Eugene weekly., June 13, 2024, Page 3, Image 3

letters
WITH LOVE TO EW
IT IS GENOCIDE
Sending you this letter of not only
commendation but of praise from my
heart for all of the EW issues that I have
been reading since 2006. I’m 95 years
old as of May 7, and this letter is my need
to express the joy that your quality and
informative issues give to me — and I
have never missed a Thursday issue.
You are the best!
Nicholas Lopedota
Eugene
In their recent letters, Michael Stur-
man and Zenia Liebman attack Univer-
sity of Oregon students for being com-
pelled to speak out about the genocide
in Gaza. We should be grateful that this
generation of students does not tolerate
injustice regardless of the perpetrators.
Both writers take pains to associate
the protesting students with “Hamas
terrorists.” Neither provides any con-
text. Neither mentions that the Pales-
tinians in Gaza are refugees from the
Nakba of 1948 when they were driven
from their native lands by Zionist set-
tlers. Neither mentions that Gaza has
been a virtual open-air prison under
total Israeli control for 17 years with its
residents unable to travel back to their
homes.
The attack on Oct. 7 and the ensuing
battle resulted in the death of scores
of people, but that cannot justify the
months of indiscriminate bombing of
civilians in Gaza. This is not a war be-
tween Israel and Hamas, it is an attempt
to remove all Palestinians from Gaza —
in other words, genocide.
I fi nd it hard to sympathize with peo-
ple who are so blind to the propaganda
of the Israeli regime that, even though
they identify as religious, are loudly
praising the murder of thousands of
children by an overtly fascist govern-
ment.
All of us should have learned from
history that attempting to establish a
state for a single ethnic group by remov-
ing or confi ning those who don’t belong
to that group is racist and requires the
use of violence. It should never happen
again, regardless of who is doing it.
Charles Dunaway
Portland
REPRESENT THE PEOPLE
The city of Springfi eld is strongly
considering annexing an empty 2.3 acre
skinny lot, formerly part of the Southern
Pacifi c Railroad passthrough, behind
homes on Pheasant and Raleighwood.
The owner of the lot, Gansen Con-
struction, is intending to build as many
as 27 units that would tower over and
crowd 42 homes existing since 1952.
Currently, this area is quiet, peace-
ful and safe, but that would drastically
change if the annexation is approved.
This development has a multitude of
challenges, such as development of an
unsafe one-way small road; no sidewalks
for children, wheelchairs or walkers; no
room for emergency vehicles, school
buses, delivery trucks; fosters traffi c
accidents; loss of property value due to
saturation of housing; lack of current
privacy and quiet.
Additionally, because the lot was
part of the old railway, it left contami-
nated soil behind from the late 1800s to
early 1900s. No studies have been done
to determine what chemicals are buried
in the soil, and what the consequences
are of digging. Our neighborhood is not
opposed to development, but we want
smart and safe development that truly
supports aff ordable housing, and this
does nothing of the sort.
As the Springfi eld City Council presi-
dent states on his profi le: “Thank you for
allowing me the privilege to represent
the citizens…” Yes, please do represent
us. That is the role of City Council mem-
bers, especially when over 75 neighbor-
hood citizens attended the Springfi eld
City Council meeting last week vocaliz-
ing our concerns and opposition.
On June 17, the Springfi eld City
Council will hear fi nal plans from the de-
veloper.
Bea James
Springfield
E U G E N E W E E K LY . C O M
537 W. Centennial Blvd (458) 240-2939
EugeneSpringfieldCatLounge.com
YES, EW IS BACK
Wow! What a terrifi c issue last week.
Thirty-two pages. Lots of advertisers
(we love them). One and a half pages of
letters. And an illustration by Chelsea
Lovejoy. What a joy to see the paper
bouncing back. I’m going to contribute.
And if you’re reading this, be thankful
and contribute.
Lou Caton
Eugene
Editor’s Note: Thank you! We LOVE a
big paper and it’s folks like you, together
with our advertisers, that make it hap-
pen!
J U N E
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