Eugene weekly., August 25, 2022, Page 4, Image 4

letters
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
If we must resort to factory farming
to feed all the people,
If we must use poisonous chemicals
to feed all the people,
If we must deforest the Earth to shel-
ter all the people,
If we must destroy the climate to
power the human endeavor,
Perhaps there are too many people
on the planet.
Carolyn Partridge
Eugene
4
A U G U S T
2 5 ,
2 0 2 2
WE CAN CHANGE
ONLY OURSELVES
A yard sign — I had hope. It might
inspire action or at least questioning.
In fact, my yard sign was a question: Do
you know what your retirement earn-
ings are invested in? The only response
I got: “Nice lettering.” Now the yard sign
is in the shed.
A bumper sticker —more visibility. I or-
dered one, same question. Didn’t expect
this answer: “Who wants to look at some-
one else’s politics?” I canceled the order.
A letter to the editor — that has
reach, but not if it doesn’t reach publi-
cation. My previous letter hadn’t. I felt
certain Oregon PERS investment in
assault weapons manufacturers was
newsworthy. Once published, I believed
PERS members would rise up en masse
to demand divestment. We’d take to
the streets if we had to. And then I re-
membered when I took to the streets to
protest gun violence some years back.
I attended a rally at the federal court-
house. I was fi red up, wearing orange
and bellowing: “Boycott stores that sell
guns! Don’t shop at Bi-Mart, Big 5!” I felt
empowered and infl uential — for about
an hour. It was only a matter of time be-
fore I was back shopping at Bi-Mart and
Big 5.
I’m fi nally understanding something
I’ve said for a long time but not lived up
to: I’m the only one I can change, though
even that is questionable. But I’d rather
die trying to be who I want to be than die
trying to make someone else be who I
want them to be.
Molly Sirois
Eugene
E U G E N E W E E K LY . C O M