LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

[August 10th, 2005] SHARE THE LANE, SHARE THE BLAME

Dang, I hate to write this letter and reference your colleague Angela Valdez, but maybe it will serve a purpose.

You vilified Charles Myrick as Rogue of the Week [Aug. 3, 2005] for causing Angela to run into the side of his car with a sudden right turn off Northeast 15th Avenue at Prescott Street.

OK, here goes. As a Portland bicyclist who enjoys the "bike-ability" of our great town, I must ask, why the hell do my fellow cyclists insist on riding on the main streets when there are so many wonderful and vastly safer alternate routes which get you there just as fast?

The reason? BWA: Bicyclists With Agendas. Period. They have to force the issue of sharing a busy street.

What in heaven's name was Angela doing riding her bike down Northeast 15th Avenue, in the street, per your article, when she could have been blissfully making the same time a block east on Northeast 16th?

Look, what's done is done, but this is what I want to say to my fellow cyclists: Stay the hell off the main streets and embrace the alternatives. That means stay the hell off Hawthorne, stay the hell off Division, etc., etc., etc. Get over yourselves and get on the alternative routes the city has spent gazillions on to make safe for us.

I pray for Angela's speedy recovery and hope Mr. Myrick discovers his side mirror and the notion to glance over his right shoulder. Self-absorbed motorists? How about BWAs?

Frank DiMarco
Southeast 32nd Avenue

MINNIS TO SOCIETY

Once again we see the disturbing abuse of power on display by our GOP House Speaker [Karen] Minnis ["The Dubies," WW, Aug. 3, 2005] as she refuses to let legislators debate and vote up or down on HB 3508 (civil unions and anti-discrimination). Seems if GOP "leaders" in either Washington or Salem don't like something, their tactic is to merely change the rules. All fine and well-unless you happen to believe in democracy or fair and equal treatment for ALL citizens! Shameful!

Rev. Dave Bean
West Linn

BECK MORE THAN A DANCING FOOL

In his July 13 Beck preview, Mark Baumgarten wrote, "The music on Guero is actually fun and should lend itself to a bunch of call and response (and some 'Beck dancing') from the L.A. artist. Sea Change, his dour 2002 affair, left little room for dancing and even less for any interaction with the audience." There are MANY Beck fans who believe Sea Change to be a truly compelling, beautiful record. Someone should hip Mark Baumgarten to the fact that "interaction" with an audience comes in many forms...including connecting on a deeper level than goofy dancing. Music doesn't always have to be "fun" to be fulfilling for a listener. It's called art, and I would think a music editor would have a more broad-minded opinion.

J.R. Richard
Northwest Kearney Street