If you ever want to take the temperature of the streets and see what’s on the minds of Portlanders, simply turn to the Mercury‘s Letters page (just don’t be surprised if you don’t always like what you see).
—Maybe someday people will learn that if you step to Ann Romano, the immediate result is her fans’ coming to her defense. Like CJ, who protests the characterization of the beloved One Day at a Time columnist as a “buffoon,” suggesting that “Tom W. can go back to yelling at kids to stay off his lawn, or whatever people who don’t know who J Biebs is do.”
—Bored of weed? Read Dirk’s article about Oregon watching Washington’s mistakes so that someday we will be king of the weed states! Or something. Anyway, it worked for Ted. Also andalso suggested a law that “simply states, ‘Steroid-addled pigs cannot throw you in a cage and the justice system cannot ruin your life for using weed, because there’s no reason for that.'”
- ILLUSTRATION BY MARK MARKOVICH
- How could you be bored with visions of a new Wild West like this?
—David on the recent approval of police reforms and one surmises, his doubt for their effectiveness: “We need better cops and better cop leaders. Not laws or policies that anyone with half an ounce of compassion would just inherently do as a normal part of their psyche.”
—Regarding Ian Karmel’s argument that Portland OGs go easy on newcomers—Californians being of particular complaint—torkfool reminds us that “If your city inspires people to live in it, then, mathematically and geographically, the likelihood is that some of them will come from a nearby, heavily populated area that takes up almost all of the West Coast. Uzbekistan? Or gee, maybe California.”
—Finally, POP QUIZ! “Which of the following would be the least absurd thing to unfold within the pages of your fine publication? (a) Dan Savage writes a guide to cunnilingus, (b) Denis C. Theriault becomes BFFs with Ron Frashour, (c) Humpy grows out of his Bieber phase and discovers a newfound appreciation for Phish, or (d) Ann Romano denounces the invasion of celebrities’ privacy?”
What do think? Maybe you should write a letter about it.