Inbox: The Sickness

Who Wants a Flu Shot?

I used to skip getting the flu shot some years because I was foolishly convinced of my own immortality ["Runny Nose. Sore Throat. Empty Wallet," WW, Dec. 9, 2015].

Then one year I got the flu. Even though I fully recovered, I was bedridden for a week. The first few days I thought I was going to die, and the next few days I wanted to die. It took me a month to feel like myself again.

I do what I can to convince my friends who make excuses, but yeah, for some people it will take getting the disease to see flu vaccine as the wonderful thing it is.

—"CH Shannon"

Everyone who gets flu shots are the sickest people I know. The flu shot ties up their immune system, and they come down with everything under the sun.

In most cases, it is no more effective than a placebo. Health does not come from the end of a needle full of viruses and toxins. It's the biggest scam ever perpetrated on the human race.

—"Kiwimommy"

New Homeless Camp

I'm all for helping homeless people, but allowing shanty towns to pop up all over the city just doesn't seem like a smart way to do this ["A Tale of Two Tent Cities," WW, Dec. 9, 2015].

Is it possible to build dorm-style housing or refurbish a derelict hotel? That's probably too expensive to be feasible, however.

Instead we need to pay for murals that get tagged, right?

—"RyanH"

You're nervous about a so-called tent city moving into your neighborhood? Then help us create thriving tiny-home communities.

Because with the state of this world in constant flux, our rents on a continual rise, and the weather doing that fabulous unpredictable thing, we could all be on the streets at any time.

—Kelli Martinelli

Building-Height Limits

Increasing density is a very long-established goal of the city ["Sky Scrapping," WW, Dec. 9, 2015]. If it bothers people to increase height limits, I would take it up with the planners, because they are very much onboard and don't require arm-twisting from the Greg Goodmans of the world.

—"Shoobie2"

David Douglas 1, Trump 0

I just want to tell you how much I adored the cover headline "PDX to Trump: Drop Dead" [WW, Dec. 2, 2015]. I guffawed with hysterical chuckles.

Given Trump's controversy about his proposed "complete shutdown" of allowing Muslims to enter the country, I felt like this cover story was so necessary for the education of people who were born in the United States.

The stories about the teenagers at David Douglas High School were remarkable and a crucial addition to the public discourse about refugees and immigrants in the U.S.

—Wahkeena Sitka

Correction

Last week's story on a mysterious Iraqi winner of a $6.4 million Oregon Lottery prize ("Megabucks Over Bagdad," WW, Dec. 9, 2015) incorrectly said thelotter.com is based in Israel. The company is based in Malta. WW regrets the error.

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