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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2012)
After fi nding that I do not have any outstanding warrants he allowed me to go without writing me a citation. He did fi ll out paperwork, which he stated was evidence of the encounter and a warning of sorts. I felt terrible during and after the encounter. I felt my rights and freedom had been taken from me without due cause. I believe that the offi cer, an armed authority fi gure, had no grounds to stop me and even less grounds to demand that I provide ID. The encounter made me feel small and powerless and reinforces negative stereotypes about police and their capricious and belittling use of the power entrusted to them. I am an ER nurse at University District hospital and work daily with the police to help care for the folks of our community. By and large I have nothing but accolades for the police of Eugene and Springfi eld and the courtesy and compassion they display to the marginalized population that they so frequently work with. However, it only takes one small instance, like my experience, to further entrench all of the negative stereotypes that surround police: Essentially, that police are to be feared, not trusted and have the ability to take one’s freedom away without due cause. Abuse of power lessens the authority that police struggle to maintain. Philip Pfanner Eugene PROFITING FROM CRISIS Climate change that large companies, people afraid to face their fears and the media (a subsidiary of big corporations) claim isn’t real is the thing that will destroy civilization. I can say with sadness that I’m glad Hurricane Sandy came up and hit the East Coast. We Americans are the main cause of greenhouse gasses and its time that the information, which the media has so misrepresented came to everyone’s attention. My parents both live in New Jersey and had a power outage for seven days; other people are suffering, too (some more). I must explain that I don’t want this planet’s sentient life to experience more suffering; on the contrary I want all groups profi ting from climate crisis to stop. The process of revoking a corporation’s charter used to be done quite frequently — when they stopped serving the public good. Now those who are actually making our planet unlivable get away with a fi ne, the cost of doing business. The fi duciary obligation (making money), not nature and mind have become our gods. There are lots of groups talking about climate change. Citizens Climate Lobby is one that is making progress. I found out in the last conference call that with more moisture retained in our atmosphere and the average temperatures rising worldwide we can expect tropical diseases in our very own U.S.A. To end this I will mention that mosquito- carried malaria has killed one third of the population that has ever lived on Earth. David Ivan Piccioni Eugene A BETTER LANE Charles F. Thielman’s Nov. 8 letter advocating a name change for Lane County initially struck me as ridiculous. Joseph Lane was undoubtedly racist, but really, how many in his time believed that all men (never mind women) were literally created equal? And suppose we did change the name? Then what? Many of the Founding Fathers owned slaves; JFK was a compulsive adulterer; should we therefore change the name of every government entity that honors them? Where do we, where does Thielman, draw the line? And let’s not even address the question of how much it would cost to change all county signs to … what? Chip Kelly County? However, when I expressed the above concerns to my friend Dan Betty, he offered a solution that both Thielman and I might be able to live with: Hold an offi cial ceremony, a dedication if you will, renaming the county in honor of a more worthy American named Lane, a Lane who was not a racist. This would have the useful effect of purging the county of any tinge — real or imagined — of institutional bigotry, as well as saving taxpayers untold thousands of dollars. So then the question becomes, who will the new Lane County namesake be? My suggestion: the man immortalized in the book Paper Lion, the great Detroit Lions football player and admirable human being, Dick “Night Train” Lane. Yes, I know, he has no connection to Oregon. Well, George Washington has no connection to that state to the north of us. Others will undoubtedly offer their own candidates; perhaps EW should sponsor a referendum, but I don’t mind saying that “Night Train” Lane County would be change I could believe in. Mike Kopf Eugene EDITOR’S NOTE: How about Lois Lane (Superman’s main squeeze), iconic actor Nathan Lane, the Beatles’ “Penny Lane,” or? TO THE RESCUE The impression of government workers in popular culture is often less than great. We’re fortunate here in Eugene to have a Public Works department that really does work. A few weeks ago, after a post-game party night, an intersection near me was covered in broken glass. We’re not just talking a bottle or two, this was a major hazard to bicyclists, pedestrians and pooches. One simple call to Eugene Public Works at 682-4800 and within an hour or two a street-cleaning truck arrived — wow. In the past I’ve called in potholes, leaves in the bike lane and other concerns, and they have never failed to be both friendly and responsive. You can also email them or use the website to submit a request online at www.eugene-or.gov/pothole How lucky we are to have such great service! Thank you to the dedicated employees of Public Works. Tree Bressen Eugene LITTLE BLACK CAT I wish I could have helped you. I didn’t know you were out there, alone and suffering, or I would have come sooner. As soon as I heard (a kind woman spotted you and let us know), I went in search of you. When I found you, my heart broke. A young, beautiful black cat that should have The Shedd Institute www.theshedd.org - 541-434-7000 Shedd Theatricals 2012 Shedd Theatricals 2012 The Gershwin’s 1924 zany smash hit musical comedy SINGIN’ IN Lady, Be Good! THE RAIN Thu-Sun, October 4-7 - The Shedd Nov 30, Dec 1, 7, 8, 14 & 15 - 7:30 pm Dec 2, 8 & 16 - 2:00 pm matinee A Jazz Kings Christmas 2012 Let It Snow! Dec 6 evening & 9 matinee Give Music Shedd Institute Gift Certificates for the holidays 541-434-7000 | www.theshedd.org/gift Coming up at The Shedd (select concerts & shows) 11.30-12.16 Musical: Singin’ In The Rain 12.6-13 Christmas at The Shedd ‘12 1.04 Jenny Scheinman - Blade & Frisell 1.11 Monterey Jazz on Tour 55 (Hult) 1.12 Robin Willaims (Hult) 1.16 Loudon Wainwright/Dar Williams 1.24 Solas: Shamrock City Tour 2.01 Black Prairie 2.15 Victor Wooten 2.16 Afro-Cuban All Stars 2.20 Led Kaapana 2.21 Woideck: Jazz/Mancini 3.2 Ken Peplowski 3.6-17 Siri Vik. My Funny Valentine 3.8 Blues at the Crossroads II (Hult) 3.10 B. B. King (Hult) 4.12 Molly Ringwald 4.24 Taj Mahal-Shemekia Copeland (Hult) 4.25 John Pizzarelli Quartet eugeneweekly.com • November 21, 2012 5
