The infant whose birth many of us celebrate this week grew up to be a great moral teacher, who taught by telling stories. One of those is the story of a man assaulted by thieves and left lying by the wayside. Several persons passed him by, but one stopped, cared for the injured man personally, and paid to provide for his needs. Jesus concludes the parable by saying, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37).
This theme is reflected in early Christian writings; e.g., The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (aka the Didache) asserted, “Give to one who asks, and ask nothing in return.”
Fast forward 2,000 years to Eugene, where early this month public employees dismantled a homeless camp on First Avenue. Thankfully, many members of our community have expressed shame and outrage at this unconscionable event. That it should happen at all is disgraceful, but that it should happen during this season adds an element of intense irony. “Your tax dollars at work!”
Providing dumpsters, porta potties and handwashing stations would have been appropriate and humane, and we can thank White Bird, CAHOOTS, Occupy Medical, St. Vinnie’s and other compassionate organizations that such events are not more commonplace. But allowing for the differences between 1st century Galilee and 21st century Oregon, we should devote public resources to more long-term solutions. To lower the cost of housing, build low-cost housing.
Robert Roth
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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