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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 2004)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR informed decisions instead of relying on gambling industry hype. Find lawmakers at www.leg.state.or.us/house/houseset.htm and www.leg.state.or.us/senate Debby Todd Florence DELUDED ARROGANCE / i iÀÌÌÞ iÌiÀ -!+%ô!ô$2%!-ô#/-%ô425%ô"%#/-%ô!.ô%''ô$/./2 1EBñ#BOQFIFQVñ BKQBOñLCñ,OBDLKñE>PñEBIMBAñJ>KVñ@LRMIBPñ >@EFBSBñMOBDK>K@VñPFK@Bñ ñ4Bñ>OBñFKñKBBAñLCñBDDñALKLOPñ QLñ@LKQFKRBñQLñEBIMñFKCBOQFIBñTLJBK ñ vÊ ", " -OL@BAROBPñ >OBñ ALKBñ FKñ >ñ IL@>Iñ @IFKF@ñ LSBOñ >ñ PFU TBBHñ MBOFLA ñOBNRFOFKDñBFDEQñQLñQBKñSFPFQP ñ!LKLOPñ>OBñ@LJMBKP>QBAñ ñCLOñQEBFOñQFJB ñ&CñVLRñ>OBñ>ñEB>IQEVñTLJ>Kñ>DBñjñ >KAñ >OBñ FKQBOBPQBAñ @>IIñ ñ LOñ SFPFQñ LROñ TB?PFQBñ >Qñ ñ TTT CBOQFIFQV@BKQBOLCLOBDLK @LJ Starting Jan.17th Winter Classes: Painting: Still Life with Oils - Mon. evenings with John Holdway Intro to Acrylics - Thurs. evenings with Rebecca Mannheimer The Art of Bookmaking: Mon. evenings with Paula Gourley Drawing: Basic & Intermediate - Tues evenings with Paula Stuart Photography: Light and the Human Form- Weds. evening with Lorin Edmonds Chinese Calligraphy: Weds. evenings with Teresa Hsu Printmaking: Printing without a press- Weds. afternoons with Diane Rios Parent/Child Art Class: Tu/Thurs afternoons with Donna Dawson Sculpey in 3-D: Tues afternoons with Donna Dawson Also find information about workshops at DIVA visit online at www.divanow.org REGISTER AT OREGON ART SUPPLY . 1020 PEARL ST. . 683-2787 8 DECEMBER 30, 2004 Few people noticed that only 31 per- cent of eligible voters approved of Bush, and a whopping 40 percent abstained, per- haps because both Democrats and Republicans support defiant, violent world domination. I hope the corporate-political aristocracy feels abandoned by the non- voters because the empire-expansion poli- cies will hit the wall of petroleum exhaus- tion soon, resulting in deadly chaos. At only 5 percent of the world’s popu- lation, Americans dominate the rest of the world by consuming 20 percent of the dis- appearing oil, which requires enormous military support. In 1998, the Republican Policy Committee stated “most of the cost of Persian Gulf oil is the military cost.” Obese oil corporations are protected by an obese military so that obese Americans can drive their obese vehicles. The people who display the “Support Our Troops” rib- bons are insulated from viewing the obscene violence committed by those troops and they obviously don’t connect the gas-guzzling vehicles that bears their ribbons to the demand for oil bought with the blood of those troops. We have a deluded arrogance: 137 species are going extinct every day from global warming, we produce 25 percent of the world’s global-warming carbon emis- sions, yet we refuse to sign the Kyoto treaty. We also have enough nuclear bombs to destroy all life on the planet sev- eral times over. We could become extinct ourselves, easily. Realizing this, millions of people worldwide are working toward cooperation and peaceful coexistence. We do not need to wait for an obsolete domi- nation system to grant us true security. David Hazen Eugene EYES WIDE SHUT To those “citizens” in Eugene who sit by tacitly and watch as women are abused, you are a disgrace. Apparently my gender still feels comfortable with assaulting women. I am angry and disillusioned with the actions of these bottom feeding abusers and the cowardly “non-confronta- tional” spectators peering in Buddha-like silence as assault takes place in the city streets. This city sure has a high concentration of people willing to turn their tie-dyes when realistic problems are in full view. I hope the children in attendance with their parents didn’t get any negative ideas as they looked upon this confusing mix of apathy and aggression. The fact is, if you do not react, if you make no movements, no interjections, or if you refuse to stack yourself into a physical presence, more power is being comman- deered by these simian self-hating tough- guys. You should already have a working, cognitive value system by now. Is some- thing you are witnessing confusing to you? I had no problem running to the aid of someone who was being assaulted in the street while an entire busload of people watched dumbly; and I certainly didn’t stand about crippled by internal moral dilemmas when I reacted to an obvious, public case of abuse. Yet, my “nosy” behavior sent some abusive creep stagger- ing home and away from his victim. That was my only concern at the moment, my only reaction. To the large crowd watching from a distance — YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING. Jon Young Veneta WHAT’S SUCCESS? I am homeless./ But not one can help me./ People say homeless people are poor,/ that they don’t know about success,/ so they don’t have a door or a roof, / They say they drink and do drugs,/ And then it makes their life go poof./ But it’s not true because I’m homeless, too./ Homeless people know about success/ Look what I do./ I go to school, I don’t smoke/ Or do drugs./ I work on Saturdays/ I live without my mom,/ I take care of two kids,/ Try to survive on my own,/ So if that’s not suc- cess/ Then what is? This poem was written by Matthew Hernandez, a student at Churchill Alternative High School. This poem was a response to my own homelessness and to others that experience it. Because a lot of people aren’t aware of this issue, this poem is a social commentary exposing my own emotions and the truth about “staying on the streets.” Matthew Hernandez Eugene FACING EXTINCTION Forever is a long time. We are in an unprecedented crisis, one whose implica- tions have failed to reach those responsible for it. The rate of species going extinct due to our collective activities has reached an unprecedented number, thousands of species per year. But that’s nothing compared to what eco-science experts predict. They say that if we do not act to slow, stop and reverse our fouling of air land and water, 30 per- cent of all species will be on an irre- versible path to extinction by the year 2015, and potentially 90 percent will be in that category by 2100. What we do or fail to do now, in these next 10 years, will determine the extent of our enormous sin. Man(un)kind has been responsible for many sins (by causing undeserved harm to vulnerable “others”), especially in the 20th century. Our influ- ence has grown so massive that the very survival of the planetary web of life is in question. We have to find ways to signal through the flames, to cooperate in ways we have not yet done, for the outcome to be anything but tragic. Extinction is forev- er. Paul Prensky Springfield BY THE WAY … Side effects may include, but are not limited to: excessive sweating, nausea,
