This is a plea to ask you to join me in fighting the forces of evil and despair. We have a planet that deserves saving! We have young people who deserve to live full lives! I urge you to get active!
Do not go shopping! Do not watch a movie! Do not eat sugar! These are all things that corporate leaders would approve of, to increase their profits and help push their political agendas. We cannot afford to let corporations run things.
Feel your feelings! Be terrified about climate change, 12-million acres of wildfire down under, trigger happy, unstable presidents or other disasters. Let your feelings motivate you to do something productive. Get angry! Get active! We are more powerful together than most of us can imagine.
I wrote this letter. I will email Rep. Peter DeFazio, and Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, to ask them to limit Trump’s military actions in Iran. Then I will write friends in other states to spread the word. I will sign up to encourage potential voters to register then show up to vote.
At some point I will roll up in a ball and cry, listen to calming music, take a walk in the woods, make a list of all the reasons I can’t let myself stop believing, cry some more, hug one child and call the other one… then pick myself up and get back to it. Because I know that which I value is being up-ended, I will act with intention and passion to protect it.
What will you do?
Karen Austin
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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