I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy exercising my First Amendment rights — particularly when it comes to putting people in their place. Because if you don’t, who will?
That is precisely what Thelma Barone did when the Springfield Police Department tried to coerce her into silence regarding matters of discrimination (“Free Speech Prevails,” Sept. 20).
As stated in Henry Houston’s article, Barone simply confirmed she heard of instances of racial profiling in her community. She told the truth and, for some, the honesty was too much.
When the truth does not satisfy you, efforts should be made to change it, not mask it. How many instances of discrimination and misconduct could we potentially avoid by holding people in power accountable for their actions?
Issues like this should be a public matter, and the perpetrators of such unethical behavior should be required to reflect and improve on their practices. How are we ever going to progress as a growing multicultural society if we aren’t actively fighting against the very actions that have oppressed people for hundreds of years?
Barone did not emigrate from Mexico just for the government to “trample on [her] rights.” She came here to be heard loud and clear.
The voices of historically marginalized people have been brushed under the rug for far too long, and it’s about time we listen up.
Laura Castrejón
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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