There is an often-overlooked distinction between “humanists” and what could be called the path followed by Mahayana Buddhists. Humanists have the narrow focus of working exclusively for the welfare of humans — all humans.
Albert Einstein, who didn’t eat animals, said: “We must enlarge the circle of our compassion to include all beings.” In Buddhist lingo, this means helping deliver all kinds of people and animals.
It has come to the attention of both humanists and vegans that without a healthy, nourishing and regenerating environment, neither of the two ambitions will achieve its goal. Whether you want a planet for humans only or one that considers the interests of animals, without oxygen and other raw materials produced by viable ecosystems, future generations will be doomed
Sentient beings by definition have nervous systems; they appreciate pleasure and recoil when exposed to harm. Plants, too, release electromagnetic signals, but this is due to their proximity to whoever is affecting them. What they “appear” to feel is in reality the emotional and or mental generation by the scientist.
Despite this apparent limitation of plants, it could be said that chlorophyll (green) is the counterpart of hemoglobin (red). Both are indispensable for breathing
David Ivan Piccioni, 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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