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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2005)
TO THE EDITOR POTS AND PANS J-SCHOOL ETHICS In response to Paul Prensky (8/25), peo- ple aren’t demonstrating in vast numbers against the Iraq war because we’re in an even crueler era than that of Vietnam. The Bush administration invaded Iraq despite mass demonstrations by millions around the world, as it now attempts to ignore (and smear) Cindy Sheehan, other Gold Star mothers, and vets standing vigil in Crawford, Texas against the war. These good folks plan to follow Bush back to Washington in September and join in the mass demonstration planned there for 9/25 by United for Peace and Justice. But demonstrations alone will not stop this criminal government and its war to control oil. And neither, Colin Klein (8/25), will elections. After two fraudulent presidential elections, and with the Democrats in thrall to the same corporate interests as the Republicans, there will be no help from that quarter. Kris Milligan, profiled in an article in the same issue, has the answer — a non- violent but determined revolution. He says, “These people can be exposed and driven from ... power by pots and pans in the streets. All it will take is a massing of peo- ple.” If the Ukrainians and Bolivians, and, yes, the Argentinians banging on pots and pans can do it, we can, too. Check out www.worldcantwait.org for ideas. I’ve personally demonstrated against war and nuclear weapons (and voted) since 1965, and the American juggernaut keeps rolling on (nukes in space are next). We need a whole new system, not only to end war and the nuclear threat, but to begin, however belatedly, to prepare for life with- out oil. Maggie Springer Eugene George Beres is correct when he states that public relations is not journalism. Journalism is about expanding people’s knowledge of what surrounds us while pub- lic relations is about perceptions, not knowledge. I received my journalism degree from UO in 1970, worked as a magazine edi- tor/writer for seven years before spending the past 28 years as a PR practitioner. Yes, I was paid to lie for my employers at rare times until I became an independent con- sultant who simply won’t allow that. I care too much about the journalistic ethics I learned in school to be intentionally false. PR is not only about affecting the per- ceptions of people outside an organizations (whom we call stakeholders). I spend more time teaching and coaching the manage- ment of an organization about what it takes to earn high public regard and support. The most important role for PR professionals is the work they do internally to help their employer or client learn and practice good citizenship, demonstrate principles and integrity, listen to critics and not fear telling the truth. One of my clients told me that I not only helped them achieve their goal to receive public support for a large project but I also “helped improve our corporate self-esteem.” Some organization leaders won’t allow this. Some PR practitioners are unable to provide this leadership. But it does happen. Many, if not most, PR people encourage their organizations to perform to higher standards. I found that my journalist training helped me be the kind of PR practitioner that worked to build effective relationships, not just manipulate perceptions. If the rea- son this mattered to me is because of my respect for journalism, then it’s worth it to keep the PR programs in the journalism schools; as long as nobody says that PR is a field of journalism. Thomas Santee Eugene THE GAME GOES ON I am continually amazed by the non- stop flow of avoidance fantasies. Lance Sparks’ “Sinister Forces” piece (8/25), for example. So Kris Millegan is going to “save the United States” by exposing “secret societies, covert cabals, deep cover fascists,” etc. One question: How different would it be if they didn’t exist? Answer: no different. The article places the superfi- ciality of conspiracy addicts in bold relief; they can’t seem to ponder how very much deeper the crisis really is. How about crit- icizing even one social institution, for example? Colin Klein (8/25) advises all of us to stay in line and keep voting. Yes, if we con- tinue to be model citizens all will be well. It doesn’t occur to him that continuing to play the manipulative game set out for us only guarantees an endless worsening of condi- tions of life on every level. BY CINDY INGRAHM Community Causeway The heart of Eugene at the Eugene Celebration D id you know that there are 1,302 registered 501(c)(3)’s in Lane County? This desig- nation is given to nonprofit organizations by the federal government as a tax ID number, which allows donors to receive a tax deduction for their gifts. What exactly is a nonprofit? The bottom line: Profits in these organizations are not distrib- uted to their share holders. They function solely to serve the public good, and meet the needs of the community that governmental programs cannot. And thank good- ness for that! There are an incredible number of ways to serve the public good. For many of us, we first think of nonprofits as all social service agencies that provide direct care to the needy, such as feeding the hungry, finding shelter for homeless youth, or pro- viding independent living skills training for clients with developmental disabilities. These social services meet an incredible need, they are not alone in serving the needs of our community. Other busy Eugene programs come from sectors such as health, education and training, arts and culture, housing and community development, international assistance, religious congre- gations, civic participation and advocacy, infrastructure organizations, and foundations. It’s through the collection and collaboration of all of these specialized services that we as a civi- lized society meet the needs of our community. One organization cannot do it on its own. “Nonprofit variety is the spice of life,” says Renee Irvin, director of the Not-for-Profit Management Certificate Program at the UO. “Nonprofits in Lane County are doing all sorts of different things, from healing the sick to producing artistic works of wonder and beauty. We love our nonprofits!” O n Oct. 1-2, the 2005 Eugene Celebration will be embracing the Community Causeway and the caring community that it represents like never before. This year the associations, nonprofit organizations, political candidates, clubs and school pro- grams that make up this special component of the celebration will be smack dab in the mid- 4 SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 dle of the festivities surrounding the Saturday Market Park Blocks. “The Community Causeway is an essential component of the Eugene Celebration,” says Barry Blanton, Board Chair, Downtown Events Management, Inc. (DEMI), producers of the annual Eugene Celebration. “The organizations that participate in the Community Causeway are representative of the caring community we choose to live in – a place definitely worth cel- ebrating.” The Community Causeway is an outstanding opportunity for community organizations to come out and give Eugene a chance to get to know them, build relationships with other organizations with congruent missions, and gather citizen support. And this is a personal invita- tion to all Lane County community organizations, from small clubs to large governmental programs to come to the heart of the party! Celebration goers, this is a special invitation for you too. I encourage, no, actually I challenge you to get involved and make it a point to explore the Community Causeway. Visit the many col- orful booths sponsored by our local nonprofits and community asso- ciations. Appreciate them for the often thankless job of serving the pub- lic good. Sign-up for mailing lists and stay educated about what’s being done and how you can help, make a donation of goods, services or cash, or let your favorite organization know that you care enough to give the gift of time. Volunteer! Elizabeth McNeil, director of the United Way Volunteer Center, an amazing centralized resource for volunteers and volunteer coordinators in Lane County, says “Giving your time to the community is more than just volunteering. It is a form of citizen engagement where peo- ple can choose public issues that are of greatest concern to them and make connections with others who share the same interest. In return, this process creates a shared community vision where people can thrive and act with a sense of accountability.” Applications for participation in this year’s Community Causeway are online at www.eugenecelebration.com For more information contact Ingrahm at: awecindy@efn.org Cindy Ingrahm is coordinator of this year’s Community Causeway at the Eugene Celebration. She is the co-founder of two local organizations, and volunteer/staff at many. She is working on her graduate level certificate in not for profit management at the UO, and her masters in public administration.
