IN DEFENSE OF LAMB OF GOD

DEAR MERCURY—In a recent, informal survey among my many friends and acquaintances, I asked the question, "What kind of music is Lamb of God?" Everyone, metal heads and normal folks, answered with stunning clarity: "Heavy metal." It's a curiosity that someone in a position to share his musical opinions with our fair city does not realize this [Up & Coming, Feb 22]. Ezra Ace What's-His-Face should just refrain from writing about metal, or at least listen to it before he does.

 John M. Kryza

HOLY WAR

DEAR MERCURY—"But when you believe in a religion that places high value on martyrdom, you'll start seeing persecution lurking around every corner" ["The Holy War Room," Feature, March 1]. For the record, "radical" Islam seems to be doing much better [than Christianity] at exalting "martyrdom" lately, but then, if this were a conference on Islam taking over the world and crying about being persecuted, you'd probably be defending them, saying that they are a religion of peace, and grossly misunderstood, and that it is the evil Western culture that has driven the Islam radicals to strapping bombs to women and children to kill innocent people, all in the name of protecting their poor misunderstood way of life. 

Ian McIntosh

THE PORN PLAGUE

DEAR MERCURY—I read this article ["The Holy War Room," Feature, March 1] and it made me pretty mad. About pornography plaguing the nation... Pornography is, in a sense, a plague. Saying that it isn't puts in the spot [sic] that you are anti-family, and family is the very fundamental fabric of society. Pornography is one of the factors that ruin [sic] a family. The divorce rate is ever increasing because of pornography, which is a cause of infidelity.

Chelsea

THE WHITEY DOLLAR

DEAR MERCURY—One important point that seemed to be left out of the discussion of white people and hiphop is the simple fact that hiphop has been the most commercially successful form of music in America for the last 15 years or so ["Don't Call Me Wigger, Whitey," Feature, Feb 15]. As far as the appropriation argument goes, I didn't hear Dr. Dre complaining when The Chronic went multi-platinum due to white kids all over the country realizing that offending their parents was "Nuthin' But a G Thang."

 Honkey T

SWEET VIRGINIA

TO THE MERCURY—As a former resident of Virginia I am not going to say that I was offended by the vacuous remarks made in last week's "One Day at a Time" section about Virginia's apology for slavery [March 1]. I am not offended because the thing stinks of fatuous condescension posing as drollery. Can't we take Virginia's apology at least at face value instead of accusing her of chasin' gosh-durned pigs tha' dun gotten loose again?

Arthur Sanford III

EQUALITY IN STEREOTYPING

DEAR MERCURY—I find it ironic that in the same issue where Alison Hallett defends her position that a portrayal of gays in a [play] was stereotypical and therefore bad [Letters, Feb 22], and your news page chastises the Portland Police for recent figures that suggest racial profiling (AKA stereotyping) continues unabated ["Lies, Lies, and Statistics," News, Feb 22], Erik Henriksen is given free reign to portray librarians as "having socially unacceptable, intricately detailed fantasies involving the Dewey Decimal System" ["Reading Kills," Film, Feb 22]. Actually, I've never thought about the Dewey Decimal System outside of work. I've been more inclined to think about how I'm going to pay my rent, buy some food, and hope that I don't get sick because I don't have any health insurance. This is, perhaps, a more accurate "stereotype" of many of the Portland area librarians who struggle to find meaningful jobs in a profession where part-time jobs without benefits are increasingly becoming the norm, not the exception.

Rick Koelling

CONGRATULATIONS TO RICK for winning this week's Letter of the Week! Since he spends so much of his time worrying about money when he should be fantasizing about the Dewey Decimal System (and because librarians are rad), we're gonna kick him down some free stuff: two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch for two at No Fish! Go Fish! where librarians get a side of special sauce!