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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (July 14, 2005)
TO THE EDITOR leaving a fortune estimated at $20 billion. He was ranked No. 7 on the Forbes Magazine list of the 400 wealthiest Americans last year. Ahead of him on that list were his mother and brother. That wealth was created, in part, by the work of thousands of employees who can’t afford to buy into the company health plan, earn less than a living wage and have been forced to work unpaid overtime while locked inside Wal-Mart stores. It is way past time for this company to revisit its business practices. Giving a frac- tion of their profits to conservation projects will not make up for the great harm Wal- Mart has done to workers and the environ- ment. Claire Syrett Eugene HEY, HOW ARE YA? I was very interested in Lynette Chiang’s letter (6/30, “Hitting Concrete”) and the earlier letter from Emily Wille (6/23, “Stuck in Eugene”), both having to do with alienation in a new place and find- ing friends in one’s town. It can be tough to fit in with others in a new venue. But most people do not approach the problem logically and scien- tifically. I propose the following well- researched and practical approaches to meeting nice people in a new town: • Go to the Saturday Market, and stroll the downtown Eugene streets completely naked. When a passerby’s eye catches you, give them your biggest, best wave and friendliest “How are ya?” • Run an ad in one of the local papers inviting people to be introduced to the newest, most successful strategy ever for achieving their personal dreams and ambi- tions. Once you get them all there, explain that the strategy is to be decent to others and always act with integrity. • Go to Texas Hold ‘Em poker tourna- ments. (This is a surefire winner if you can stand staying up all night.) • Whenever one of your neighbors, work peers, impromptu acquaintances, etc. begins to rant about whatever their person- al point is on politics, economics, person- al affairs, whatever (and believe me, you won’t have to wait long for this to hap- pen), listen carefully to the whole thing. Then look them straight in the eye and explain to them how they are completely right about everything. • If all else fails, write to me. I’ll be happy to be your friend. Matt Hannigan Eugene STENCH OF ‘PATULI’ “Support our own?” (Julie Rogers, 6/30). First of all, could you make Eugene sound like more of a cult? Second of all, not all locals are self-serving Democratic hippies. Not all of us enjoy shopping out- side in bare feet and dreadlocks with recy- cled baskets of produce and eggs. Not all of us enjoy spending $8 a pound for meat because it wasn’t given antibiotics and wasn’t given steroids. There are way too many people in Eugene to expect us all to shop at some itty bitty over priced, underventilated nat- ural foods store or some outdoor farmers market. Progressive means open to change, open to growth and the town is growing, not shrinking. People are differ- ent, with different needs. There is only one reason more families don’t buy natural foods — because they cannot afford the ridiculous prices! Yet we can all agree people should eat more natural foods. This need will be addressed. A big box natural food store is wel- come in my life. It is about time! Maybe this one won’t stink like god-awful patuli, and I don’t care if I spelled that right! Kamara S. Glenn Eugene FITTING THE CRIME Following is a selection of punishments for various criminal offenses: Six years for pouring hot cooking oil on face of sleeping boyfriend. Six years for deliberately run- ning over boyfriend with car. Six years for strangling and beating a woman beyond all recognition after serving six years for a similar assault. Four and one-half years for sexual abuse of at least 10 women by Eugene police officer while on duty. Fifteen days for attempted rape of and coerced oral sex with children’s nanny. Twenty-four years for serial killer who will be freed in 2006 (vicious random slay- ings of 13 women, targeted women he thought had evil eyes). Twenty-two years for execution-style murders of two Fish and Game Department officers, plus a jail- break. Eighteen years for attempted murder of Pope John Paul II. Eight years for rap- ing, cutting off the forearms of a 15-year- old girl, and leaving her to die (later con- victed of killing a prostitute). No charges for Springfield vigilante-style restaurant murder in 1995. Fifteen years for 17 separate arsons of buildings and cars. Four years for setting fire to a school. Three years for Forest Service fire safety specialist, whose motive was overtime, convicted of 35 counts of first degree arson in forest. Twenty-three years for Jeff Luers’ arson of three SUVs. While not condoning Luers action, I urge responsible Lane County justice sys- tem officials to support the reduction of his unjust, internationally denounced, JULY 14, 2005 5
