by Kat
Some disturbing news via The Stranger's Slog:

Eleven gay bars in Seattle received letters today addressed to the "Owner/Manager" from someone claiming to be in the possession of ricin, a deadly poison. "Your establishment has been targeted," the letter begins. "I have in my possession approximately 67 grams of ricin with which I will indiscriminately target at least five of your clients."

[...]

A letter also arrived in The Stranger's offices, addressed to the attention of "Obituaries." The letter's author said the paper should "be prepared to announce the deaths of approximately 55 individuals all of whom were patrons of the following establishments on a Saturday in January." The listed bars are: the Elite, Neighbours, Wild Rose, the Cuff, Purr, the Eagle, R Place, Re-bar, CC's, Madison Pub, and the Crescent. "I could take this moment to launch into a diatribe about my indignation towards the gay community," the letter concludes, "however, I think the deaths will speak for themselves."


A bunch of us girls have plans for a "lesbian dance night" at R Place this Saturday. Don't think this is going to stop us. Seriously, if I catch you poisoning my drink with ricin, I will fucking murder you. That is, before the vomiting and diarrhea.

I'm sure it's an empty threat, but still. People actually think this sort of shit will curry them favor with their God? It makes me sick.

EDIT: In a post titled " Who Wrote the Ricin Letters," Dan Savage makes a good counterpoint... nobody SAID anything about God. These letters read more like they were written by a closeted homophobe or a gay person who came out and had a bad experience. Or just an angry, insecure, straight male.

The letters mention nothing about a higher power, or about sin. In fact, one letter even plagiarizes from a gay poet. The author writes, "no antidote, no salve for their unimaginable pain. [Referring to Ricin] All I can say is that the targets won't care much that they'll be dead and nearly frozen, just as, presumably, they didn't care that they were living..."

One of the readers of the Slog commented that this is a line from the poem "A Display of Mackerel," from a collection by poet Mark Doty.

Says, the Slog: "The poem appeared in Atlantis, a 1996 collection of poems that Doty wrote after the HIV-related death of his partner in 1994."

The poem reads:

They don’t care they’re dead
and nearly frozen,

just as, presumably,
they didn’t care that they were livin:

CREEPY.

And despite everyone's advice to "watch your drink" and "don't let anyone buy you a drink," I tend to agree with those who theorize that IF anyone tries to poison bar patrons or clubgoers, it won't be by "slipping a mickey," but probably by staging a drug sale (meth? coke?) laced with ricin.

Posted on January 07, 2009 @ 2:17 PM | 7 comments

Comments:

or they could somehow get it into the alcohol bottles /taps before they pour.

By

Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:19 PM, January 07, 2009  

The could, but the author says he has a certain quantity of ricin, and will poison "at least five" patrons at each bar and "at least 55" over one Saturday in January. Putting the chemical into a bottle or tap would probably dilute it to the point where it would be harmless. Not to mention that they've said they're targeting 11 bars and I don't think anyone could get that lucky with security unless they're a supplier of liquor. (Which I suppose they could be!)

Nevertheless, WTFFFF...

By

Blogger Kat, at 4:25 PM, January 07, 2009  

Fucking terrible. I wish I could come up there and show my support to these bars too.

By Blogger Sara, at 4:27 PM, January 07, 2009  

This is so awful. What is wrong with people, honestly? Thank you for pointing out that this doesn't seem religiously motivated- I would hate for Christians to get the blame for something no true Christian could ever do.

By

Blogger Kaitlyn, at 11:56 AM, January 08, 2009  

hahaha, kaitlyn, that's a good one. there are countless equally horrible things in the bible. yes, done by the good guys.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:34 PM, January 11, 2009  

re: recently posted wedding photos.
which ones will be framed in your house? i'm loving 0730. and that shot of justin with the tart and that dog.

By

Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:14 PM, January 30, 2009  

also 0851

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:19 PM, January 30, 2009  

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