THE WAR ON EASTER
RE: Last weekâs Easter-themed edition of One Day at a Time [April 26], in which One Day columnist Ann Romano called Easter a âbedtime storyâ about Christiansâ âfavorite friendly zombie,â characterized Bill OâReillyâs meeting with Pope Francis as âone sexual predator shaking hands with a man who oversees an entire organization devoted to sexual predation,â and THEN called Easter 2017 âthe worst Easter everâand weâre including the one where that hippie wouldnât stop hanging around.â Jesus, Ann.
Last month marked the Easter season, and local readers were treated to the standard stream of glib clichĂ©s aimed at Christianity and the Bible from the Mercury. Like a high school bully trying to impress a group of friends, the Mercuryâs pundits simply must appeal to its readership with crude jabs veiled as politically-intelligent humor. Appealing to the masses requires little creativity, and itâs a troubling sign when the Mercury falls back to stereotypes and bigotry for the sake of boosting its circulation. Our society will begin to heal its wounds when we seek first to understand, and then be understood. This requires a high level of patience and self awareness, two attributes that appear to be in short supply at the Mercury.
S. Martin
AN APPOINTMENT... WITH DEATH
RE: âObamacare Lives to See Another Day, But the GOP Could Still Fuck with Your Health Careâ [Feature, April 26], Senior Editor Megan Burbankâs rundown of all the ways Republicans can kill you.
That was a really good piece about contraception, womenâs health, and insurance. Mercury readers are seriously lucky to have you on the case. More about abortion, pleaseâaccess, law, history, Oregonâs situation, etc. Thank you.
Judith Arcana
MAY DAY, MAY DAY
RE: ââRiotâ Declared As Demonstrators Break Windows, Set Fires During May Day Marchâ [Blogtown, May 1], and âPhotos & Video: May Day Chaos in Downtown Portlandâ [Blogtown, May 1], News Editor Dirk VanderHart and News Reporter Doug Brownâs coverage of Portlandâs May Day protests. âTodayâs demonstrations have seen the worst property damage since a chaotic protest shortly after Donald Trump was elected president,â wrote VanderHart. âWindows were shattered at downtown businesses and at least one government building, while anarchists set fire to items in the street. The chaos followed a day of festivities that included a peaceful rally in honor of International Workersâ Day. But events soured when a permitted march through the streets of Portland was called off by police at around 4:30 pm, after a contingent in the crowd began hurling cans of Pepsi toward officers (cops said rocks and other objects were thrown as well), setting off smoke bombs, and damaging property.â
What a bunch of stupid assholes. Thereâs no coherent message, little to no organization, and nothing but destructive protests rather than constructive messaging beforehand or follow-up after the fact. This is how you simply piss people off in a counterproductive manner, rather than organizing for a real protest with a message to advance a particular cause.
FlavioSuave
About 48 hours after shaking hands with Portland Police officers while white nationalists provoked confrontation on Southeast 82nd, Mayor Ted Wheeler was nowhere to be found as police spared precious little pretense in breaking up a permitted demonstration of about 2,000, a march primarily comprised of students, immigrants, and workers.
To be sure, hurling Pepsi products at Portland Police deputies fully clad in riot gear is reckless and juvenile, but Wheeler and the rest of Portlandâs residents should be asking if we are comfortable having a police force that intimidates the underclass and coddles the fascists.
August Spies
Whereâs Kendall Jenner when we need her?
pollo
Pollo, for daring to speak aloud the question so many of us silently ask ourselves in the empty darkness of the night, we award you the Mercuryâs letter of the week, and two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater. Maybe Kendall is in there?
Letters and comments may be edited for space. Email us at lovenotes@portlandmercury.com.