Voting Quandary

Eugene Weekly asked five Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) about the election, and the state of America. In this largely white community, these surveys often don’t represent the views of BIPOC people, but EW wanted to amplify their voices.

Robyn Matsumoto, who is Jewish and Japanese American, plans to vote for Biden in the presidential race, and she is registered with the Democratic Party. “It’s appalling how the divide between the left and right has grown due to the spread of misinformation. Fear has divided us. Black Lives Matter. Trans Rights are Human Rights. Stop the Hate. Condemn White Supremacy.”

Mars Hernandez, who identifies as Latinx or Chicano, is a Green Party supporter and does not plan on voting in the presidential election, saying,”The whole system and electoral process is something I don’t want to back or believe in. Locally, I like Joel Iboa. I like what he says and I believe in him. I believe that America is imperial, and I don’t like empires. I’m more community based and community orientated. Even states have too much power. The U.S. has terrible foreign policy and national policy. The country is unfair to its own people. I am more concerned with my local community.”

Kyran Johnson, who is African American, will vote for Isiah Wagoner for Eugene mayor and Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen for president, and supports the Libertarian party. “The two-party system has run amok on democracy and limited the amount of representation for all people. It has decreased the level of thinking of two types of thought.”

Myles Prevost, who is African American, says he will vote for Isiah Wagoner for Eugene mayor, and [Joe] Biden for president and is a registered Democrat. “We as a whole need to come together and be one. I feel our country is going backwards.”

Talicia Brown, who identifies as Black, generally votes for the Green Party and plans to vote for Lucy Vinis for Eugene mayor. “I trust her. She’s working with ADOS (American Descendants of Slaves) about reparations for Eugene’s first BIPOC families. Unfortunately I have to vote for Biden. I would love to do some type of cool Kanye type of vote, but I don’t think that’s a possibility. The two party system is defunct and really needs to change. But any candidate that doesn’t put the environment in the forefront is going the wrong way. The reality is America is in a state of crisis, and is a collapsing society. On average, it takes 115 years, and we’re 50 years in. A lot of systems that we have weren’t put together well, and they are held together with duct tape.”

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!