PRO PROFILING

DEAR MERCURY—In response to the article on racial profiling in Portland, I have to say that the issue is more complex than just "racial" profiling ["Whitewashed," News, July 24]. What needs to be understood is that officers need to profile constantly to do their jobs. What may appear to be racial profiling to some may be far from it in reality. Any community member can sign up for a ride-along with a Portland police officer and watch what they do and ask questions. If you do this, and I recommend all citizens do it at some point, you will learn more than you might have wanted to know, but it will for sure challenge what you think you know about profiling and how the Portland police feel about the issue.

M. Christopher

BACK IN THE TOWN CAR

DEAR MERCURY—Regarding your article about town cars ["Fare Warning," News, July 10]: First I would like to say that there are several very legitimate town car companies in Portland that follow all the rules and provide a quality service to those who choose a step up from a taxi. There are a few town car companies that break many rules and the city just looks the other way. All of the downtown hotels have bellmen on the take, and the hotels do not seem to care. The problem is that the city regulates town cars, and we must charge $50 [for a ride to the airport]. Okay, we can live with that, but we cannot live with the unfair competition that allows us to follow the rules and the gyppo town cars to disregard the rules with no consequence.

 Gary Coe

METZGER RESPONDS

Here we go again ["It Happened in 1988," Feature, July 24, regarding the death of an Ethiopian man at the hands of skinheads, who white supremacist leader Tom Metzger was found guilty of recruiting and training]! First of all, [prosecuting attorney] Morris Dees is the cleverest of cons. He has built a large fortune conning the PC IDIOTS. He made seven million alone off my civil trial. Check his IRS records. Most honest liberals have him pegged but he is still at it. [Victim Mulugeta] Seraw's family got peanuts. Fact: I didn't hire a lawyer because the few that would take my case demanded $100,000 up front. That was impossible to do. Fact: It was not a federal trial and it was not a criminal trial. It was a civil trial. If it had been criminal I would have beat it hands down. Fact: David Mazella, Dees' star witness, was on a get-even mission since he was given a beating in Southern California for being the cowardly liar he is. Mazella was paid hundreds of dollars a month for his perjury. He was not reformed like he testified. He was recruiting for the American Klan at the same time he was lying about Tom and John Metzger. Fact: Tom and John never went bankrupt. Never stopped publishing a newspaper or appearing on national TV. Fact: Mazella, in an amusing twist, is a youth pastor at a small church not far from Medford. As an alleged Christian I wonder if he has ever confessed his sins against Tom and John Metzger?

Posted by tommetzger on It Happened in 1988

MONDO CONDOS

SARAH [MIRK]—Great article ["Coming up Condos," News, July 24]. There have been quite a few rezoning articles in the press over the past few months but I think yours might be the best. Great background, context, and getting at the controversial issues. Go tell Wm. Steven to give you a permanent job.

Eric

CONGRATULATIONS TO ERIC for not being a defender of cops' racial profiling tactics, a white supremacist leader, or insulting gypsies, therefore qualifying for the Merc's letter of the week. Keep up the good work! Eric gets two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish!, where hunger does not discriminate.