letters
As a community we must think of
ways to keep children healthy in all ways.
Madeline Barrett
Eugene
other major cities where unfettered,
unrestrained mobs caused havoc and
terrorized and financially ruined peace-
ful, productive people. What difference
does it make what the protester’s point
of view is in a supposed nation of laws?
It’s the pot calling the kettle black.
Greg Williams
Noti
WHEN IS A MOB NOT A MOB?
What’s the difference between a mob
injuring officers and breaking into and
trying to burn down federal buildings in
a city and a mob breaking into the Capi-
tol in Washington?
If a governor refuses to intervene by
sending in the National Guard to pre-
vent damage to public property, isn’t
that governor as complicit as President
Donald Trump is accused of being in
Washington? Aren’t both actions “as-
saults on democracy” and the infra-
structure of democracy?
The difference with some folks is
that Gov. Kate Brown is a liberal Demo-
crat, and her ardent devotees include
rioters, vandals, looters and arsonist
brownshirts — who are now trying to
ban books — can apparently get away
with anything.
Same situation in Seattle and all the
THE VEGAN REVOLUTION
It is said, “All revolutions devour
their own children.”
Don't forget to eat your vegetables
America!
Bob Springenberg
Eugene
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BLACK GIRL FROM EUGENE BY AYISHA ELLIOTT
Examine Your White Privilege
THE JAN. 6 INSURRECTION CALLS ATTENTION TO THE NEED TO EXAMINE
UNCONSCIOUS PARTICIPATION IN SYSTEMATIC RACISM
D
ear White People:
We all witnessed the uncorked anger of white people feeling
robbed of their privilege.
White privilege, for white people, is hard to digest. For this small
piece I will put in a temporary reprieve
on privilege, and it does help my point.
Yes, everyone has some sort of privilege
— whether it’s class privilege or gender privilege, part
of the dominant religion privilege.
Privilege itself isn’t really the issue. It is when we feel
entitled to our privilege, and how we abuse our privilege.
It’s when we believe we deserve our privilege and others
don’t that it is the issue.
White supremacy and white privilege go hand in hand,
but they are not the same. It's complicated, and it's
simple; either way, it is factual. We witnessed an attempt
to invoke fear through ideals of white supremacy. That
national display on Jan. 6 was able to happen so openly
and freely due to white privilege.
White people who say they are not racist, let me
remind you:
It is not enough to be mad at white supremacist, racist. You MUST LOVE and HOLD
RESPECT for Black people, Indigenous people, Indian people, Muslim people, Jewish
people, Latinx people, LGBTQ+ people, gender fluid people, nonbinary people, disabled
people. You hopefully get where I’m going. Whether you know any or not, hold dear
THEIR wellness on their terms
Embracing, loving, respecting, and holding dear marginalized communities requires
a truly honest reflection of your own relationship to white supremacy.
It is understandable if you’re not good at speaking the right words on difficult
subject matters, or don’t know what to say to your racist uncle when he sideswipes
you with a racist comment, or your boss has a confederate flag at his desk that makes
4
J A N U A R Y
2 1 ,
you uncomfortable. It is understandable, but you are not off the hook. Not knowing
any Black people people, or queer people or Muslim people is also not an excuse for
bypassing “the work” to create a reality that matches a “we the people” rhetoric.
It is also not enough to focus on love and light, and hope something miraculous
occurs and everything goes “back to normal.” There
needs to be a path to healing and closing the dissonance
evident between the rhetoric of equity and the reality of
society as a whole.
It is a time for self exploration to your anger, to your
privilege, to your understanding of systematic racism and
what it has to do with you, the very person who believes
they are not racist. There is a direct connection.
It is important to talk to each other. Please know it
is on you to do so: at work, at school, at church, at home
with your racist uncle — while knowing that not everyone
is equipped to teach or to bring compassion to the table
when there’s nothing but defensiveness being served. If
you can’t, it is essential you commit to uplift the voices
of people who do know what to say, step aside and learn
as well. No one is excused from the work.
Please understand that if you have racism or a racist in
your family, it is likely historic and foundational. There is built up anger that is screaming
fear of something irrational. It is assisted by the lies of white supremacy throughout
our education system, health care, sciences, etc. If you’ve tried and your approach isn’t
working, with the advice of spiritualist Jessica Lanyadoo, “recalibrate your position
and hold boundaries” around your investment to create an anti-racist society.
This country is racist. Performative allyship is dangerous. The reckoning is within
white people’s privilege, white supremacy and your personal, even if unintentional,
relationship to it. ■
We all witnessed
the uncorked anger
of white people
feeling robbed of
their privilege.
2 0 2 1
Ayisha Elliott’s podcast Black Girl From Eugene is raw and uncensored monologues and conversations
about living while Black in the PNW. Listen locally at 11 am Sundays on FB Live; simulcast on KEPW 97.3 FM.
Audio found on all major podcasting platforms.
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