THE STICKING POINT
DEAR MERCURY—Not sure what film Ezra was watching but,
as usual with his reviews, he latches onto a singular point and lets
that override everything else (positive or negative) in his
review/article [“Patron Saint of Punk,” Film, Nov 8]. Joe Strummer:
The Future Is Unwritten does feature a number of celebrities
talking about the central figure. And, yes, Bono is among
those—for maybe a grand total of two to three minutes. As usual,
Ezra lets some pettiness overwhelm his article and marginalize it such
that, in my opinion, the review is not only useless, but also
misleading.
Noland Bell
TOUGH POOP
TO JENNIFER LEMBACH—As a young woman who has been dealt a
rough hand of cards in life, I felt compelled to respond to your letter
to the editor [“Heartless is Heartless,” Letters, Nov 15]. You
mentioned all of the heartbreaking statistics that many homeless youth
endure. Tough shit. I’ve worked on Hawthorne for over three years and
these little assholes have gotten worse and worse. Am I happy I endured
the pain I’ve endured in my life? Of course not. But I work, I pay my
bills, and I have functioning relationships with other members of
society. What I DON’T do is beg for money and cigarettes and have a fit
when someone says no.
Bellefast Hilton
HAIL SATAN
DEAR MERCURY—A letter published in the November 15
issue of the Merc asked that you refrain from writing about the
arts due to ignorance [“Less Arts Coverage, Please,” Letters, Nov 15].
On behalf of metal, may I make a similar request? Don’t write about
metal or do previews regarding [extreme] metal shows anymore [“Free at
Last,” Music, Nov 15]. Your assertion that Satan is a “Christian
construct” and, therefore, hypocritical when in aversion to
Christendom, is just flat-out ignorant! Satan, as a concept, has come
to represent the power of the individual against such an unnatural,
false structure as Christian religion!
Damos Abadon
BALANCING ACT
MR. DAVIS—I am writing to compliment you on your excellent
article documenting the stabbing of Michael Evans by Eric Nash
[“Revisionism,” News, Nov 15]. Please continue your aggressive
reporting of stories like this. Also, please remember that law
enforcement is a difficult and dangerous job and that many people who
come into contact with law enforcement, and have complaints about that
contact, are not credible. On the other hand, I believe a significant
percentage of complaints against law enforcement are credible, and are
not addressed adequately either within law enforcement organizations or
in the media. Therefore, when you report on issues that involve
misconduct of law enforcement you should be especially careful to make
your reporting appear balanced and well supported by credible
information.
Colin Hackett
LUCK OF THE IRISH
HEY FREAKS—I assume by “Redhead” you mean “Irish” [“Redheaded
Slavery,” Letters, Nov 15, in which the author stated that redheads
“got shipped here as slaves, too”]. Even when Irish people were coming
as indentured servants, they weren’t kidnapped wholesale, piled in a
ship’s hold on top of each other in pools of their own waste,
“seasoned,” bred like livestock, and forced to drive the economy of the
United States for a few hundred years with only the barest of
compensation and no acknowledgment of their labor in the official
history. I’m proud to be part of my family, and of the work I do, but
I’m not proud to be white.
Robby Kunkle
WAR AGAINST MORONS
DEAR MERC—Yes there are drivers who don’t signal, yes
there are cyclists who don’t obey stop signs. It’s not their mode of
transportation that’s to blame, it’s the fact that they’re fucking
morons. Rather than try to fuel a war between drivers and cyclists,
join me in the war against morons [Letters, Nov 15]. I’ve been waiting
a long time.
Doug Young
CONGRATULATIONS TO DOUG for recognizing the moronic potential of
everyone on the road, no matter their mode of transport. We hereby join
Doug in the fight against morons, and bestow upon him two tickets to
the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish!, where morons
are not on the menu.