Eugene has an identity crisis of seeming friendly and progressive, but it is an illusion, a vestige long gone. Criminalization of homelessness and malignant rudeness to street people are the accepted norm: class warfare. The city is managed in a cruel way: broken sidewalks near White Bird, unsafe streets, locked (or deplorable) Porta-Potties, water fountains shut off year-round, nowhere warm or safe to go.
Callboxes? Safe space? Those yellow signs you occasionally see at fire halls and convenience stores are meaningless. You can be arrested for sitting on the Rosa Parks bench at LTD. If you say “FTP” in Kesey Square you can be hauled away for disorderly conduct. The Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza is often closed. Nothing is free or fun.
Choose rudeness and perhaps we will go away? Follow the money — law enforcement job security for keeping us here. The scapegoating and stigma against mental illness and homelessness is blatant, yet Lane County is a trap for “undesirables” like me: an involuntary, disabled, needy burden on society.
I did not want to move to Eugene but law enforcement made it so. Now I’m your problem. I’ve been stuck here, homeless at times, for one and a half years and I’m not allowed to move away, but the city hasn’t provided any resources, just endless court appointments and probation officers for petty nuisance crimes, being mentally ill and impoverished.
I’ve met great people and I feel there is more hope for Eugene than in Springfield, but it is cold and scary out there. If it takes COVID-19 or forest fires to make people realize that, then so be it. Social Darwinism makes us all losers. Marginalized people are everywhere, and small kindnesses — a smile, just basic respect — help.
Leslie Shoemaker
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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