To those who wrote in regarding the Jan.17 Slant section’s question of possible bias in the police response to Charlie Landeros, I think we are missing the point in this completely avoidable tragedy.
There’s a double standard for officer engagement in this country. Two sets of rules: one for white people and one for people of color. White privilege prevents us from seeing that.
In a way, white privilege is like wearing a pair of permanent sunglasses, shielding us from a world that is blindingly bright with bias and bigotry. As a previously un-housed resident in Eugene, I occasionally peeked around these sunglasses of privilege, getting glimpses of the systemic, unearned advantages white people enjoy every day based on the color of our skin.
Why are we not asking questions like “why would charges of trespass and disorderly conduct justify an arrest?” My personal experience with both charges as a white male has been that we are issued a citation or ordered to comply by an officer. We are rarely chased or thrown to the ground when we interact with police, regardless of how we comply or whether we stand up for ourselves.
White people’s silence and denial surrounding our privilege furthers the systemic oppression in our town, making it unsafe for people of color and other vulnerable people to live here. We need to challenge the myth that equal rights and the right to equal treatment under the law are available to all. They are not.
Nate Mitchell
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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