LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

[January 24th, 2007] STAR TREK: DEEP ASININE

In defense of Rep. David Wu ["Winners & Losers," WW, Jan. 17, 2007], his real problem is not being a Star Trek fanatic or even sullying the good name of Klingons by comparing them to Republicans. Rather, he seems to read political books and to naively assume that other people and journalists do, too.

You may recall the Bush inner cabal of neo-conservatives which promoted the U.S. war of aggression against Iraq? You know, the ones who pressured the CIA to cook the intelligence by setting up an alternative intelligence operation in the Defense Department, and lied to us with claims of certainty that the Hussein regime had weapons of mass destruction, subsequently proved false? Well, there was a book about them called The Rise of the Vulcans. It looks to me as if Wu was trying to rescue the traduced name of Mr. Spock's good people, and thought others, especially clever folks like you all at Willamette Week, would get the reference.

Admittedly, a Harry Potter reference might have been better, since the arrogant, sanctimonious idiots in questions bear a close resemblance to flobberworms. In the real world, they clearly are a previously undiscovered species of slime-mold.

On Jan. 27 a broad coalition of groups from across the country, United for Peace and Justice (www.ufpj.org), is mobilizing a huge march and rally in Washington, D.C. It will call on the president and Congress to follow the will of the people, expressed in the last elections and in all national polls, and bring U.S. troops home from Iraq immediately.

Like many Oregonians, I won't be able to go to the demonstration. But the Jan. 27 march will speak for me, emphatically. It will speak too for many other Portlanders and Oregonians. So does Rep. Wu in his eloquent opposition to the war and to the dangerously incompetent cretins in White House.

Chris Lowe
Southeast 39th Avenue

UNICYCLISTS, UNITE! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT YOUR BALANCE!

I was glad to see your inclusion of ORS 815.280 (bicycle brakes on fixed-gear bikes) in your cover story of "Loopy Laws" [Jan. 10, 2007]. I'm sure this law will totally decimate Portland's unicycle industry!

Our Legislators seem more interested in passing crappy laws like this instead of dealing with real issues (like tax reform or properly funding education).

Randy Carrier
Tigard