THE “CESSPOOL” CITY
RE: “Police Tell LGBT Couple to ‘Ignore’ Man Yelling Homophobic Slurs at Them” [Blogtown, July 16], News Editor Alex Zielinski’s story about how Wendy and Trudy Dragoon were harassed in their Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood by a man who threw up his fists at Trudy Dragoon, who stood patiently in front of him. “He doesn’t swing,” wrote Zielinski of the video footage of the incident. “But he does go on to call her a ‘gay pride-ass bitch’ and a number of other homophobic and sexist slurs,” which included threatening, “I’ll spit in your face... I’ll literally put you to fucking sleep.” A Portland Police officer at the scene told the Dragoons to “Just ignore them” and that “Being mean to you isn’t against the law”—an apparent contradiction of Oregon’s hate crime law, which notes that a person can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor if they use their “perception of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin” to threaten “serious physical injury.” In another story published on the same day, “Police Union Says Homelessness Has Turned Portland into a ‘Cesspool’” [Blogtown, July 16], Zielinski wrote of a new development in the “long-simmering tension” between the Portland Police Association (PPA) and Mayor Ted Wheeler. “In a long Facebook message posted this afternoon, likely penned by PPA President Daryl Turner, the police union excoriated Wheeler for expecting the police to solve the city’s unaffordable housing (and the resulting homelessness) crisis,” wrote Zielinski. “The PPA writes the mounting side-effects of homelessness (like public camping, public defecation, and ‘garbage-filled RVs’) have turned Portland into a ‘cesspool.’”
Publish the address of Mr. Punk-Ass Trash Mouth, and let the community to the rest. Bigots shouldn’t be afforded the luxury of privacy anymore.
jinglejangle
Heinous. It’s clear that anyone who makes verbal threats is engaging in harassment. If they are physically posturing, or physically menacing, and being verbally aggressive, those are crimes and harassment charges should be filed. Those officers sound like a couple of incompetent, lazy morons that need a legal primer. So much for our community tax dollars at work paying their salary and bennies. They need to do better.
cdynes
Jesus fucking Christmas, where do I start? Nice to see that 1982 never left. I swear I was watching a time-travel video back to that neighborhood just as it was when I grew up. That little piece of shit won’t last long. And every one of those fucking cowards around him will need to move soon, as they should. Portland Police: You have documented evidence of a hate crime. Do your fucking job or the citizens will do it for you.
jerryledbetter
Nice to see the Tigard-housed Portland Police Department once again showing tremendous concern for the people of Portland. But should we expect anything less? After all, in their world, homelessness makes a growing city a “cesspool.”
Doug Fer
Portland Police can’t be bothered with investigating crimes. They are way too busy harassing homeless people and posting right-wing screeds about the mayor on social media.
Euphonius
ONE MORE CHEAP LUNCH
RE: “Cheap Lunches!” [Feature, July 11], the Mercury’s rundown of our favorite 60 places in town to get great cheap lunches, from the veggie meat sandwich at An Xuyen Bakery (5345 SE Foster) to the cold sesame noodles at XLB (4090 N Williams).
Don’t forget House of Banh Mi near NE 76th and Glisan. You can get a full-size banh mi sandwich for $3.75!
beepboop
beepboop, thank you for your reminder that even in our increasingly expensive city, there are ALWAYS more places to find fantastic, affordable sandwiches. (Not bad for a cesspool!) For your efforts, we’re giving you the Mercury’s letter of the week, along with two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater.
