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