rrmiout
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October
15. 2QQ4
l u s t P P T ^ r n n m Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart said during a worship service that he'd kill any gay man
*
k
who looked at him uand tell Qod he died." He apologized after getting complaints from
several queer groups, saying the remark wasn't meant to harm anyone. Did the mainstream media do a thorough
job covering these events, or were they downplayed?
waggart s remarks were so violent, and his
audience’s reaction was so scary. Obviously,
something fishy is up with the media’s lack of
uproar. Several years ago, when the corporate
media were already conservative but were pretty
pro-tolerance, this would have gotten more neg
ative press. Now, we have had years of Fox
News’
conservat i ves- are-the-only - vie tints
schtick and its effect on pulling the rest of the
media rightward.
The right-wing talking heads who dominate
the media condemn anyone who criticizes
homophobic statements, acting as if it is us, not
them, who act as modern-day Joe McCarthy*
again«: those poor conservative Christians.
They would have acted like conservative free
speech was under attack if any mainstream
media source made a big deal about Swaggart’s
comments. Fox and the conservative media
constantly get away with lies and distortions,
bu t the “liberal” media never hold them
accountable. These same media tried to bring
down C B S even after C B S apologized about
those forged documents (which were probably
planted by Karl Rove). This is how unbalanced
things are in the media, as media outlets know
they can’t even get away with criticizing con
servatives about things those conservatives
have actually done, such as Bush’s AWOL or
Swaggart’s hatemongering.
W ? : ■ ■■ v
S
T om S oppe
Portland
» • » m
’ m
H
ere is the perspective of one bisexual athe
ist. We can wish that the Rev. Swaggart
affected. They have children who will, not who
might, suffer from the measure. That contrasts
with those people who want to save society
from itself.
M ike H olden
Portland
Measure 35
bad for seniors
To
E ditor :
hen you live long enough to be a senior
citizen, you learn that insurance compa
nies, health management organizations and
pharm aceutical companies are more co n
cerned about their own bottom line than the
health and safety of Oregon patients.
In Ballot Measure 35, HMOs want to
amend the Oregon Constitution to limit the
power of juries. In cases where health care
providers are negligent and reckless, juries
would not be able to award more than
$500,000 in non-economic damages. Unfortu
nately, seniors are often the casualties of neg
ligent and reckless health care. And for retired
people who are no longer wage earners, non
economic damages are very important. Each
case should he decided on its own merits, not
with a one-size-fits-all limit.
Let me tell you about Alice Thomas. She
was a piano teacher in Portland. Her HMO
denied her surgery ordered by her doctor. Sev
eral months later, she lost the use o f her right
hand. She turned to the courts. A jury looked
at the facts of her situation and determined
the HMO was negligent by ignoring the pro-
the
W
did not advocate the murder o f homosexuals
with the approval of Jesus Christ. But that is
what he said; wishing otherwise doesn’t change
that. We can wish that the Bible did not advo
cate the murder o f homosexuals (Leviticus
2 0:13) with the approval o f Jesus Christ
(Matthew 5:17-18). But that is what the Bible
says; wishing otherwise doesn’t change that.
Christianity has inescapable murderous intent
toward homosexuals, and therefore Swaggart was
only following his faith. T he problem Isn’t a mis
representation of Christianity that requires a sin
cere apology. The problejp is Christianity itself;
wishing otherwise doesn’t change that.
T revor B lake
Portland
• • •
I
hadn’t heard about this but have found that
when people are threatened or wrong about
an issue, they fall back on that favorite child
hood coping tool— anger. Many children when
they get really angry or frightened will think of
the worst thing they can say, and that is to kill
something. I have had the experience of hearing
many heterosexual grown men respond the
same way to gays.
Ginsidering that the mainstream media are
also mostly heterosexual, this was probably
downplayed. How about the fact that in any
given day, Jimmy probably is waited on by a
homosexual? How many times a day does he
have contact with an unknown number of peo
ple besides homosexuals who don’t agree with
him? There are even Christians who don’t agree
with him. These evangelists and Christians
need to rethink their work here cm earth and
that the gavs are working right alongside them
and even talking to the same God! Think of the
power Jimmy is bestowing on these gay men he
is so afraid of; to scare such a man of God they
must be really something.
A lice L ynn
Portland
• • •
I
think the mainstream media do not cover any
hate or hate crime enough! It should be Just as
important a news story as any. In my thinking of
“all people are good,” if enough o f the world heard
of all the hate crimes, maybe more would he done.
Enough people outraged could make a difference!
Hare is hate, whether it is against an African
American or a gay mart It doesn’t matter
J2 va H offman
M ikuaulde
As Coro-
Jll ation
2004 approaches, the Im perial
Sovereign Rose Court has one can
didate for Emperor and no candi
dates /or Em press. What's going
on here? Does this signal the end
o f an era? (Please see related item
on Page 4 5 .) Respond at
www.justout.com. (Don't forget to
include your nam e, city and day
time telephone number.)
fessional advice of her doctors. She could no
lic good. I’m not fooled, and I hope you’re not,
longer use her right hand, which meant she 1 either.
could no longer teach piano.
■ *
For her loss, a jury awarded her a modest
G enie U ebelacker
m
sum. This was a clear case where the HMO put
Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans
profits ahead o f health care. Were it not for a
strong jury system, it would have been more
difficult to hold the H M O accountable.
If Amendment 35 had been in effect, it
T o the E ditor :
could have been a very different story.
feel compelled to write after reading Timo
Right now, the Oregon civil justice system
thy Krause’s review of Kiss It! in the O ct. 1
is the ultimate decision-maker. Fair-minded
issue o f Ju st O ut. I saw the play on opening
Oregonians sit on those juries— neighbors and
night and immediately went home and
friends, rich and poor, seniors and nonseniors.
e-mailed all my Portland friends urging them
U nlike insurance companies, HM Os and
to go see it.
pharmaceutical companies, jurors have no
OK, the ending was a hit long on opening
vested interest in the outcome of a case. This
night, hut this is a world premiere, and the play
is how the people of Oregon can hold people
is still in development. This new show by Amy
accountable when they are negligent or reck
W heeler is delightful. 1 found it mesmerizing.
less.
No doubt they will continue tinkering with it,
Supporters of the amendment say it would
tightening it even further, but I couldn’t take
my eyes off it. I laughed, I thought deeply, I
hold down insurance costs. But when I read
misted up a couple of times. There is not a
the amendment, I can’t find any language that
weak link in the ensemble.
describes how rates would go down. W hat’s
And as usual with Stark Raving Theatre,
more, in states that have passed limits, like
the sets, the lights, the music, everything works
Texas and Florida, malpractice rates didn’t go
together so well that you can totally forget
down. They went up at a faster rate than states
about
it and focus on the play at hand. Brilliant.
without limits.
We can work on real reform and call for
As a playwright, it is in my best interest to
public hearings on how insurance companies
support the only theater in town that ONLY
conduct business. Insurance companies should
does new plays. I realize that. But believe me,
open their books. Let’s have hearings on rate
this play is worth your dough, your time and
increases the way the Public Utility Commis-
whatever effort is involved in putting yourself
in that seat.
sion reviews rate hikes for utilities.
Seniors have learned about sleight of hand.
S andra de H elen
And that’s what this amendment is all about:
Portland
a clever way to save money, disguised as a pub
Kiss and make up
I
Pea r I
of t h e
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