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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2016)
LET TERS A SACRED PLACE The people of Eugene are awake to the issue of Kesey Square. The people want to keep it where it is and to work with government and business to make Kesey Square work for all the people. We know the voice of the business community speaks loud in your ears. Please hear the voice of the people and consider their creative ideas and suggestions. The spirit of Ken Kesey encourages you to think outside of the box and soar in your imaginations to a democratic solution supported by and benefi ting all the people of our community. We ask business and government to work with us to prepare this most sacred place within the commons. Christopher Michaels Eugene LIFE CUT TOO SHORT I am upset reading your article Jan. 7 about a beautiful mother dog getting euthanized at the West 1st Avenue Shelter because she was a little aggressive. The poor dog’s life was cut too short! She had just given birth to two adorable puppies; sadly, one was stillborn. She was only with her surviving puppy for about four or fi ve days. Several animal rescue services wanted to take her in to rehabilitate her, but 1st Avenue said no because she was a little aggressive. Scared and frightened dogs are usually a little aggressive. She may have been abused in the past, which would have made her fearful of humans. I am pretty sure that the mother dog was just fearful for her life and the lives of her puppies. 1st Avenue is supposed to be a no kill shelter! They should have released her so she could have been rehabilitated into a loving member of someone’s family. She could have been a wonderful pet for someone. Shame on you, West 1st Avenue shelter! Daphne Loose Eugene Anyway, your stuff usually runs pretty good. But I would recommend you hold off on all the ad hominem attacks unless they’re really, really funny. And feel free to send the above joke to your friend Gov. Kate Brown. I see from the local paper she’s getting all excited about the Malheur thing, too. Steve Johnston Creswell proposing a liquefi ed natural gas pipeline and refi nery/export terminal in Coos Bay. How much will the TransPacifi c Partnership weaken our local government’s ability to say no to these unsafe projects? The TransPacifi c Partnership undoubtedly marks another win for the corporate illuminati. But how long will angry citizens tolerate repeated betrayal by their elected offi cials? Alese Colehour Eugene A FEUDAL EMPIRE MALHEUR THEATER Hey Tony Corcoran! I read your Malheur article Jan. 21 and I’ve got a joke for you. What have you got when you have three militiamen in a room? Two FBI agents and a sheep-dipped patsy. Of course the whole Malheur show is a staged theater piece, and it’s being allowed a nice, long run. The question is staged by whom and to what end. Instead of parroting gibberish from the mainstream media, I would think a smart guy like you might be considering this question as well as what might be in the ground under that worthless desert — who might know it and who might want it? Not that I hold your opinions against you. You’re stuck down here in the rabbit hole like the rest of us. And disorientation is the hallmark of life in the rabbit hole. I’ve got to say, though, when you got to the “it’s all about power, justifi cation and self-reinforcement” part, I thought for a second you had jumped track and were talking about the Clintons. My bad. There’s something we can learn from the current lawsuit brought against the U.S. government by the company responsible for Keystone XL. Citing NAFTA, TransCanada is suing the federal government for interfering with corporate rights in response to peaceful protest of the project. While unlikely to get the pipeline built, it is part of a growing trend of corporations directly challenging the legal right of the U.S. government to be swayed by public opinion. We won Keystone, but how much did NAFTA weaken the government’s ability to respond to public outcry and deny permits to dangerous companies? From environmentalists touting climate change to private landowners concerned about eminent domain, folks from all walks of life are currently fi ghting the onslaught of fossil fuel infrastructure all across the country. In southern Oregon, we see a similar resistance against the Pacifi c Connector Pipeline and Veresen, the company A RIGGED ELECTION When Bernie Sanders was mayor of Burlington, the local peace advocates were arrested for protesting the GE machine gun factory that was making death machines to send to Central America (guns for helicopters that were shooting at peasant villages). Sanders is like DeFazio — sounds good, but a mix of good and bad. Bernie will win Vermont, south Eugene, east Portland and similar places. The Clintons will put nice rhetoric in the party platform for his supporters. The presidential “election” is like televised wrestling — a bruising contest that is rigged in advance. I voted for the Clintons in 1992 and then got arrested protesting their hazardous waste incineration scandal in 1993. You can fi nd the details at oilempire.us/wti/html. It is a relief that the campaign of John Ellis Bush (JEB) has evaporated. Trump is playing the role Sarah Palin played in 2008 — so ridiculous that the imperial Democrat looks good in comparison. MULTICULTURAL CENTER PRESENTS: Live Stand-up Comic PRESENTS Hari Kondabolu BE WRITING American stand-up comic Hari Kondabolu has appeared on national late night TV, and is known for his politically and socially charged comedy! MARCH 5, 2016 | UO BAKER DOWNTOWN CENTER “One of the most exciting political comics in standup today.” - NY Times. A ONE DAY FESTIVAL FOR WRITERS OF ALL LEVELS PLUS MASTER CLASS RETREATS WITH JACQUELYN MITCHARD & NINA KIRIKI HOFFMAN FEBRUARY 29-MARCH 3 TO REGISTER AND LEARN MORE: WORDCRAFTERSINEUGENE.ORG He has appeared on “David Letterman,” “Conan,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “John Oliver’s NY Standup Show,” and his own “Comedy Central Presents” special. He is a former writer on the Chris Rock produced FX program “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell.” Reception follows 8:20 pm. Free admission for UO students with ID. Advance tickets for non-students available at Mac Court ticket office $7. (Students should arrive early with student ID at the Straub Hall door or purchase an advance ticket for $5 to guarantee a seat, as seating possibly may be limited at the door.) Thur. Feb. 4 at 7pm 6 JANUARY 28, 2016 • EUGENEWEEKLY.COM at U.O. Straub Hall #156 15th/Onyx
