RE: One Day at a Time [April 1], in which columnist Ann Romano discusses the passage of a religious freedom law in Indiana that's widely believed to enable discrimination against homosexuals.
DEAR EDITOR—It seems a lot of Christians in Indiana don't like gay marriage and would like to show their disdain for these unions by passing laws that allow discrimination against gays. I'd like to remind those Christians what Jesus, their savior and man of peace, said: "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's." Christians and other religious groups have a constitutional right to worship inside their church or temple or ashram. But when they step out onto the sidewalk, they must abide by the laws of their nation and, so to speak, "Honor Caesar!"
John Kichi
RE: Film Shorts, weekly, our quick-hitting short reviews of the films screening in Portland.
DEAR MERCURY—Regarding your description of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. In one sentence: "A movie by retirees, for retirees," the Mercury manages to dismiss both those fortunate elders who do not have to continue working to survive their golden years, and the incredibly rich and historic Indian state of Rajasthan. Your one stupid sentence perpetuates prejudice against elders while never mentioning the value of this film as a travel guide to those of us wishing to visit India.
ms.skewered
DEAR MERCURY—Apparently whoever wrote your film shorts doesn't realize that the Giorgio Moroder version of Metropolis showing at the Academy is the good version of Metropolis. It does not star Freddie Mercury and Loverboy. It is the classic 1927 version re-mastered with a new score which features Freddie Mercury and Loverboy.
Torgo
RE: "Raccoons: Nature's Monsters" [Feature, March 25], an examination of the creatures living among us.
DEAR MERCURY—I had a family of raccoons take over my attic last spring. It was the worse fucking month of my life. It kept me awake damn near the whole night. And then the fucking inconsiderate fucks had their babies in my attic. When mom would go out at night, they whined nonstop. I called a pest control company that set traps near the place they were supposedly coming in. They were unsuccessful. I decided it was time to evict the little fucks myself. I opened the attic hatch and placed in a super bright light and a loud-ass radio. They got to listen to talk radio 101.1 all day and all night at full blast. It worked. Mom starting moving them one by one. The area where they came in is now sealed.
Brandy Jennings
RE: "Violators Will Be Prosecuted" [News, April 1], concerning the police bureau's efforts to enforce restraining order violations.
Shocking that only 10 percent or so of [temporary restraining order] violations are even investigated when 40 percent of violent crimes are [domestic violence] related! It seems to me these should be very high priorities, on the level just below a violent crime in action, as a TRO violation is often a prelude to a violent attack. It's about time this got more attention, but we should be investigating 100 percent of these, not 10 percent!
posted by Steve McCrea
RE: "Pizza Overload!" [Feature, April 1], an overview of the many new pizza restaurants that have opened (or are about to open) in Portland recently.
As a New Yorker, I can confidently say that Blackbird on SE 20th and Hawthorne is by far the best pizza in Portland. I'm talking about regular pizza by the slice, not fancy pizza like Apizza Scholls, etc., which is basically a different food entirely. Also, there's only one criterion by which a "regular" pizza place should be judged: The Plain Cheese Slice. Toppings are great, don't get me wrong, but they aren't what make great pizza. Great pizza is made by dough, sauce, and cheese.
posted by Zachary Alex Stern
THANK YOU ZACHARY for weighing in. You can't really talk about pizza without talking to a New Yorker, am I right? You win this week's Mercury letter of the week, and two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater, which has pizza too!
