SPARE THE CHILDREN
RE: "Measles: Not So Bad" [Letters, July 15], in which an anti-vaxxer attempts to downplay the impact of measles.
DEAR MERCURY—I had measles when I was young. I had a fever of 104, hallucinations, lack of appetite, and other symptoms I'm sure I can't remember. My sister almost died from whooping cough. Anti-vaxxers are ignorant.
Dennis Brown
In two sentences he points that out measles outbreaks have dropped over the last decades, and that vaccinations are way up over the same time period—but doesn't seem to think those two things are related. I'm gonna go with "idiot conspiracy theorist."
posted by Reymont
Can we just go back to ignoring people who spout total BS about vaccines? Because really, them not vaccinating their children just weeds their genetics out of the gene pool.
posted by pollo
SINGLED OUT
RE: "It's Hard Out Here for a 'B'" [Feature, June 10], exploring the "plight of bisexuals in 2015."
DEAR PORTLAND MERCURY—I'd like to give a shoutout to Logan Lynn, who writes that bisexuals are not accounted for in the trans/queer liberation explosion. This is also true for singles, whether hetero, bi, or gay. If you've chosen not to be in a relationship, our society discriminates against you. I've been denied promotions, raises, and jobs because I'm single and I choose to go home at night by myself. Our society has a deep mistrust of "loners" (a derogatory, outdated term). We can fit in and add to organizations just like anyone else. So thank you, Logan Lynn. Let's liberate ALL people, not just a select few who happen to be in fashion that week.
Bill Owen
HOT POTATOE$
RE: "When a Plan Comes Together" [Hall Monitor, July 15], monitoring how the response of interested parties in the Central Eastside to the proposed relocation of homeless rest area Right 2 Dream Too in their neighborhood mirrors that of the Pearl District, which successfully fended off a relocation attempt.
Those dunces should have never taken the money. The city was literally paid off by the Pearl to kick this can down the road and into someone else's neighborhood. This sets the precedent that if you have deep enough pockets and mix in enough feigned concern, you can make this problem go away, at least for your neighborhood. As an inner Southeaster myself, I have actually considered trying to crowdsource $900,000, as that appears to be the going rate. If enough neighborhoods do it, R2D2 might end up back in the Pearl. In the penthouse.
posted by askmefirst
THE JOE THAT GOT AWAY
RE: "Surplus Stores" [News, July 15], regarding the city's lack of funds for affordable housing as well as its excess property holdings, and including mention of a failed deal to sell one of its plots to the grocery chain Trader Joe's last year.
DEAR MERCURY—The Trader Joe's on MLK was pulled due to outside advocacy, few to none of them actually living in the area, and not from "the backlash of longtime residents." This was done over the unhappy protests of actual residents who had worked for years to bring the store here. The subsequent condemnation of said advocacy group was loud, long, and pained. The Facebook group "Support Trader Joe's on MLK" recorded much of it in various comments. Meanwhile you'd be hard pressed to find many residents in the other camp. Please quit using distortions of the neighborhood to assuage the condescending guilt of a few, mostly outside voices.
MK in Alberta
I think one of the problems is believing that the city council actually gives a shit about the housing crisis, when really, courting out-of-state developers and other companies that exacerbate gentrification like Uber and Airbnb makes the city a lot of money. And then they get to sell us as "livable" to the hordes of techies and suburbanites that want to move here.
posted by TheOnlySanePersonInTheWorld
SPEAKING OF LIVABILITY, TOSPITW, pub theaters! That's right, you win this week's Mercury letter/comment of the week, with two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater, where you can spot the newcomers by their Uber apps and starry eyes.
