The Shedd Institute
www.theshedd.org - 541.434.7000
Ladysmith Jan 24
Black Mambazo
that is downtown W. 11th Avenue? The city
staffers I talked to seemed to suggest that
“freedom of speech” required the city to al-
low any messaging anyone cared to pay for.
Really? There are other rights and pro-
hibitions to be found in the Oregon and U.S.
constitutions. One prohibition prohibits gov-
ernment from promoting a “state religion.”
Do you see other religions hanging
promotions over our public rights-of-way?
The city is complicit in this promotion of
a single religion to the exclusion of oth-
ers. Maybe other religious or irreligious
people in our community have more com-
mon sense or decency or grace than those
who chose to proselytize in the “public
square”. Maybe some of them are afraid.
Humans are as irrational as they are
rational. The farther they are from op-
pression or neediness, the more com-
placent they are. I talked to a number of
people who were complacent about this
little issue. And bless their hearts! They
were mostly gracious to me, and I’m glad
they aren’t oppressed or needy. But many
people in our diverse community are op-
pressed and needy, and afraid of respond-
ing — especially in the holiday season.
More generally, one of the reasons so
many of us get upset with each other right
along is because we in this country have
the wit and the wealth and the opportunity
to do so much better for each other than
we ever seem to manage to do.
If we are a “Christian” enclave, then
bring back the giant backlit Skinner’s
Butte cross. If we are a diverse, welcoming
community, then the city must cease offer-
ing partisan messaging on public property.
At our best, we are so much better than
this situation suggests.
John Parrott
Eugene
Editor’s note: See EW’s story about the banner 1/5 “Reli-
gious Banner Downtown Raises Ire.”
MERKLEY LISTENS
Last August, at his Eugene town hall,
I asked Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley why he
refused to oppose the Pacific Connector
fracked gas pipeline and export terminal.
I mentioned that the project included
harm to 32 endangered species, crossed
400 waterways and rivers, threatened 300
rural Oregonians with eminent domain for
private profits, and that the planned termi-
nal, in a tsunami and earthquake subduc-
tion zone, would become the largest air
polluter of greenhouse gases in Oregon.
Merkley’s response rang hollow. He
stated he’d made a commitment to remain
neutral/open to the project 10 years ago,
and even though he had learned “a lot”
about the harms of methane (liquid natu-
ral gas), he felt he should honor his previ-
ous stance. I was very disappointed.
I knew Merkley opposed the Keystone
XL pipeline and that he’d introduced the
“Keep It In The Ground” bill in the Sen-
ate.
Last week, Merkley published a guest
opinion in the Medford paper (Mail Tri-
bune, 12/7) where he stated his opposition
to the project. His reasoning included real-
ity! Even though it would bring temporary
jobs to Coos County, the environmental
impacts were too big to be ignored!
I applaud an elected representative who
listens to the concerns of his constituents
and learns from them. I applaud an elected
official who is paying attention to science,
especially as it relates to our survival.
Merkley is well on his way to becom-
ing a climate champion of the people. The
environmental community and activists
committed to stopping this pipeline and
export project have Merkley’s back, and
we encourage him to lead boldly.
Debra McGee
Eugene
Jan 25
David
Grisman
Quintet
Next at The Shedd
12.22
1.11
1.13
1.19
A Night For Sight 2017
K. Beamer & H. Kapono
Victor Wooten Trio
Woideck: The Latin Side
of Trane, Miles & Monk
1.20 Blues Harmonica Blowout
1.24 Ladysmith Black Mambazo
1.25 David Grisman Quintet
2.1-11 The Jazz Kings: A Pocketful
of Dreams: Bing Crosby
2.3 Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues
| full schedule: theshedd.org |
2.6
2.7
2.10
2.12
2.16
2.17
2.21
2.23
3.1
Chick Corea (2 shows)
Chico Schwall: Uncle Dave
Macon & Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Moombah! The Search
for Pie Town
Chamber Music Amici
Tommy Castro
Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan
Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton
Honey Whiskey Trio
Taj Mahal Trio
Give Music
Shedd Institute Gift Certificates for the Holidays
541.434.7000 | www.theshedd.org
LIBERAL MANDATES
Re: “Mr. Jones Goes To Washington,”
(Slant, 12/14): Doug Jones’ Alabama win
was not a “stunning defeat of Trumpism.”
It was a narrow liberal victory over a
despicable lout who still managed to get
nearly 50 percent of the vote.
If Jones interprets this as a mandate to
push his far left agenda in the U.S. Sen-
ate, he is sadly mistaken and will not see
a second term.
Jerry Ritter
Springfield
The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts
Music School
Winter Term starts January 7
Contact the registrar at 541.434.7015 / registrar@theshedd.net
eugeneweekly.com • December 21, 2017
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