Comments

1
"most IT-support people are assholes" As an IT-support person I just want to take this opportunity to tell you to [END OF COMMENT DELETED: UNNECESSARILY ABUSIVE LANGUAGE.]
2
Since over two-thirds of black Oregonians live in Portland, it would be informative to know how those metrics (income, relativity to poverty level, unemployment, etc.) apply to Portland vs. the rest of Oregon, all other things being equal.
3
Yeah, go back to England you Wilburforce wannabe. Some of you see black people and white people together in a objectionable situation and automatically see racism. People are assholes sometimes.

The real question that's burning me up though is: Are dark-skinned IT people bigger assholes then light-skinned IT people?
4
What does the window tapping incident have to do with race? Is every incident involve a black guy and a white guy a racial incident. Quit being such a knob, Davis.

"...we need to be humble that the quality of life offered here in Portland is not available to all citizens."

Really, exactly what are the reasons that our quality of life is "not available" to all citizens? I agree that there are huge disparities. Yes, I work in IT and black people are few and far between. Help us understand why instead of whining like a little twat about some IT dorks messing with a crazy dude. Propose some solutions.
5
People that bring up race without knowing anything about a situation other than race are race baiting @$$hole$.
An 'honest discussion about race' will NEVER happen in America, because people are too scared to be called racists when others hear facts that they don't like.
And no one is perfect , but it must kill you that the U.S. is still the most diverse, tolerant country in the world
6
Matt, why didn't you pull your bike over and show that man a little human kindness? Just saying "good morning" and asking how he's doing would have helped a lot more than this blog post.
7
White liberal guilt only goes so far.
8
COMMENT DELETED: UNNECESSARILY ABUSIVE LANGUAGE
9
lololol... The Merc web team does seem to've gotten a bit censor happy lately. In my professional opinion, they're hovering between "pc gone mad!!" and "nazi storm-troopers" at the moment.
10
From Heather Mac Donald, today:

When liberals and left-wingers ponderously refer to “race” ... they mean: Let’s talk about white racism and skin color. Here’s another possible way of defining the problem: behavior. The issues that the race industry subsumes under the accusatory rubric of “race,” such as differential arrest or poverty rates, overwhelmingly result today from behavior, not from a reaction to skin color. I’ll be ready to concede that “race” — defined, per Obama, Holder, Ogletree, and Gates, as racism and skin color — remains a significant factor in social outcomes when the same proportion of black children as white children are raised in two-parent, married households without greatly lowering the black poverty rate, or when black crime drops to white and Asian levels without proportionally reducing the black prison population. Until we conduct that experiment, though — which is wholly within the capacity of individuals to do — I’ll remain skeptical that the race activists’ favorite “race issues” are predominantly the consequence of white Americans’ atavistic bigotry.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=N2NhN2ZmOWM2ZGZhMDdiYzQ1M2NlODU5MGY3MWQ5OTI=
11
MATT DAVIS IS AN ASSHOLE BECAUSE HE CALLED IT PROFESSINALS ASSHOLES.

THE MERC IS HAVING A HORRIBLE DOUBLE STANDARD IN THEIR COMMENTING SECTION VERSUS THEIR ACTUAL CONTENT. PLEASE MAKE WITH DELETING THE "UNNECESSARILY ABUSIVE LANGUAGE" IN MATT'S POST.
12
The previous comment is fine. (Although he could lay off a bit on the caps.) What he said before was far more abusive than anything that was mentioned in the post, and was deleted. Have an ice cream and cool down, Graham.
13
I read the original comment. I don't see what the problem was. Erasing the second comment was just "mods on a powertrip" bullshit. It should be restored.
14
Also, I think you guys would come off as a lot less dickish if you actually addressed Grahams problem with abusive language in the original post. If you're gonna spew the "edgy" snark, you're gonna have to let us do the same.
15
In my second post the offensive language was just a lot of requoting of what Matt Davis had to say. However it seems the webmasters doesn't like getting insulted by me (but is perfectly fine with Matt Davis insulting them).
16
You shall feel the spittle-spewing, impotent wrath of the I.T. ARMY, Davis!

Of course, they missed the entire point of the post, because they thought someone was discriminating against them. But ho hum; non-I.T. liberal guilt only goes so far.

Now ask them if they trickle their Underoos at Buffy the Vampire Slayer and see what happens.

17
Thanks for taking the caps off. I'm in charge of comment deletion, and if you'd like to repeat your point without the excessively abusive language, it will be happily welcomed.
18
Be careful Graham, Matt has an EXTREMELY TALENTED LAWYER that will SUBPOENA YOUR IP and SUE YOU FOR EMOTIONAL DAMAGES. Seriously... I still have the email from him, it was one of the most adorably hare-brained things that have ever arrived in my inbox.
19
> Seriously... I still have the email from him, it was one of the most adorably hare-brained things that have ever arrived in my inbox.

Oh, please post... pretty please..
20
@kincardine What was the entire point of this post?

The part where Matt Davis bookended the release of a report (a rather dis-enheartening report at that)with some ridiculous story about someone knocking on a window and startling a schizophrenic man? The part where he assigned emotional qualities to someone's hands?

No, the point of this article is that Matt needs to do a better job of seperating his editorializing from his reporting.
21
K, give me a moment...
22
"Thanks for taking the caps off. I'm in charge of comment deletion, and if you'd like to repeat your point without the excessively abusive language, it will be happily welcomed. -Steve

"most IT-support people are assholes" As an IT-support person I just want to take this opportunity to tell you to die in a fire you incredibly untalented useless sputum of a human being.

Which parts in my second post were the ones that were unneccesary? I was just using language that was in the original article. I figured if Matt can say it, so can I.
24
"I just want to take this opportunity to tell you to die in a fire you incredibly untalented useless sputum of a human being."

Click… Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
25
But accusations based on Matt's psychic ability to read people's motivations and then call them racist assholes is totally ok...
26
[LINKED SCREENSHOT DELETED. UNNECESSARILY HUMILIATING]
27
Grow up, Graham, you are an a-hole and you know it.
28
Oh, that SO made my day.. Legal Eagle Matt Davis! Who knew?

As I'm sure you were already aware, intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED) requires a hell of a lot more than a few emails and/or sarcastic comments. It requires conduct that is so outrageous as to be beyond the bounds of socially tolerable behavior.

The best part is that no attorney's fees are recoverable, so good luck finding a plaintiff's lawyer to take that case.

In any case, the idea of a reporter, the person with the ultimate megaphone, throwing a hissy fit over rude comments and emails is priceless.
29
I'm not a racist, I have plenty of English friends, but Matt Davis is a [WORD DELETED: EXCESSIVELY OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE] and no two ways about it.
30
I would like to complain about an example of sock puppetry in the comments section. The person commenting as "Grahams Ex" is not my ex. My ex has an actual account on here. And problaby wouldn't define themselves in terms of me anyways.

No sock puppetry per: http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/2008/0…
31
I'd still save Matt Davis from drowning but then I'd berate him after.

The real problem here is he's totally off and doesn't feel the need to defend or clarify his post. Why am I even reading anymore? Is Humpy going to give him a talkin' to? Perhaps the policy is to not engage in flame wars with us IT trash.
32
"The best part for me was seeing Matt and others not allow the wishes of some very selfish people to overrun what was best for everyone."

Posted by Wm. Steven Humphrey


That Matt Davis, always looking out for what's best for everyone. That's why he gives the best reacharounds in town.
33
Wow. You're angry about problems with race, while you ASSUMED that some stuffed shirt shooing off a homeless guy talking to himself was because...I don't know...you associate black people with poverty in general? Honestly, race would have been far more relevant if the office guy was black as well. For reasons, judging by the nature of this article, you have know idea about.

See all this white liberal sense of injustice, you need to knock it off. Its a shame I frequent this site and have to face something ignorant like this. If you would like a clinic on race relations and how you can learn something about black people, let me know. Thinking like this is part of what prevents Portland from becoming a true multicultural city, and thus, becoming great.
34
So umm... that got a little weird, right? This is all because Matt Davis included a little anecdotal garnish in a story that's mostly facts and figures and talking heads on a podium? What a war crime (I'm not even going to bring up the IT joke-and-response, because I've decided to take that as internet meta theater).

It's not an unfair anecdote because I can guarantee you that everyone here has seen something similar happen at least once in this town. Maybe it was a white schizophrenic. It probably wasn't a black IT worker though:

http://tinyurl.com/2000Census-Black
http://tinyurl.com/2000Census-White
35
So are we whites supposed to give all the [WORD DELTED: EXCESSIVELY OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE] our money or something Matt?

Awaiting your direction.
36
I did find it interesting that the Leverage film crews are having to bus black people into Portland to be extras because we supposedly don't have enough people of color in Portland to make it look like Boston. I also find it interesting that the Portland Mercury never comes out to the city's largest spoken word poetry night EVERY Tuesday at the Calabash (2nd & Taylor) -- could it be because 80% of the crowd of 100+ people are black?
37
@Huh? - You stole my screen name. You are not entertaining and you are ruining my good reputation with your lame attempts at trolling. Here is some direction; go to the Calabash tonight (2nd and Taylor), get up on stage and ask your question. If you would not use that word in that venue, don't use it here. It makes you look like an idiot.
38
"I also find it interesting that the Portland Mercury never comes out to the city's largest spoken word poetry night EVERY Tuesday at the Calabash (2nd & Taylor) -- could it be because 80% of the crowd of 100+ people are black?"

Nah, it's because no one ever sent me a press release about it. Direct info about your readings and arts events here, please: arts@portlandmercury.com
39
@ Wm. Steve: Graham's hoary trope "die in a fire" gets censored, but not Huh?' n-word comment?

40
Took care of that a while ago. Takes a bit to cache. Remember folks, you can always help us out by using the "Report this comment" link.
41
The "report this comment" feature can go die in a fire.
42

"Nah, it's because no one ever sent me a press release about it."

It seems the merc has no problem covering things like basement parties that definitely do not send out a press release.
43
I presume someone invites the writers to these parties, and therefore they get covered if they're interesting. Did "PDX Institutionalized Racism" invite the staff to this event in the past, or was the not so subtle accusation of racism supposed to serve as some sort of backhanded invite?
44
So it looks like we're slowly assembling a list of the Nu-Carlin's Seven Words. So far we've got [The following words have been edited to reflect Blogtown standards-editor]:

N-word
C-word

What else is on this list?

These words were listed for educational purposes and in no way refer to anyone living or dead. Especially not Matt Davis.
45
I got bleeped for quoting the word "faggot". I suspect these might be the big three that get instableeped.
46
Did you mean the homophobic usage or a bundle of sticks?
47
What about a limey-slang word for a cigarette?
48
Ah... The Merc's editorial policy is so half-assed. I listed some words for educational purposes. Those words then get edited. Instead I will quote from this paper:

"In 1940, Langston Hughes wrote: 'The word nigger to colored people of high and low degree is like a red rag to a bull. Used rightly or wrongly, ironically or seriously, of necessity for the sake of realism, or impishly for the sake of comedy[,] it doesn't matter. The word nigger, you see, sums up for us who are colored all the bitter years of insult and struggle in America.'"

http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Co…

"The House of Cunt fuses sketch comedy with performance art. Each member of the group seems to be bursting with ideas for ridiculous characters, which they release through a slew of unconnected skits, songs, and movement pieces."

http://www.portlandmercury.com/theater/the…

So when is it acceptable to use these words? I can agree that calling any particular people means names isn't the friendliest of terms. But it seems that it's A-OK for the staff to discuss these terms, but we're not.
49
Graham, this is getting (even more) juvenile. You know the answer to the question you're asking is "it depends on the context." Every time there is any sort of censorship*, judgment calls have to be made.

Express your position without pointless (or pointed) obscenity, and you won't have to worry about censorship at all. This isn't a First Amendment case - it's just a comment board that we'd all like to stay civil and marginally productive.

* And I think that 99% of us support at least SOME censorship on this board.
50
I think it would be reasonable to not tolerate any blatantly bigoted language. Sexist, racist, homophobic, etc = no. They make this a less pleasant place. Calling Matt Davis a [WORD DELETED: EXCESSIVELY ABUSIVE]should be perfectly fine. If anyone should understand that there's no sexist component to the insult, it's a fucking Brit.
51
Commenty Colin,

If you think it's about context, then how come my post where I just listed words in proper context of how Carlin made fun of cencorship were then being censored. I can find examples of "naughty" words being published by the paper. I will now just quote the paper instead of speaking from my own voice.

FAGGOT: "turns what would be a normal versatile faggot into a gaping cum dumpster"

http://www.portlandmercury.com/news/get-to…

The content that I am laying down is absolutely no worse than the type of language that is routinely displayed by this paper. If they wish to declare a firm editorial policy, go back and edit all of their articles to remove "mean words", then I'll abide by this new policy. But until they stop with their hypocritical editorial policy, I will continue to act like a butt-hurt asshole.
52
Cool, I'm glad my new screen name is on the approved list. Thanks, Graham.
53
It's fun watching the paper who has always been so loudly self-congratulatory about their ability to be consistently puerile try to affect a sense of journalistic and/or moral standards on their blog.

Equivalent to an emo reporter shedding tears about man's inhumanity to man while kicking out crippled elderly residents so he can have his new downtown condo and boasting about his $800 cat.
54
Matt has an $800 cat? How come I never heard about this?
55
Come on, guys, we're getting off topic here. Back to why the article was so shitty. I'll start you off:

> How can we be so awful towards other people, I wondered...

...when I was in 6th grade writing a book report on Anne Frank. When I was an adult, and a "professional" reporter, I had more sophisticated thoughts.
56
http://mattdavisopenshismouth.com/2009/03/…

http://mattdavisopenshismouth.com/2009/05/…

"How can we be so awful towards other people, I wondered."

Please wait...

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