Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (May 8, 2014)
LET TERS teens with an exceptional education and lifelong friends and memories; let’s give back to this outstanding community, and continue the excellence of Pleasant Hill High School. Daniel Finfrock Pleasant Hill CONFRONTING OPPRESSION I have been to Eugene’s Take Back the Night march for the last fi ve years. It is a space for survivors to empower themselves and stand against oppression. It is unfortunate that cops are present, because many marginalized people are triggered by cops, including many people of color, survivors, women, gay, queer and trans folks, houseless folks and those who have been incarcerated. Regardless of whether individual cops have good intentions, cops are part of a larger institution that upholds capitalism, white supremacy, transphobia and victim blaming. For these reasons, I brought a sign reading “Cops perpetuate patriarchy” to the march. I was told by the safety team that certain people were “uncomfortable” with my sign and it was causing “hurt feelings.” I was informed that I needed to remove the sign or myself. Cops at this event makes me more than “uncomfortable,” and the oppression that many cops perpetuate does more than hurt my feelings. Holding this sign was a small and reasonable way of empowering myself and confronting oppression in an otherwise supportive space. Whose needs does the safety team prioritize? The thousands of victims of police brutality every year? The sexual assault victims who are shamed, blamed and ignored by police every day? Or a few feelings hurt by a sign? Jennifer Donovan WE RESIST, Eugene THE REAL WORRY My web comment on Bob Warren’s DESTINATION: SUMMER UO SUMMER SESSION JUNE 23–SEPTEMBER 5, 2014 piece earns a print response from Slant last week [5/1]! How cool is that? Slant says I didn’t mention the Great Recession, foreign and domestic competition and “the continued exports of logs” as contributing factors to Oregon’s timber harvest level being “two-thirds of what it was before the spotted owl era.” Taking the last point fi rst, log exports increase Oregon timber harvest, not the other way around. The logs that are exported fi rst have to be logged. Thus, more log exports mean higher, not lower, harvest levels. The spotted owl-related drop in Oregon harvest occurred in the early 1990s. The Great Recession started in 2007. The two events are not related (although, I should note, in 1991 a timber industry economist predicted that protecting the spotted owl would cause the collapse of Western Civilization). Annual log harvest has increased in Oregon over 1 billion board feet since the 2009 low point. Of course, demand for wood products affects logging levels. But to suggest that low demand means that logging would not be higher if federal timber sales increased stretches the data beyond recognition. As for competition in the log market, there has always been competition. That appears to be the nature of capitalism. Slant also misunderstands Bob’s political concerns. It is not “conservatives” taking both houses of Congress that worries Bob, as Slant believes. The pending O&C forestry bills are sponsored by Oregon Democrats (Rep. Peter DeFazio and Sen. Ron Wyden), endorsed by Oregon’s governor (a Democrat, too), and supported by the Democrat-controlled state Legislature. When environmental activists are not even willing to talk to their elected friends, that’s what concerns Bob, and me, too. Andy Stahl Eugene A HEALTHY OREGON? REGISTRATION IS OPEN! SEE SCHEDULE ONLINE NOW. Make plans to spend this summer at the University of Oregon. uosummer.uoregon.edu facebook.com/uosummer 541-346-3475 EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity © 2014 University of Oregon 6 May 8, 2014 • eugeneweekly.com After reading many articles and letters regarding the aerial spraying of pesticides on Cedar Valley's residents and their resultant health complaints (some still ongoing), I have serious questions and concerns. How many more poisonings will be allowed, without consequences, before the state of Oregon will take responsibility to protect its people? Cedar Valley, Triangle Lake, LaPine, the list goes on. There is no requirement to protect human health in Oregon’s Forest Practices Act. ODA, the primary investigative arm of Oregon’s Pesticide Analytical Response Center (PARC), does not investigate how or to what degree people are exposed to pesticides, nor is it required to. Applicators are not required to fi le with any agency their records of what herbicides they used. Where was the Oregon Health Authority in Cedar Valley’s investigation? Their vision is “a healthy Oregon.” A core value is “integrity” by “enhancing public trust.” How does the OHA protect Oregon’s children who are most susceptible to the detrimental effects of pesticides and herbicides? 2,4-D, triclopyr and glyphosate, all found in Cedar
