UNDER FIRE
DEAR MERCURY—The cover article of the May 6 Spring Fashion Issue, with fashion models sporting murder weapons, was really low [“Open Season,” Feature]. I have always enjoyed the Mercury but this shit was a strike below the belt. If those juvenile fashion designers and their models think that assault weapons are so cool, why don’t they sign up for duty in Afghanistan? The Army takes anybody nowadays, and you don’t even need to tell.
-Jan Stengren
SCREENED OUT
DEAR MERCURY—My girlfriend is 20 and we love independent and foreign film. I am finding it impossible to see any of these movies because she is not 21. I am OUTRAGED to say the least. I have contacted Laurelhurst and Academy, and even left a message with the liquor control commission. It is just really frustrating. Twenty-year-olds can use tobacco, but they can’t see interesting film? We don’t even want to drink?!?!?
Joseph
VISIONS OF VOTING
Not a very convincing argument for John Kitzhaber [“It’s the Cheater’s Ballot,” News, May 6]. I was undecided between those two and the above text actually steered me slightly toward Bill Bradbury. He clearly has a better vision, if not much of a track record. Time to take a chance on someone else. Nice takedown of Dan Saltzman, though. That’s the kind of forceful, ideologically informed argument that makes the Mercury endorsements generally superior to the other weekly’s.
-posted by Despairing Democrat on portlandmercury.com
A SLIGHT PROBLEM
Your line, “For the first time, the district will also stop parents from transferring kids in gentrified neighborhoods to other schools across town” makes it seem that parents wanting to give their children a safe, worthwhile education are racists [“Shrunk but Not Demolished,” News, April 29]. We all know that the school district is biased as to what schools they decide to spend their money at, and a few of the schools are located in areas with high crime. If anything, it’s the elitist people bitching that their school’s money is being spent on poor kids who transfer into their school. After all, nobody wants their kid’s school to have hookers in front of it (like Madison High) or have gang shootings within blocks of it (like Jefferson). Transferring your kid into Grant or Benson at least places them in an environment where about 90 percent of the kids graduate. While you might not be able to buy the best house for your family, you shouldn’t be slighted by a writer in a free weekly for wanting to give your kids the best chance at an education.
-posted by MonkeyBeat on portlandmercury.com
FUNNY AND FAIL
It’s funny and fail at the same time [“All Right Bitches, Who Wants a Beatin’? by Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Wil Wheaton,” New Column! May 6]. Funny because somewhere inside Wil Wheaton (probably that raging spleen area), he’s going, “Damnit, I just lost my chance to say ‘beat the shit out of your ass’ with a straight face to anyone!” Fail because really, the over-the-top part goes too far at the end of the recap with “…bring your own Band-Aids, shitbirds.” However, there is redemption in “I will also be signing autographs” at the very end. It’s like a total freakout, and then “Oh, and help yourself to the free coffee in the guest room” or something. But yeah, my goal in life is now to see Wil’s blog have “BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOUR ASSES!” on it somewhere in context.
-posted by Ryamos
CONGRATULATIONS TO RYAMOS for the constructive editorial input. Ryamos wins two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater (you are over 21, right?) and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish! where they have just the thing for that raging spleen area.
MURDER WEAPONS!!! Stealing that for a possible power violence band name.
Jan, weapons are just that, weapons. It is the person that decides what damage or harm they can do. They are inanimate objects, but your anti-gun agenda does come shining through however. And please don’t suggest sending those two to Afghanistan, our troops have enough to worry about. Why not send a bunch of Reedies while you’re at it……wait, there is heroin there. Hmmmm
Anyway agree with your point mostly, but you could have left your agenda out of it. Then again, this is Portland where everyone seems to want to protest something.
Are you that easily offended Jan?
I thought the ads looked kind of Manson-like. They could have been at spahn ranch.
First off the Saiga AK variant pictured is not an “assault weapon” or “assault rifle”. It requires having fully automatic capabilities to be labeled as such – it does not. Jan you better get rid of any televisions, internet capable computers or video game systems you might have. You might accidentally see and image of a person with a gun and receive another “blow below the belt”. We don’t want you walking around with a sore crotch all the time.
And to Marjorie Skinner – good job on the column! The guns were an interesting touch.