In the Georgia runoff election, which will determine the balance of power in the Senate, Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler is running an attack ad against Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock that displays children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag as an antidote to socialism and Black Lives Matter protesters. I bet she doesn’t know that the pledge was written in 1892 to instill patriotism and love of this country in newly arrived immigrants by Francis Bellamy, who also happened to be a socialist.
If she has read past the first two lines, I want Loeffler to stand with me and defend “the Republic [our country] for which it [the flag] stands” by demanding that Donald Trump accept his defeat in an election in which there has been no evidence of fraud because a Republic is a form of democracy in which voters elect their officials and representatives in a free and fair election.
The pledge speaks of “one Nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all” because it was produced by a generation that still remembered a war fought to preserve the Union and free the slaves. If she wants the pledge recited in schools and loves this country and the flag the way I do, she will support Black Lives Matter protesters and demand equal treatment under the law for everyone, including African Americans.
If she does neither of these two things, I question her patriotism because she dishonors the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance that she pretends to defend.
Donald M. Brasted- Maki
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.
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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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