letters
slime trail
TO THE EDITOR
BY SLUG QUEEN SCARLETT O’SLIMERA
factual information and will not retract
something even after its fallacy is brought
to their attention.
Sondra Arrache
Eugene
IT’S A LOCAL ISSUE
Ducks Stick
Together
We wanted overtime, but still got
the parade
I
do declare — in the big picture — we are winners! OK, it’s true, it would
have been more fun had we won. I realized while flying back with all
the other Duck fans, at least we don’t have to land in Alabama. We get
to go home to our grand, fertile, majestic Oregon.
Oh, and don’t you just love a parade! You missed a real doozy if you
weren’t on the streets of downtown Eugene last Saturday. The other SLUG
Queens and I were delighted and honored to be a part of the procession
with many of the other “Champions.”
But, back to The Game. Having been born and bred in Nashville, I know
all about hospitality. I was, and continue to be, cordial to the Auburn
Tigers. I try to live by my intentions to uplift and unify. Whether traveling
to Arizona or keeping the home fires burning, we Duck fans stick together
like birds of a feather. The possibilities were ours. We had hope in our
hearts!
Marvelous Marv, husband of 40 years plus, and I headed for the
game with one ticket that he gifted to me! He’s on a roll in the giving
department, as only six months ago he donated his left kidney to our
dear daughter Dawn. (For the record, they are both thriving and we are
all celebrating this glorious, miraculous life! )
With excitement and anticipation we flew over hills and dells to Las
Vegas, certainly the most surreal, over-stimulating city this side of the
Mississippi River. We continued the trip by auto and crossed over the
Hoover Dam. I’ve never seen the likes and frankly, we do give a damn. We
love our Ducks — such powerful, prepared, precious young men in their
prime. I was feeling comforted that Chip Kelly strategically had all his
ducks in a row, demonstrated by their victorious accomplishments.
Full of pride and joy, I packed my old green Queen dress, crown, and
sash, adorned with extra green and yellow accessories. A darling vendor
at the Holiday Market sent me off with unique, emerald horseshoe
earrings. Lucky charms and all, everything seemed to be fittin’! All
“ducked” out, sure enough, the photo opportunities were aplenty. Both
Auburn and Oregon fans were thrilled to pose close to royalty amidst the
giant stadium.
I was pleased as punch to be in with the in crowd. We may have been
outnumbered, but we will and still hold our ground. So with smiles
aglow, the cheering and shouting only got louder with each play. I barely
recognized my usual slick, sluggish mannerisms as the testosterone
kicked in and intense feelings of rage took over.
Overwhelmed and breath taken, like the rest of y’al ... quittin’ time
came too quickly. We all wanted an overtime. We wanted all those smug,
orange colored Auburn tigers to be frowning all the way back to their
dens. Now I know it’s all about the Ducks, but what a hoot and a quack it
was to find out I made it on national TV for a few brief seconds while “God
Bless America” was being sung.
Alas, as I write these thoughts of this big game of life, with its ups
and downs and all arounds, I am inspired to give thanks for all that is.
There is next year to look forward to. Oh fiddle de dee, I’ll think about
that tomorrow.
Scarlett O’Slimera is Eugene’s Old S.L.U.G. Queen from 2004.
6 JANUARY 27, 2011 EUGENE WEEKLY
Should we be impressed that 70
like-minded people attended a Jan. 18
meeting of what normally is a sparsely
attended session of the Eugene Human
Rights Commission? We should not when
they are there to defend brutality of one
country against another. That is the case
when a crowd that large dominated the
meeting to object to a proposal for Eugene
to reprimand Israel for its attacks on
Gaza and the Turkish ship bringing Gaza
humanitarian aid.
The suggestion had been made by a
representative of the Lane County Al-
Nakba Project that supports justice for
Palestine, a global human rights issue.
Pro-Israel objectors said the commission
should not be bothered with issues that are
not local.
Not local when 70 people show up to
speak out?
George Beres
Eugene
A HUMAN FAILING
I read Robert Simms letter (1/13)
regarding the prayer vigil on behalf of the
persecuted Bahá’í believers in Iran. While
I can understand his cynicism of religion
as a value system, any belief system,
religious or otherwise, is subject to abuse
and manipulation. That various religions
have contributed to pain and suffering is a
human failing.
The great religions of the world
are, at their heart, based on love and
tolerance. The Bahá’í faith recognizes this
essential truth.
His “research” of the Bahá’í faith
would reveal an enlightened, democratic
institution without a professional clergy
promoting human rights, compassion
toward animals, the legitimacy of science,
ecology and education for all. Especially
significant is the Bahá’í ‘s nonpartisan
political stance.
The Bahá’í faith provides a non-
threatening model upon which we can reflect
tolerance, kindness and love. If the vigil
increases that awareness, we all benefit.
Mark Murphy
Creswell
STOPPING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
I appreciate Darlene Selzer’s letter
Dec. 30 regarding the dangers one
faces when wanting to leave an abusive
relationship. To add to her letter, Debra
Dixon has written on the Stockholm
Syndrome in battered women (see http://
wkly.ws/10l) that reveals how many people
who berate people in abusive relationships
do not understand the dangers they face,
and also the gradual process of traumatic
bonding. The abuser gradually gains
control through growing investment and
dependence on them. If abusers were to
show their true colors in the beginning,
their partners simply would not tolerate
being assaulted.
The way to end domestic violence is
for people to get educated on the reality
abused people face. We need a cultural
change viewing women and all people as
valuable whole human beings who are no
one’s commodity. We need to support, on
all fronts, our elected officials like Kitty
Piercy and Rob Handy, both of whom I
know firsthand to be great advocates for
women and other minorities. I can vouch
for Rob Handy on what he says in his
Viewpoint Jan. 6.
Ceila (Starshine) Levine
Eugene
A CHILD’S CRY
Lori B. Havas’s letter (Dining Disaster,
1/13) highlighted a conflict between two
essentially conservative values. On the
one hand, we have a socially conservative
family value, namely, how as a community
we can support families in raising their
children. On the other hand, we have a
fiscally conservative value, namely, the
claim that one can spend one’s money
as one wishes, and that nothing should
interfere with that personal consumption.
While Ms. Havas seems to favor the
latter, I find myself more swayed by the
former. Parenting is the most important,
and frequently the most challenging,
aspect of any person’s life, and deserves
the community’s fullest support. I
understand that it can be distressing to
listen to a young child cry for a sustained
period of time; however, in doing so we
listen to the future and might best work
towards supporting the family. I am
often delighted when I see people smile
reassuringly at parents in such situations
or engage them with a brief word of
support. At minimum, I believe that we
ought not add to a parent’s challenge by
complaining or expressing irritation.
A crying child is neither a “societal
problem” nor indicative of “poor
parenting, lack of manners and concern
for others.” When we are privileged by
any expression of a child’s humanity, be
it joyful or painful, we are gifted beyond
anything our privatized consumption can
give us.
John O’Donoghue
Eugene
TEMPORARY JOBS
We are a busy society always on the go
and always in motion in different forms of
transportation. But as I have witnessed as
of late, there is a lot more road work going
on surrounding the Eugene-Springfield
area, and I question for a moment how it
is truly helping our economy. I know that
it is providing jobs, but it only provides
jobs for a few months. What about the
Oregon budget shortfall that is affecting
our educational system?
As a new driver and a recent graduate
from a 4J high school, I see the great
effects that the economic downturn has
had on the local school system.
Is fixing the road in Oregon really
going to provide great benefit? Twenty
years from now, we may have new leaders
in this community who have not been
provided with a high quality education
because the state government cannot find
the money to keep worthy educators and
leave open many needed schools. All I ask
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