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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2017)
LET TERS PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES As a third year law student, I find the University of Oregon response to Prof. Nan- cy Shurtz’ blackface incident disgraceful. According to the university, the dis- ruption caused by the professor’s costume “was so significant that it outweighed any right that Shurtz has to free speech and academic freedom.” It is patently offen- sive for the university to assert the right to selectively abide by the Constitution, because state entities have no such ability. Moreover, it is imperative to a well- rounded education that students be ex- posed to contrary views and opinions. Instead, the university is attempting to assure that nobody’s delicate sensibilities are offended. This is humorous consider- ing that many law students will be dealing with murderers, rapists and (hopefully) corrupt politicians in the near future. Additionally, I am disgusted by the cowardice of the professors who demand- ed Shurtz’ resignation. It takes no courage to pick up pitchforks and torches in the midst of a mob mentality. However, de- fending the rights of the vulnerable and unpopular requires a spine. Matthew Watkins Eugene and, although it is too much to hope for, I wish that the law professors who signed the petition asking her to resign would of- fer a public apology. Betty Taylor Eugene RIDICULOUS REACTION I am glad that Prof. Nancy Schurtz has decided to hire a lawyer — I hope not one from the University of Oregon law school, whose faculty members have been complicit in persecuting her. The way this affair has been handled by the university administra- tion and the law school faculty is an embar- rassment and, in my opinion, will lower the esteem with which people regard the law school and, by extension, the university. I remember blackface, used to poke fun at the stereotype of black character- istics — similar to men wearing dresses and ridiculing their stereotype of female traits. This was nothing like a representa- tion of a character in a book. The reaction by the university is ridicu- lous. I hope that Schurtz does not resign HOT AIR SOCIETY OVERPAID DOUBLESPEAK “Lamentable response” — I’ll say. I’d like to start by giving the University of Oregon props on its response to a prof wearing blackface. The idea that some overpaid white lady could bring perspec- tive to America’s race issues would be laughable if it wasn’t f**king disgusting. As for Shawn Boles' viewpoint [12/29], I am much less impressed: “On Halloween a respected scholar, in the privacy of her own home, attempted to open a discourse about white privilege using props consist- ing of a blackened face, a stethoscope and a white coat.” This is doublespeak at its finest, as if he uses enough obfuscation we won’t get he picture. “A blackened face,” not blackface. SCANDAL AND LEGISLATIVE APPOINTMENTS epublicans Donald Trump and Dennis Richardson do not lack chutzpah! Both the recently elected president and the re- cently elected Oregon secretary of state were already making headlines prior to their coronations. Trump’s carnival of cabinet picks and the UN-Is- raeli ruckus speak volumes about what we’re about to hear under Republican control in Washington, D.C. for the next two years. Breitbart News reports that Trump now intends to appoint El Chapo as the next head of the Drug Enforcement Agency. Here at home, Dennis Richardson is demonstrating why he is the first Republican elected to statewide of- fice in Oregon since Abraham Lincoln, according to Breitbart. I love fake news. Actually, the last Repub- lican elected to statewide office in Oregon was U.S. Senator Gordon Smith in 2002. But you have to go back 36 years to Norma Paulus to find a Republican secretary of state. Richardson campaigned promising to restore ac- countability and rid Salem of scandal. So what does he do prior to being sworn in? First, he announces his pick as deputy: a former state manager fired in a multi- million-dollar nepotism scandal. Then he picks an elec- tions director who was asked to resign from that same job in 2013 by then-secretary of state, Kate Brown. As reported in the Oregonian, Jim Moore, professor and director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innova- tion at Pacific University quipped: “Bringing in people that have scandal attached to them is not what we ex- pected.” Understatement of the damn year! 4 January 5, 2017 • eugeneweekly.com RAMPANT HEALTH COSTS This last year I saved up, juggled my insurance of “allowable” procedures and spent a boatload of cash to fill a gap in my smile with a dental “implant.” It actually took two years, as my insurance would not pay for the complete procedure in one- year’s coverage. BY TON Y CORCOR A N The Donald and The Dennis do Oregon R This is an overpaid white person defend- ing the rights of another overpaid white person to do whatever they want while people of color face discrimination in ev- ery facet of life. I agree that there is a difference be- tween narrative and fact. Boles’ narrative is that rich white people should be able to do whatever they want. Luckily the ma- jority of the UO staff agrees that this is at least an unpopular narrative to voice aloud. I’d leave a burning bag of shit on Boles’ porch, but since he is one, this would be redundant. Ian Blumberg-Enge Eugene Finally, most egregiously, Dennis invited his soul mate, former Oregon Republican Party chairman Vance Day as his special guest to his inauguration. You re- member good old Vance, don’t you? The current Marion County Judge is under indictment on felony weapons and misdemeanor official misconduct charges. Day was indicted by a Marion County grand jury last November after the state alleged he knowingly aided and abetted a felon in possessing a firearm, and separately used his elected position as a judge for personal gain. Day’s criminal charges are related to a separate eth- ics case against him. Remember, he’s the judge that re- fused to perform marriages for same-sex couples citing his First Amendment rights to religion. The Commis- sion on Judicial Fitness and Disability has unanimous- ly recommended Day be removed from the bench. Ironically, Day says that if he’s sanctioned he will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. SCOTUS will prob- ably have nine justices by the time this case would get to them. The last one probably will have been appoint- ed by the Donald. Damn! As I warned you in a previous column, Dennis Richardson is not for the faint of heart. The secretary of state position is second in line to the governor and over- sees audits of state government, elections and a registry of businesses operating in Oregon. Stay healthy, Kate! Speaking of carnival acts, Oregon’s 79th Legisla- tive Assembly will convene on Jan. 9. Public Employ- ees Retirement System (PERS) reform, a $1.7 billion dollar hole in the state general fund, a state transporta- tion infrastructure in need of help, and a frightening federal landscape will greet our legislators. During the “organizational days,” members-elect are sworn in as legislators, bills are first-read on the floors of the Senate and House and legislative com- mittees are officially created. The assembly will re- convene on Wednesday, Feb. 1 for the regular session. Sorta like a Neil Young song: it starts out kinda slow, then just trickles off altogether. The Lane County delegation did well in the com- mittee assignment process. Rep. Nancy Nathanson was appointed co-chair of the Joint Ways and Means com- mittee. Phil Barnhart will chair the critical House Rev- enue committee. And Paul Holvey will serve as chair of the House Business and Labor Committee, with newly elected Julie Fahey on the committee. Paul was also elected as speaker pro-tem by his caucus, a well- deserved honor. Floyd Prozanski will chair the Senate Judiciary committee and he will be co-chair of the Joint (of course) Committee on Marijuana Regulation. Lee Beyer will chair the Senate Business and Transporta- tion committee and co-chair the Joint Committee on Transportation Preservation and Modernization, a mouthful. And our newest sena- tor, James Manning, will serve on the Senate Ju- diciary and Joint Ways and Means committees, and also will co-chair the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on General Government. Congratulations to all of you. Now, get to work! And don’t come back here without some decent school funding, adequate social services and a transportation plan! We’ll talk about PERS later. Stay tuned. Former Oregon state Sen. Tony Corco- ran of Cottage Grove is a retired state employee.
