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WW
welcomes
letters to the editor via mail, e-mail
or fax. Letters must be signed by the author and include
the author's street address and phone number for verification.
Preference will be given to letters of 250 words or less.
NEWS WITH A PUNCH
Your cover story, "Writer's Bloc"
(Oct. 4, 2000), is more suited for the gossip pages of
The Oregonian than the cover of Willamette Week.
Wickstrom's interview with Jennifer Lauck is petty and bitchy.
"Who is this person and why did she leave Stepford?" Her
interview reveals more of who she is rather than her subject.
Wentz then provides the double whammy, as her review is
narrowly focused on the storyline of Blackbird and
fails to mention other components such as its writing style
or distinctive voice. Instead Wentz moans about how the
story doesn't provide her with enough answers. Wentz writes,
"Reliving childhood trauma for its own sake is fun only
for drama junkies and permanent victims." Does that include
the work of Maya Angelou, Frank McCourt and Tobias Wolf?
And since when did writing one's story equate embracing
victimization?
In a city where the only alternative to The Oregonian
is Willamette Week, you once again deliver a
sucker punch to your readers.
Rhonda Hughes
Southeast 36th Avenue
FLICKING TO SURVIVE
What the hell was Sharon Mitchell
talking about in last week's article "Skin Flicker," by
David Walker [Q&A, WW, Oct. 4, 2000]? In her
response to whether or not pornos degrade women, she stated,
"The girl is portraying a scene of submission for a large
amount of money...you can say it is the clearest form of
feminism that's out there, because we are taking control
of our bodies--taking control of the sex."
Last time I checked, being in a "submissive" role was not
about being "in control." Sharon said herself that female
sex workers have usually been "abused," come from "broken
families" and "need attention." A woman without a family
or education is forced to turn to her only commodity that
is valued in society, which is her body. She does not "use"
it, but she is used to survive.
I am not against pornography, but there are no stories
out there that portray a woman's sexuality--because it belongs
to men. The men who define a woman's sexuality are the men
in power who make the rules and make the movies. Female
sex workers do not have sex for money because they want
to or like to; they do it because they have to in order
to survive. I do not think there is anything liberating
about that. And I think the clearest form of feminism is
pointing shit like this out.
Sarah Davidian
Lake Oswego
W.C. FIELD
The space around the Portland French School
is frequently referred to as having been green space, as
if prior to its use by the PFS it was a bucolic garden filled
with wildlife and waterfalls [Rogue of the Week, WW,
Sept. 27, 2000]. In fact, prior to the hard work of the
PFS parents, the school was a weed-covered, brown, dog-crap-encrusted,
dilapidated property that was at best ignored by the neighborhood.
Thanks to the sweat and time of the PFS parents it is becoming
a multi-use greenspace.
As to the need for fences, they are not to keep out the
hoi polloi, but rather to protect those who use the school.
You snicker at le dog poop, but it is a source of
a half-dozen infectious diseases, as well as being an unpleasant
nuisance. PFS is not the only greenspace exploited by irresponsible
dog owners who let their animals use public spaces as a
toilet. From an infectious-disease perspective, I would
rather have a human relieve themselves on my front yard
than a dog. Which would be more preferable from an aesthetic
perspective is a matter of debate.
Without protective fences and hedges (which most Portland
Public Schools have), important risks to children include
stray dogs and their tendency to bite children (the No.
1 source of animal bites in the U.S.), being hit by cars
(the No. 1 source of death and trauma for children) and
the occasional deranged human who preys on children. Fortunately,
PFS puts the health and safety of the humans who use the
grounds at a priority.
I am sure that if they did "slap up a cardboard sign" that
was somehow defaced or destroyed and a child slipped on
the new sod or fell off the play device and was injured,
they would be Rogue of the Week again, this time for not
putting up enough signs to ensure the safety of the community.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Due to Marc Abrams' ongoing use of the politics of division,
his lack of interest in the health and safety of children,
his juvenile language (see WW quote) and his interest
in the stink of children's crap, Mr. Abrams will remain
an enduring example of why I have chosen to send my children
to a private school.
Mark Crislip, MD
Southeast 99th Drive
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