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. Temper, Temper I don't know if Annette Harings is correct in her assessment of Steffen Silvis' style of theater review ("Shrewed," Letters, WW, Nov. 17, 1999). Her letter offered no enlightenment, only proved that she can write profanity. In the words of the great Yogi Paramahansa Yogananda, "Profanity is the ultimate immaturity." If he is correct, Ms. Harings must be one of the most immature of our citizens. She's certainly one of the most virulent. One can only hope she's a better actress than she is a writer. Next time she feels the need to have a tantrum and regurgitate on paper, let's hope she counts to 10, tears it up, and has someone help her write a piece that might, possibly, be taken seriously. Lori Paddison Southeast Rex Street Is That A Threat Or A Promise? As a longtime member of the Portland theater community, I've been treated to dozens of reviews, not all of which were favorable or accurate. A couple of these reviews were even written by that cad, Steffen Silvis. Annette Harings' letter to the editor ["Shrewed," WW, Nov. 17, 1999] exposes one reason why Portland theater will never rise above its current status as a conservative morass of art. It gives us a glimpse of the ugly side that theaters hide from their audience. Remember them? The audience pays the bills, either directly at the box office or indirectly through taxes. They have a brain for themselves to decide whether or not your show is shitty. Instead of accepting reality, enlightened Portland theater artists threaten not just the First Amendment, but people, too. I have never felt threatened by anything Mr. Silvis has written, but I feel very threatened by the action of any theater company or individual artist in banning him from reviewing their performances. They are practicing an unconscionable form of censorship. I also feel very threatened by the artists which have made death threats against Mr. Silvis. Are these the same enlightened artists who used their creativity to produce stickers insulting Mr. Silvis and, even more abhorrent, printing his home phone number, which they then plastered about town? Can you defend your actions in print to your audience, or your peers? Rod Harrel Northeast Everett Street He's No Spring Chicken Congratulations on an excellent 25th-anniversary issue. The special section is something that many people will keep and re-read in the years ahead. Now that you have passed through adolescence, could you do me a favor as I advance toward middle age ahead of you? Can you please stop calling me "young"? I was born when Dwight Eisenhower was president. I remember the Beatles and dislike most of what is on the radio today. I do not know what "Generation X" is, anyway. I bear no tattoos and none of my parts are pierced. I actually originated in that eerily nameless period between the end of the "Baby Boom" (John Kitzhaber) and the start of "Generation X" (Erik Sten). These vague origins make me many things--confused, neurotic--but no longer make me "young." To paraphrase Tom Lehrer, "It is a sobering thought that when Mozart was my age, he had already been dead five years." David Bragdon Southeast Morrison Street Concealed Threat I'm pleased that WW has dedicated coverage to gun violence, one of the most pressing threats to public safety in Oregon today. Your story on Oct. 20 ["Packing Heat"], however, failed to tell the whole story and ignored the pervasive threat posed by almost 100,000 concealed weapons in Oregon today. Gun advocates would have us believe that all holders of concealed-handgun licenses (CHLs) are law-abiding citizens. While most are, a significant number are not. State police records show that since the CHL system was started, over 3,600 licenses have been revoked because the holder committed a serious crime or otherwise posed a danger to society such as a mental condition or an addiction to drugs. What is more troubling, however, is the difficulty of yanking a license once it is issued. Law-enforcement officials point out that unless the license is actually on the holder when arrested, few county sheriffs have the resources to track down and confiscate a revoked license. Police officers know there are numerous dangerous persons walking around with apparently valid licenses and concealed weapons. Your article did point out how lenient Oregon is with regard to where one can carry a concealed weapon. Under our very lax laws, CHL holders can legally carry their guns in schools, in almost any public building, in taverns, in hospitals, in most workplaces, even in church. Law-enforcement officials point out in frustration that short of asking to see a license, there is nothing they can do to stop this. Contrast Oregon to Texas--certainly no safe haven for gun control. While Texas does have a liberal concealed-carry law, even Texas outlaws the carrying of concealed weapons in schools, colleges and universities; in churches; in government buildings and meetings; at professional sports events; at taverns; and in hospitals, just to name a partial list. In Oregon, on the other hand, the only places where CHL holders cannot carry is in some courthouses and in places where federal law preempts Oregon law, such as airports and federal buildings. Yes, Oregon certainly could keep better statistics on how many crimes are committed by CHL holders. It does not serve your readers well, however, to merely quote a gun proponent's anecdote ("...he knows of only three incidents...") in lieu of good data. This only serves to propagate the myth of harmless concealed weapons when we know thousands of CHL holders must have committed a serious crime to get their license--but not necessarily their gun--taken away. Perhaps worst of all, your article leaves us with the dangerous impression that almost a hundred thousand legal concealed weapons in Oregon present no threat to public safety. Will we have to suffer another school massacre before we prohibit all guns--even those carried by CHL holders--from school premises? Does Oregon have to wait for a public official to be gunned down in a public building before we close that loophole? Why do Oregonians have to worry every day that the person sitting next to them on the bus or on MAX has a lethal weapon in that fanny-pack or pocket? Doesn't it just make more sense to prevent shootings rather than simply react after more victims are created? I look forward to more balanced coverage in your next story on gun violence. Chris Dearth Southwest 33rd Avenue Gates Opening This week's Winners and Losers column [Scoreboard, WW, Nov. 10, 1999] neglected to mention the ultimate loser: Willamette Week. I have always respected this weekly newspaper, but once I begin to read dehumanizing stereotypes I feel it should be brought to attention. This week's winner was Outside In. Willamette Week gave a brief blurb on Outside In's $1 million donation from Bill Gates. What a wonderful gift. How kind of Gates to be open-minded to something as controversial as homeless youth. Ironically, the article goes on to say, I quote, "They received a $1 million grant...to build a new shelter for street urchins who don't know where they want to go today." Excuse me, but what are street urchins? I am part of Portland's homeless youth population, and I don't appreciate being compared to a small, spiky, round sea creature that doesn't do anything all day. I am a recovering heroin addict who has managed to pull myself out of the gutter. I am going to school and taking a job-training course, and I have been accepted into transitional housing. I am creating a better reality for myself. Street kids are faced with many challenges and problems all day long, and just because street kids aren't contributing to your idea of society doesn't mean they don't do anything all day. Another bittersweet irony to all this is that Willamette Week is next-door neighbors with another homeless-youth agency, New Avenues for Youth. I suggest you get to know your neighbors before you spit out ignorant judgments about them. Thank you. Carly Laney Portland - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published November 23, 1999