The Shedd Institute
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city should carefully search for, interview
and hire a capable, well-respected national
or regional CPA firm to act as Eugene’s in-
ternal auditor.
An internal auditor for Eugene is a good
idea. The right choice would deliver major
benefits providing increased transparency
and accountability. A respected, non-po-
litical, truly independent accounting firm
can deliver the trust that must accompany
the transparency and accountability that no
politician or connected appointee can.
Michael DeLuise
Eugene
DAMN WHITE PEOPLE
When Jerry Ritter talks about the prob-
lems of population explosion (a planet-
wide problem) and then conflates it with
immigration issues (Letters, June 29),
I have so many reactions; I hardly know
where to begin.
One of the first things that comes up is,
when we start talking about immigration
problems, how far back in history should
we go? If we go back 400 or 500 years,
we could suggest that one of the solutions
might be for all the white people to go back
“where they are from.”
As for Latino/as, they would get to stay,
because at least they would still be on the
same continent as their continent of origin.
To imply that stronger immigration con-
trol would help “America” (and by this I
assume Mr. Ritter means the United States)
address climate change issues strikes me as
so simplistic as to be inaccurate. We have
one planet: Habitat destruction, deforesta-
tion and shrinking water supply are world-
wide issues that are byproducts of the in-
dustrial revolution, not immigration.
Further, the desire for money and pow-
er that has fueled the rapacious greed with
which our planet has been treated is in-
extricably connected with racism. One of
the privileges of white people is that they
can choose to be insulated by the fact that
the environment is in serious trouble (for
instance, 100 percent of the toxic waste
s ‘17
dumps are in communities where brown or
black people live); the intersectionality of
racism and environmentalism is not hard to
discern if you scratch the surface.
The only real hope does not lie in firmer
border control; the only real hope we have
is to realize we are all in this together. We
need to apply serious and concerted ef-
forts to heal the divisions that racism has
instituted and to find creative and energetic
ways to collaborate toward treating the
earth respectfully and loving one another.
When we come to the table respectfully
addressing the issues that face all of us, we
can discuss population explosion as well.
Kaseja Wilder
Eugene
HARD TO SWALLOW
Re: Rick Levin’s Ashland/Medford rant
(“Taming of the Shrewd,” June 19): You
call this journalism? Bitter bile is hard to
chew, impossible to swallow. It has no sub-
stance.
Why would anyone want to read Levin’s
highly opinionated and poorly researched
assumptions that attempt to sweep two
entire towns with the same broad strokes
commonly used by narrow minds and big-
ots. He sounds like an angry, mean tour-
ist on a disappointing weekend pass, still
upset about being forced to eat at Denny’s.
Loosen up, man, you don’t have to live
there, so why be such a bully? EW, why
publish much ado about nothing?
A former reader,
Nancy Green
Springfield
July 21-30 - The Shedd
MORE MONSTER TRUCKS,
PLEASE
Mr. Levin’s recent article contains some
thought-provoking observations about the
Oregon Shakespeare Festival (“Taming
of the Shrewd,” June 29), as well as the
state’s progressive sanctuary cities. Some
are even valid. However, his self-indulgent
commentary remains remarkably free of
ideas on how to remedy the situation.
Oregon Festival of American Music 2017
The Sweetest Melody
Giants of the Classic Songbook
August 2-12 - The Shedd
eugeneweekly.com • July 20, 2017
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