whether I have civil rights? If it were up to you, I suppose we could just scrap the whole legislature-judiciary-executive concept and go with American Idol-style voting to decide important issues of justice and democracy. So, Mercury readers, if you think Paul Berg is an asshole but still deserves equal protection under the law, send a text message to 38258 (FUCKU). If you think Paul Berg is such an asshole that he should be denied due process and sodomized by a torch-wielding mob, text 66279 (MOBSX).

Christopher D. Cuttone

THE HURTFUL TRUTH

DEAR MERCURY—I just learned about the new website, knowthyneighbororegon.com ["Know Thy Anti-Gay Neighbor," News, Aug 23]. This website has me wondering who among the many folks I encounter would like to limit my rights and legal protections. How painful it would be to find signers who smile at you at the water cooler, when they drop their child off at your home for a play date, or when they hand you your receipt for your business?

Bonnie Roseman

BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

DEAR MERCURY—Thank God for presenting the opportunity for Amy Ruiz and the news staff to attend Sunday services at five Portland area churches ["Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!" Feature, Aug 23]. There is an intimacy with Jesus Christ that transcends our knowledge of, and surpasses our experience and our expectation of, what an intimate relationship is. Perhaps Grant Cogswell's comments regarding the City Bible Church best summarizes the relationship Jesus Christ would like to have with each and everyone of us, "But I am impressed by CBC's good fellowship—the warmest welcomes are given to the sketchiest-looking..." and "she introduces me to an intense pastor who I can tell knows immediately I am lying."

Thomas Travers

ZONE OUT

MERCURY EDITOR—As always, it is nice to see good coverage of the exclusion zone issue in the press "Twilight Zones," News, Aug 30]. The exclusion zones are meant as a way for the city to avoid those pesky constitutional rights otherwise enjoyed by city residents. My fear is that despite the council mandated oversight committee being disbanded, despite the deadline for the committee report and the police chief's report being past due, and despite the district attorney's failure to prosecute cases brought under this ordinance, the city council will once again extend the ordinance on an "emergency basis" as they did last time. Mayor Potter, his staff, and the Portland Police Bureau and their allies at the district attorney's office have failed time and time again to respond adequately to even the most basic council inquiries for data. I encourage Commissioners Sten, Leonard, and Adams to stand up not only for basic constitutional rights and liberties but to also send a message to the bureaucrats involved that a complete failure of city employees to do their jobs by adequately responding to the elected city council will not be tolerated.

Christopher J. O'Connor

CONGRATULATIONS TO CHRISTOPHER for telling those bureaucrats to start earning those tax-funded paychecks. For winning this week's Mercury letter of the week, he gets two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish!, located deep inside the Suck-Free Zone.

HEY READERS!If you love all that is "artsy," do yourself a favor and check out the Mercury's new TBA:07 Blog—your online home for everything awesome about this week's Time-Based Art Festival! Check out daily festival updates, reviews and performance descriptions, videos, interviews, as well as the most accurate TBA calendar around! It's all at portlandmercury.com/tba and for more info, check out pg. 11!