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[August 27th, 2008]

What a Long, strange trip it’s been

Willamette Week reports on a “street race” between the admirers of César Chávez and Doug Adams [Aug. 20, 2008]. Each group wants to rename a Portland street for their hero. I’ve got a compromise candidate to offer: Jerry Garcia.

For the César Chávez group, Jerry was a prominent and widely admired person of Latino/Hispanic heritage. For the Doug Adams group, Jerry was someone who helped many of us explore the outer reaches of the cosmos.

Can’t we all get along?
Michael Trigoboff
Tigard

Your health is your responsibility

[Re: “Something Difficult,” WW, Aug. 20, 2008:] I am self-employed, and I pay about $140 a month for health insurance. When I hear people say they “can’t afford” health insurance when they have a cigarette habit, a latte habit, and an expensive cellphone, I shake my head in amazement. People, your health is your responsibility; it’s not the job of the rest of society to ante up for your medical costs because you were too cheap to insure yourself.
“Barbara”
via wweek.com

But medical care is a basic human right

I’m also self-employed, and can’t afford $140 a month for health insurance. I wouldn’t own a cellphone if they were free. Health is a personal responsibility; medical care is a basic human right. It’s not as if this society can’t afford to insure every member. Just hard to do it and keep fighting a string of overseas wars at the same time.
“Jeff Taylor”
via wweek.com

Correction

Last week’s story “Breakin’ Balls” (WW, Aug. 20) incorrectly stated there were no women in the billiards class with pool champs Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer and Earl “The Pearl” Strickland. In fact, there was one woman among the dozen students. WW regrets the error.