Mailbox

[June 6th, 2007]

DRAFT RESISTER

Help me out. By virtue of the socialist NBA draft, where the last shall be first, we have enslaved a decent college player, and dragged him to Portland ["We're #1! We Could Be...Cleveland?," WW, May 30, 2007]. Is this something to brag about?

How many drafts have there been since our one "miracle" season in '77? If there are 5 players on the floor at any one time, does any one player (not named Michael Jordan) make a team? Is the billionaire Paul Allen that short on cash that he needs to be gifted decent players? Doesn't this mean that a new stadium proposal jammed down taxpayers' throats can't be far behind?

Mark K
Via wweek.com

NATURAL MISTAKE

First and foremost I would like to say thank you for publishing an article that feeds directly into the hands of the pharmaceutical and "If in doubt cut it out"-based medicines that have become the mainstay of our culture ["Natural Disaster," May 30, 2007]. When you publish fear-tactic articles such as the one in the last issue you are turning people directly into the hands of those (largely) profit-minded drug pushers.

Mind you, I am in no way dismissing all "mainstream" medicine as irresponsible and profit-based, but there is a large contingent of folks out there that were really happy that you bagged on naturopaths (which is actually the longest-standing tradition of medicine in our culture).

Oh, and it is interesting that you chose not to report that "mainstream" invasive medicine kills thousands of people a year. One naturopath makes a mistake and the whole profession (which, again, predates all you MDs and Ph.D.s out there who call us "quacks") is demonized. Typical response in our short-sighted society of instant gratification.

Secondly, as a student at the National College of NATURAL [not Naturopathic] Medicine I wanted to point out that you incorrectly named our school. We officially changed the name due to the fact that we house a phenomenal Chinese Medicine school as well. Oh and thanks for mentioning our name, even if it was an offhanded smear—we need press.

Nicholas Buscemi
Chinese Medicine Student, National College of Natural Medicine
Southwest Porter Street

CLARIFICATION

The cost of keeping Portland Public Schools' graduation ceremonies at private venues was lower than the expected price of holding them at the schools themselves, as initially proposed in the district's 2006-2007 budget. A May 23 Murmur incorrectly suggested otherwise.