Green Castle [food cart pod] is awesome ["One Nation Under Pod," Feature, June 30, in which the Mercury team reviews a selection of Portland's largest and busiest food cart pods]! That's an exciting pod, and the only mention was that it had "tumbleweeds." Not good journalism.
-Posted by Croatiansensation
A .07% [blood alcohol content] is under the presumptive level of intoxication for DUI. However, it does not mean he was sober ["Technical Difficulties," News, June 30, regarding the police shooting death of Darryel Dwayne Ferguson, who pointed a BB gun at officers while allegedly under the influence of various substances. Surveillance footage of the incident has proven difficult to retrieve]. Even if he had no drugs or alcohol in his system, the officers were fully justified in employing deadly force because, by his actions, the suspect led officers to believe that their lives were at risk. If you don't want to be shot and killed by the police, don't point what appears to be a firearm at them. As for Internal Affairs and the Use of Force Board, they were probably waiting to get the results of the hard drive before making their findings. Without a doubt, they will find the officers were justified in their actions.
-Posted by Jackcat
Gender Identity Disorder is a mental disorder, not a physical disorder, and should be treated with counseling and psychological therapy to bring an individual to terms with who they are, not who they think they should be ["Public Parts," Sexual Politics, June 30]. To encourage a person to mutilate themselves because they have a mental disconnect from who they are is simplistic and primitive. Cutting up a person's body and pumping them full of hormones they do not naturally produce is not a way to cure a mental issue. This is not about discrimination, this is about misunderstanding both on the part of the individual with the disorder, the doctor who prescribed giving up and just pretending that gender is something that can be assigned, and the people who think that there is discrimination in not providing "services related to sexual disorders or dysfunctions."
-Posted by agayman
It's sad how in 2011 this nonsense is still happening ["Racial Stop Gap," News, June 30, regarding the disproportionate number of traffic stops experienced by African American Portlanders, and the specific case brought by Jason Sutherland]. It's immoral to serve and protect only individuals that look like yourself. Individuals supporting any form of racial injustices are a waste of our economy's resources and progress!
-Posted by Fee
This shows one of the common problems with [police] officers who overreact: a need to be seen as an authority figure not to be questioned ["Racial Stop Gap," News, June 30]. Civilians have an absolute right to ask questions and know why they are being stopped, why they are being asked for ID, and if in fact they are under arrest or free to leave. When the police use the badge and uniform as something to hide behind in order to behave as unquestioned or unregulated bullies, we ALL lose.
-Posted by ConcernedCitizen
WE HEAR THAT, ConcernedCitizen—however, we're worried that all your concern is starting to take a toll, so we'd like to give you two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish! where your concerns will melt like so much cheese.
A photo in our last issue ["Sign of the Times," Sports, June 30] of a Timbers fan holding a "KFC" banner was misattributed. The photo was taken by Lander Beauchamp.
