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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2011)
letters TO THE EDITOR HARM REDUCTION Wet beds (EW 9/29)? Why not dry beds? That is what seems to be needed. As a newcomer to Eugene, I did not know what services might be provided for addicts on the street, but the need for shelter of any sort seems acute. To deny shelter to people who are in great need is clearly both inhumane and counterproductive. The question of “harm reduction” for those who really cannot help their state is forcefully expressed by Canadian psychiatrist Dr. Gabor Maté in his book, In The Realm Of Haunted Ghosts. To make miserable human beings even more miserable, and at large public expense, has never seemed a very ethical or practical response. If the powers that be would provide a coherent structure for service, I have no doubt that the citizens of Eugene, a really decent city, would contribute, not only for the sake of their unfortunate fellows, but also for the image of the city itself. Patricia Spicer Eugene SADLY INHUMANE Ridgeline Montessori Public Charter School Southtowne Merchants Support Our Schools Give to “Ridgeline Rising” October 22, 2011, 11:00 -3:00pm at 28th & Oak Street It’s a Fundraiser Kick-Off Event for Ridgeline’s Capital Fund Campaign Activities Included: Ridgeline Choir Ridgeline Bhangra Dancers A Raffle A Silent Auction Longs’ BBQ Bouncy House 4 OCTOBER 13, 2011 EUGENE WEEKLY Thanks to Alan Pittman for drawing attention to this issue (Wet Beds, EW 9/29), which Eugene has ignored for far too long. It is sadly inhumane to see the number of people on the streets because they suffer from the disease of addiction. The idea that addiction is a “moral failing” is an archaic concept, and nowhere is that more true than in the AA and NA programs. Better review your basic text, Norman Riddle, before you imply that 12-step programs and proponents of “hard-core abstinence” would prefer to see people dying in the gutter instead of giving them a warm bed. Or for that matter, a wet bed. Christina Blake Springfi eld EPD BREAKING LAWS Earlier this week I read an R-G article about the EPD’s “trash downtown” program. I was disgusted with the tone of the article, which was crowing proudly about how our smart and thrifty offi cers had come up with yet another way to thwart and harass those pesky streetfolk. Usual drivel from the regional mouthpiece of big business. It was hilarious to see the city’s hasty about-face yesterday, unlocking and hauling away all those bikes! Another instance of law caught breaking the law. But I digress. I am writing a call to awareness for all Eugene’s leaders and elected offi cials. Hear well that we, the public, are very aware that the EPD and other branches of city government selectively ignore, arbitrarily enforce and regularly break the law to pursue their agendas. This has been abundantly obvious for many years, done blatantly for all to see. We, the public, observe that city agendas are not really in the best interests of all of us. We do perceive which side of the bread is getting buttered. But listen well that we, the public, resent our hard-earned money being boondoggled away. We are sick of debts racked up in our name. We are tired of corruption and graft. We are outraged by criminal police. We are fed up with all these atrocities. It is evident that the city, especially the EPD gang, is governed by the morally bankrupt. Wake up and smell the new breeze blowing, you corporate kleptocrats and tin- pot mafi osos. We, the public, can see you, and we know you are our mortal enemy. The day comes where the public no longer has a place for your destructive games. Michael McFadden Eugene SAVE THE COWS When the fi nal solution comes, doesn’t every member of a family deserve to meet that moment of despair together? That wolves are released back into the state and then single out a roaming cow from a herd for eating causes irreparable, emotional damage to the cattle left behind. A profound sense of loss will be felt by the mother, father, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts and uncles of the cow, as they prepare themselves in a distant feedlot for eventual slaughter. I say to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: Don’t let that happen! I implore you to make the compassionate choice by not releasing wolves. Keep those bovine bonds of family together, as they jointly prepare for their eventual stunning WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
