letters
TO THE EDITOR
eugenemutualaidsociety.org and learn
more about forming or joining a mutual
aid society among your own friends and
family, in your neighborhood or together
with those who share a common interest,
hobby or club. Each one of us can help us
all be less dependent on government and
the capitalist economic system that owns
it. It’s fun, it’s free and empowers us all.
Mutual aid societies build and strengthen
communities in a way that makes us all
more than just voters and consumers.
All it takes is one meeting face-to-face
the fi rst week of each month to discuss what
you can all do to be more self-suffi cient,
what your needs are and what resources
you have to offer other groups. Your group
then picks a representative to meet with
those from other groups around you the
following week. Such community groups
are unlike other neighborhood associations
in that they are open to everyone, not just
homeowners, and are small enough —
less than 30 people is ideal — to where
meetings can be quiet, friendly occasions
(maybe followed with a potluck or partay!)
and all decisions made by consensus.
Mutual aid societies can also help us
grow more local commerce and cottage
industry and home business opportunities;
they can be skills-sharing centers to learn
or teach self-suffi ciency and money-
saving skills such as sewing, canning,
brewing and fermenting, beekeeping and
gardening. Please join us!
Warren Weisman
Eugene
AWARENESS IS A START
In response to the Jan. 5 cover story
about young people in action, highlighting
Perry Graham, I wholeheartedly agree
that this generation of young people (age
18 to 25) have forgotten they can make a
difference. In the article the readers learn
that Graham was the “brains behind the
Occupy Eugene’s Expression Center” and
was also arrested while protesting. Graham
is a reminder of how very few of today’s
young people get involved in politics, even
when it comes to local issues.
As one of the young people myself, I
believe we can disprove our current title
of “apathetic” simply by being aware of
what is going on outside of our own little
worlds. How many young people were
aware of Occupy Eugene? How many
young people have voted since turning 18?
Perhaps the core of this issue is that it is
less common for young people in these
times to be passionate about things they
have become desensitized to.
Celene Eldritch
Eugene
CIRCUMVENTING RIGHTS
There is a fundamental understanding
in America that “we the people” are born
with inalienable rights that the government
cannot violate. Yet all of these rights
are now on hold while the government
attempts to fi ght this modern threat known
as “terrorism.” With the newly signed
National Defense Authorization Act, the
government now claims the ability to have
the military arrest American citizens, hold
them indefi nitely, without a trial, on the
accusation that they may be terrorists.
Over the last decade, an authoritarian
police state has been erected not only to
fi ght “terror,” but now to pepper spray
peaceful protesters demanding that our
fi nancial system not be run like a giant
casino. The tools to fi ght terrorism were
never to fi ght shadowy foreigners, they are
aimed at us who demand equal protection
under the law.
Government continues to use 9/11 as
justifi cation of the elimination of our rights
and, until we know the whole story about
9/11, they will continue to do so.
Sean Smiley
Springfi eld
LETTERS POLICY: We welcome letters on all topics and
will print as many as space allows, with priority given to
timely local issues. Please limit length to 200 words, keep
submissions to once a month, and include your address
and phone number for our files. Email to letters@
eugeneweekly.com fax to 484-4044, or mail to 1251
Lincoln, Eugene 97401.
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EUGENE WEEKLY JANUARY 26, 2012
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