Our leaders are incompetent and self-absorbed. Business lacks scruple, and exploitation is the rule of the day. Civil liberties are sacrificed for illusive security.
The political landscape is dominated by paranoid petty partisans, detached elites, the angry, the disenfranchised and the apathetic. Will the future offer hope, or are we doomed to sleepwalk to the slaughtering block?
The article “State of Emergency” (EW, Sept. 27) was filled with biting criticisms of those in power who incompetently orchestrated our current national and global turmoil. While I agree largely with the points Chris Hedges makes, I find his bleak prognosis dispiriting. You can’t motivate others while accepting failure as imminent.
Heroic fatalism is not a pragmatic approach for winning support. People need to know there is hope, that there is a future worth fighting for.
Condemnation with no practical solution will only result in more indifference and disillusionment. With so much at stake, can’t we do better? I hope so.
Caleb Cuff
Eugene
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!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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