Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (July 25, 2013)
M EDICAL M ARIJUANA C LINIC LET TERS DOUBLE STANDARD PREVENT SUCH KILLINGS David Simon [Slant, 7/18] expresses dismay over the Zimmerman verdict and expands his dismay and outrage against white-on-black violence in general. OK, I get that. But where is his outrage over the rampant and tragic black-on-black violence and murder in Chicago and other large cities? Why doesn’t he note that when OJ Simpson walked, cities didn’t burn? Double standard? Oh yeah. Jerry Ritter Springfi eld The verdict in the case against George Zimmerman is part of a tragic event that could have easily been prevented. There is sharp disagreement over the verdict, but there can be no disagreement over the reason why Trayvon Martin is dead. George Zimmerman had a gun that night, and the state of Florida allowed him to carry it virtually anywhere despite a violent history. Virtually anybody roaming our neighborhoods with hidden handguns is the gun lobby’s vision, but it is not the vision of the rest of the American public truly committed to safer communities. We will work as long and as hard as it takes to prevent more tragedies like Trayvon Martin’s. We recognize, at the end of the day, this is an enormous tragedy and a young man lost his life. Our sympathies continue to go out to Trayvon’s family. Curtis Taylor Eugene GUILT OR INNOCENCE In Eugene, we don’t have a large percentage of blacks. Let’s analyze Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman for our locale: If I were to appoint myself a neighborhood watch vigilante and roam the streets at night with a knife (I don’t own a pistol), I could go up to people who my defi cient psychology deems suspects and follow them. If I were responsible enough to call the police and ask if I should follow this “suspicious-looking kid” they would tell me, “No! Don’t do this and let the police handle it.” But emboldened by the night and my weapon, I heckle this innocent man. He is afraid and calls a relative but by then I am upon him. I want to kill this man, so I get into a physical confrontation with him. Regardless of whether I receive a bloody nose or have the kid “use the concrete fl oor as a weapon,” I kill the night stroller, who actually had just gone to the store to buy candy and is returning to his family’s home. Who did go out of his abode looking for a fi ght? Who had a weapon? Who approached the other person aggressively? And fi nally, who ended up dead? I think the question of guilt or innocence (of me) should be an open and shut case. I should receive the maximum sentence. Three blacks and three whites (some of them men) should be the jury of peers. David Ivan Piccioni Eugene CLOUDY REASONING So, if I understand this correctly, if you stalk and confront someone in the dark — get close enough to make them afraid enough to attack you out of fear of what you are doing — you can then shoot them for attacking you, and you get to call it self defense. To clarify what might be seen as murky reasoning, in some parts of our great U.S.A. you can instigate a situation where you threaten any people and when they try to defend themselves you get to shoot them. You might even call it “standing your ground.” The dead people do not get to call it. They tried to stand their ground and lost. By similar cloudy reasoning: Don’t shoot the person you are following if you are dark skinned; it doesn’t work well the other way around. Leigh Henry Eugene Are You Tired of Pills? Do You Suffer From: :L]LYL7HPU 4\ZJSL:WHZTZ :LPa\YLZ .SH\JVTH *HUJLY (0+: :L]LYL5H\ZLH *HJOL_PH (SaOLPTLY»Z $Q(VWDEOLVKHG 5HVSHFWHG&OLQLF)RU2YHU<HDUV:H·YH%HHQ+HUH)RU<RX Southern Oregon Alternative Medicine :WYPUNÄLSK3VJH[PVU4HPU:[ ^^^ZV\[OLYUVYLNVUHS[LYUH[P]LTLKPJPULJVT ( 541 ) 844-1708 Any Large Pizza up to 5 toppings for just $12! THAI AMERICAN BREAKFAST Saturday & Sunday starting at 9:30am, $6.95 Daily Delivery 4:30-9:00pm Lunch & Dinner Specials All Organic Spices, Greens & Tofu Large BBQ Chicken & Bacon OR Large Hawaiian BBQ Chicken for just $11! Vegetarian, Vegan & Gluten-free Options Wine & Cocktails Beer on Tap Bubble Tea & Smoothies Visit Our Campus Location 11am-9:30pm MON-FRI 9:30am-9:30pm SAT & SUN 80 E. 29th & Willamette • 302-6444 Eugene Sun., July 28 th - 2 :30pm Eugene Public Library ~ Singer Rm ~ 100 W 10th Ave. 1-877-MEDITATE (Talk given by a local speaker) 6DQW%DOMLW6LQJK S PIRITUALITY Sant Mat Host an Exchange Student Today ! (for 3, 5 or 10 months) Make a lifelong friend from abroad. The path of inner Light and Sound The goal of Sant Mat is to enable the soul to return and merge into its source; the purpose of human life described by mystics of all traditions. Admission Free www.santmat.net Enrich your family with another culture. Now you can host a high school exchange student (girl or boy) from France, Germany, Scandinavia, Spain, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Italy Victoria from Australia, 17 yrs. or other countries. Single Giorgio from Italy, 16 yrs. parents, as well as couples Loves to play baseball and spend Enjoys spending time with her family and younger siblings. with or without children, time with his dogs. Giorgio also Victoria plays volleyball and is may host. Contact us ASAP plays the guitar, and his dream excited to learn new sports for more information or to is to join a drama club at his while in America. American high school. select your student. Amy 1-800-733-2773 (toll free) / Bonnie (Toll 541-514-4565 Amy at 1-800-733-2773 Free) host.asse.com info@asse.com host.asse.com or or email email info@asse.com INTERNATIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMS Founded in 1976 ASSE International Student Exchange Program is a Public Benefi t, Non-Profi t Organization. For privacy reasons, photos above are not photos of actual students eugeneweekly.com • July 25, 2013 7
