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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2007)
TO THE EDITOR rather foreboding. You see, my friends Jonathan Paul and Daniel McGowan, along with a number of others, may spend the next 20 years and beyond, my daughter’s entire childhood, locked up in federal prison be- cause the government wants you to believe they are “terrorists.” These men and women are good people, the kind of people I’d like to have my daugh- ter grow up around. Jonathan, whom I’ve known for nearly 15 years, is kind, gentle man, an EMT who has spent years helping and training people in his rural Oregon com- munity. Daniel has spent years working with battered women. Over 10 years ago Daniel, Jonathan and the others committed several acts of arson. No one disputes that these were criminal acts, and that they should involve consequences, but the government [labeled] those involved “terrorists,” in spite of the fact that by the prosecution’s own evidence, the perpetrators went to great lengths to ensure that no one was hurt or killed in these fires. Arson is a crime for which there are established sen- tencing guidelines, and those convicted of arson should expect to serve some prison time, but to call these acts of “terrorism” does an injustice not just to my friends, but to the thousands of people were killed in Oklahoma City, on 9/11 and through other acts of real terror. Garth Kahl Alsea LOVE THE LOCALS! Perusing last week’s EW (5/24 Calendar), some friends and I noticed that your writing staff stated that “Michael Franti & Spearhead make local hip hop fusion jam bands sound like zombies with plastic buckets and broom- sticks.” Shame on you, EW, for putting down your local musicians, some of whom opened for Spearhead. There are a lot of talented mu- sicians in this town who struggle to make Eugene’s music scene thrive, yet your writers continually bash them in a desperate attempt to get a laugh. How do these cheap shots sup- port the local music scene? Comparing local acts to polished professionals accomplishes nothing. Ease up and love your local music scene, EW! Xander Kahn Basin & Range Eugene YOUNG WRITER ADDS UP Miko Bauer may resent the new math re- quirements, but she has done very well in English composition. Her May 24 Viewpoint piece gave Eugene voters a valuable inside view into 4-J’s preparation of young adults. Will Eugene encourage individuals to flour- ish along their chosen paths? Or will we have two types of high school graduates — suc- cessful proto-technocrats and failed proto- technocrats? Certainly the economy is selecting for technology careers in industry, in the office, in the military. But communications skills and people skills are also valuable, and what happened to art education, musicianship and life skills like permaculture and woodwork- ing? The school garden project should be greatly expanded, for instance, and Eugene’s “green building” movement could extend to the high schools with excellent effect. This community is going to need more than tech nerds to get by the coming times, and forcing kids into narrow boxes, defined by math and science test scores, will only discourage and disempower young people with different skills and interests. Bauer’s article was one of the best pieces of writing I‘ve seen in the paper recently. Before she goes off to college, EW should ask her for a couple more stories. It’s a shame there’s no “youth desk” at the paper, because young people have a lot to tell us. Maybe EW could partner with the schools to encourage journalism programs by airing student views more often. Christopher Logan Eugene GETTING MUGGED Wednesday night (5/30) I attended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service presentation of the Draft Spotted Owl Recovery Plan at the Portland Convention Center. After the presentation, I moved out to the lobby to question a Fish and Wildlife employee on certain details. Within seconds, my questions were being answered by a pugnacious Forest Service employee who had materialized at my right elbow and interrupted our conversa- tion to inform me that Fish and Wildlife had no real power here. At my left shoulder loomed a career forester from the Bureau of Land Management, and soon I was con- fronted by a third Forest Service employee who spent the next few minutes “helping” me to understand that conservation of habitat for the spotted owl is not an issue, and that the real culprit is the barred owl. So why were these government employ- ees paid to interfere in the process of inform- ing the public? To mug unsuspecting victims like myself, just as the Northern spotted owl is being mugged by the government’s Recovery Plan, a brand new opportunity to bring old-growth logging back to our National Forests and other public lands. Reed Wilson Corvallils REALLY VULGAR In response to Deb Huntley’s tirade (5/17) against Savage Love and what I’m assuming is the fetish night at Diablo’s, I am aghast that she used the term “vulgar” in terms of a “lack of sophistication.” Dan Savage may be frank and often funny, but he is not without sophis- tication. He is entertaining while being edu- cational. In a recent (5/27) column, he wrote about how oral sex can potentially cause can- cer. This is a public health issue, one that every adult and teen should be aware of. To accuse the EW of using “Savage Love” to pander to those who might go to Diablo’s, as if the EW has stock in the success of Diablo’s, is vulgar. This argument lacks any sophistica- tion. I doubt that any of the dozens of week- lies around the country that run “Savage Love” do so to cater to local fetish nights or any other “red light” businesses. What is vulgar, or lacking sophistication, is people who would censor what they are afraid of or don’t understand. Sexuality is neither obscene nor vulgar. It is an intrinsic element to living a healthy life. What’s vulgar is a war without end and a leadership taking no responsibility for it. Vulgar is giant SUVs and pickup trucks that are driven around empty. McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, etc. are vulgar. Building huge houses with lit- tle energy efficiency in what was once forest or farmland is vulgar, as is building more parking lots for downtown. But people choosing to live their lives a little edgier than The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts www.theshedd.org The Shedd Institute t erfec The p ay gift! er’s D Fath The Shedd Institute Music School Private & group lessons, classes and vacation camps for all ages, including pre- school, school age, adults & seniors. Sun, June 17 Hult Center Tickets: 682-5000 Herbie Hancock Quartet Summer music camps begin June 18. 687-6526 Oregon Festival of American Music 2007 Oregon Festival of American Music 2007 South Pacifi c August 3, 5, 8 & 10 - Hult Center The Shedd 868 High Street at Broadway Ticket Offi ce: 434-7000 Richard Rodgers The Sweetest Sounds August 1 - 11 Eugene, Oregon Shedd Institute Presenting Sponsor JUNE 7, 2007 5
