PEOPLE WHO DON’T GET IT

DEAR EDITOR—I realize that the Mercury may permanently
have its tongue in its cheek, but illustrating Lindy West’s article
[“The Different Kinds of People that There Are,” Feature, Aug 6] with
three black people, two or three Latin people, a couple of Asian
people, one heavily stereotyped Native American, and 21 white people
stinks like media irresponsibility and looks like insidiously
blasé deception on a plate. By all means, bulldoze onward,
misrepresenting population demographics and ignore your power to shift
one part of this country’s epic stupidity.

Jadene Mayla

FEARS OF A CLOWN

DEAR MERCURY—This was the funniest thing I’ve ever read
in a newspaper, hands down [“The Different Kinds of People that There
Are,” Feature, Aug 6]. And even though I am, in actual point of fact,
scared of clowns (coulrophobic) due to clowns dragging my horrified and
crying six-year-old self in front of a live audience and making me lay
on a stretcher pretending I was sick and then that they accidentally
killed me (this really happened)—I forgive Lindy West because I
agree that everyone else who says they’re coulrophobic is a
dirty liar.

Sarahfina

MULTI-SIDED WHY

The only people who really know… really know how things
worked within [the Shins] for the last few years are the original band
themselves [“Nothing Is Permanent,” Music, Aug 6]. They all have
a story that makes sense when put together. And people who believe that
the Shins’ music should not be supported due to personnel changes,
well, they aren’t music fans. They are fans of a soap opera that they
wish existed, comprised of rules of morality made up entirely by them.
And the Shins are better off without them.

posted by more to this story than meets the eye on portlandmercury.com

TAKING A GRANDSTAND

I know many students have a fondness for the guy, but wow
[“Sweeney’s Room,” News, Aug 6]. [Lincoln High School teacher Mike
Sweeney] is being asked to move his room. He’s even being given
preferential treatment in the location of his new room. The argument on
[his wife, Jodi] Lorimer’s website that his current room is “already
community space” is completely defied by his territorial effort to
stake claim to it…. Clearly, if it’s that big a deal for him to give
up control over it, it’s not community space, it’s Mr. Sweeney’s space. Teachers at many schools have to move rooms on a regular basis
to adjust for the school’s changing needs, or clean out their rooms
annually to make a blank slate for summer programs. I don’t approve of
his behavior and think it sets a terrible example for his students.
Where are the priorities, here? Where is the perspective? The
combination of the demonization of the principal as a power-tripping
monster and the completely irrelevant (and, speaking as a minority,
nauseatingly patronizing) playing of the race card makes it impossible
to respect or take seriously what appears to be at its foundation
merely an inappropriately public power struggle between a teacher who
has become comfortably complacent with the status quo and a principal
who wants to change it.

posted by Lola Blue on portlandmercury.com

TECHNICAL FOUL

DEAR MERCURY—In “Demolishing Dropout High” [News, July
30] Matt Davis wrote, “Only 57 percent of Portlanders graduate from
high school on time, and both Wheeler and the mayor have made doubling
the graduation rate a priority by 2013.” D’oh. Their goal of a 114
percent graduation rate is less than inspirational.

Claudia Krenz

OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, Claudia, why are you so anal? Sheesh.
Still—funny. So, you get the letter of the week, with two tickets
to the Laurelhurst Theater, and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish!, where
nuance has a place at the table.