Portlanders Reflect on Recent Events

April 11, 2009 - 5:36 PM

The Hostage in Nairobi, the Pastor Holding Church Service in a Bar, and Day Cuts at the Animal Shelter Make an Impression on Civilians

Recent events including pirates holding an American hostage for a $2 million ransom, a Little Rock, Ark., Pastor preaching in public places, and the animal shelter shaving weekdays off of its open hours leave Portlanders pondering.

In light of the Somali pirates holding a U.S. ship captain hostage, people are dismayed and confused by the pirates' choices and wonder how the situation will pan out.

"I don't see how the pirates can pull this off," said Carol Buckle, a graphic designer in Portland. "It seems like a losing proposition for the pirates."

While the world watches to see how the negotiations transpire, Portlanders are speculating as to how and who will respond to this issue.

"I've been following them pretty closely," said Anne McAvoy, a mortgage broker from Portland. "My guess is that they will get ransom from the shipping company but they won't kill the captain because then they will have no bargaining power."

A young man visiting from Texas would like to see a more direct response from the U.S. government.

"I think the U.S. needs to make a strong stance against this," said Conrad Williams, a freshman at Baylor University in Waco, Tx. "We need to say we aren't going to take this, and here's the proof."

The pirates are not the only people on Portland's minds lately. In Little Rock, Ark., Pastor Shane Montgomery is beginning to preach at a bar, which has started a stir around the country, including Portland.

"If people want a casual environment, and that's what attracts them, and they can get community, then it should be fine," says McAvoy. "If you're not going to serve alcohol during the service, I'm fine with it."

Ted Jones, Assistant Kitchen Manager at a McMinneman's in northwest Portland sees a money-making opportunity for the bar in Little Rock.

"We have all sorts of groups of people who come in," said Jones. "And the bar doesn't have any problems with it; it's business for the bar."

Some people, however, are not as comfortable with the idea of bringing Christianity into a bar.

"It just doesn't seem like an appropriate place," said Jeanne Duncan, a real estate appraiser in Portland. "I think the people in the bar wouldn't like it, and some formal thing in a bar doesn't appeal to me that much."

Animal lovers in Portland are torn over the Multnomah County Animal Shelter's proposal to cut back on the number of days per week they will be open to the public.

"The positive thing is that they won't be cutting services, which is good for the sake of the animals," said Buckle. "But they will probably cut employees."

Others think that the animals' livelihoods will be compromised with this proposed approach to coping with economic strain.

"Someone should be there 7 days a week so people can come claim their stray pets," said McAvoy. "Keeping [stray pets] there all weekend would cost them more because they would have to take care of more animals who could be claimed if the shelter was open."

But according to Duncan, the bottom line is that "people would be more upset if the animals were not being cared for."

Despite the decline in paper news, Portlanders are keeping up with their current events and continue to consider the implications of local, national, and international issues.