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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 3, 2004)
Courtesy Eugene political activist Jeff “Free" Luers is currently serving his fourth year in prison. He was sentenced to 22 years and eight months for setting fire to three SUVs in protest of the excessive emission of carbon dioxide from automobiles. WOW Hall will host a show on June 12 featuring performers who support Luers. Fight to free activist to convene at WOW on Day of Solidarity Environmental activist Jeff ‘Free’ Luers is doing time for setting fire to three SUVs By Natasha Chilingerian Pulse Reporter Four years ago, political activist Jeff "Free" Luers, fed up with the excessive carbon dioxide spit into the air by poor gas-mileage sport utility vehicles, set fire to three of them at a Eugene Chevrolet dealership. Luers was sentenced to 22 years and eight months in prison — a length of time Luers' supporters find unfair, considering that some murder ers and rapists are sent to jail for much shorter periods. This month marks the fourth an niversary of Luers' arrest, and on June 12 WOW Hall will feature a show of music and speeches for the "Day of Solidarity for Eugene Political Prison er Jeff'Free' Luers." Speakers Kevin Price and Ramona Africa from the MOVE organization and Claude Marks of the Freedom Archives will discuss Luers and other activists who were punished for their actions. Both Africa and Marks have been imprisoned for political actions. The band Blackfire will perform Native American-influenced punk tunes at the event. Break the Chains, an organization that supports prisoners convicted for their political activism, will host the event along with Free's Support Net work. Break the Chains volunteer Brendan Avakian said the event will show how appalled many people were by the length of Luers' sentence. "If people come to the event, they will understand why we are against his imprisonment" he said. Luers began fighting for change in issues such as animal rights, anti-fas cism and eco-defense in 1996. His primary concerns have been environ mental — he strove to stop global warming and air, soil and water pol lution. When he burned three of what he believed were prominent Turn to LUERS, page 10 Graduating seniors: This is your last chance to eat pizxa every day! Your pizza consumption will likely be dramatically reduced once you exit college. Seize the moment by ordering now! Eugene: 686-5808 We accept UO purchase orders Eugene: 686-5808 Not valid with any other offer Expires 6/20/04 'IPizza Pipeline 16" 2-Item Pizza plus 2 FREE II” 22 oz. Soft Drinks “ ™ FREEDE LIVERY ?1Pizzci Medium 1-Item Pizza plus 1 FREE 22 oz. Soft Drinks FREE DELIVERY Eugene: 686-5808 Not valid with any other offer Expires 6/20/04 Graduation marks time of year when we enter Age of The Fear "Is this really a new year? Are we bot toming out? Or are we into The Age of The Fear?" —Hunter S. Thompson For the normals out there — you know, those not in college — this is simply the middle of the year. For the rest of us, especially the gradu ating folks, this is a new year. We will be heading out into the belly of the beast. Some of us will fail mis erably, some of us will get rich, fat and ugly. Some of us might do something brilliant. Personally, I've still got a little time left, but in all honesty, school is com ing to a screeching halt. I'll be wav ing my $30,000 diploma like a gold en flag, hoping for a chance to go big time. But one thing that has become terribly clear is that my ideas before school about my hopes and future have all melted into one sad truth: 1 need a job. And I'll most likely strug gle to get into something I would call a dream job, but most likely, I will take whatever I can get. Don't forget, dreams are mirages, kids. They look a lot better further away. The closer you get to the damned things, the more you realize it's just more sand. So in that, realize the range of your weapons, your skills, and don't try to hit something that you can't reach. Don't take that stupid age-old advice that says aim for the stars. No one is going to make it to the stars without some serious engineering, cash and a firm grounding in reality. But on the brighter side, I've done well with my time here in university land. I've paid attention to the facts, the details and the er rors of my missions. I've sharpened the blade. I must give props to the people who have helped, in what ever way they did. The Emerald was gracious enough to give me 15 or so inches every two weeks to basically say whatever the hell 1 want. It's been fun, for the most part. Some people were really cool, some people 1 would say hon estly hated me. But that could have been deadline stress talking. Much love to KWVA, the beacon of hope for the future of radio. Keep pumping out the jams and thanks for giving me the chance to squirrel with the sound. Carl Sundberg Reasoning with madness The professors — the good ones 1 mean — I thank you for your insight. For the rest of you pompous jerks with favoritism hidden under liber alism: Go to hell. I won't name names, but you know who you are. For my parents, for giving me sup port in the millions of ways you have, I thank you. For your criticism on my future plans, however, please stop. It's hard enough. And finally, for my friends who put up with my ranting and, most importantly, for giving a man a drink when he's down. So now that that is out of the way, the only thing in front of me is die horizon. We have a summer of terrorist threats, forest fires, festivals, the Olympics and one of the most dead ly presidential races in America's his tory looming in the fall. I'm not tak ing sides here, as I don't favor either of the competitors, but if you vote for Bush this year, you are a miser able beast. Oops. Did I say that? As Janeane Garofalo said, a vote for Bush is a character flaw. But I'm diverging again. Where was I? Oh yes, the horizon. This world, as I see it now, is in terrible stress. We have made a horrific mess of things on so many levels I can't even begin. But what that means, for all you cap italists, is that there is much work out there for all of us! And that means a job! But "What job?" is a question that plagues generations of college students every single year. I guess I could suck up and get some mediocre job at some horren dous corporation, start wearing a tie and chugging triple mochas four times a day, just to make the guys above me in the bigger, shinier of fices just a little more money. I could do that. But those are the cannibals who are eating us. And I don't think feeding them is the way to make this world better. No, I will move on, my friends. But to where, 1 don't know. Some place real, someplace important, to somewhere that will make the world — not the corporate bottom line — a better place. I'm not sure what that means, but there is a gut feeling that guides me, and thus far, it has not failed me. There is no question that we have entered The Age of The Fear. And many of you, myself included, are going to be attacked by it forever. But the trick is to look Fear into the eyes, grit your teeth, and say to it, "I'm bigger than you and you can't do a damn thing to me." Then calm down, because we still have a long, long way to go. This is just the beginning. Cheers. Now, where IS that rum... Contact the Pulse columnist at carisundberg@daiiyemerald.com. His opinions do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald. Student Groups! Advertise in the Emerald call 346-4343 or place your ad online at www.dailyemerald.com Furnished 1, 2, & 4 bedroom apartments with washer/dryer starting at $310. Call today to ask about our $100 off move-in special. For a limited time only* TONS of amenities— come take a tour today! 338-4QQf|.. umversiTY COMMONS apartments •- ..... 9p. 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