There’s a lot we can learn from our neighbors. King County is Washington’s most populous county. Recently the King County Board of Health voted unanimously to require gun dealers and shooting ranges to post warning signs about the dangers of killing machines, i.e. guns.
The signs say: “The presence of a firearm in the home increases the risk of suicide, homicide and unintentional deaths to children.” While this statement of fact is obvious to many readers, it’s actually not obvious to many gun-worshiping Americans.
What the King County Board of Health knows is that many gun owners tragically believe the opposite of the truth when it comes to the presence of guns. Most believe that having killing machines in their home increases their safety.
While many gun-lovers ignore any information that contradicts their beliefs, some may read these signs and think twice about endangering themselves, their children, their families and their communities.
Joshua Welch
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
Comments are closed.