With George Floyd’s murderer having been found guilty, here are a few random thoughts:
It takes about 850 hours of training to become a police officer in the U.S. Meanwhile it takes about 1,700 hours to become a hairstylist. Those proficient in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and other martial arts are routinely appalled at the lack of “open handed skills” exhibited by countless police officers in the U.S. This lack of training is especially problematic given that police officers keep a handgun on their hip — rendering any physical struggle a life and death situation.
Far from “defunding the police,” police budgets should be increased and far greater vetting and training imposed. The small fraction of police applicants exhibiting rage, arrogance, stupidity and insensitivity, or the smug, sociopathic indifference of Derek Chauvin should pursue other career choices. Policing is far too important to allow inferior people to sully the profession.
Shouting “Black Lives Matter” doesn’t address the root of the problem. The average Black family today has one tenth the wealth of the average white family — and this ratio hasn’t changed in 70 years! Making matters worse, there has been a blatant upward redistribution of wealth going on for over 40 years. This transfer of wealth has certainly exacerbated racial issues (to say nothing of homelessness and drug addiction) and should be unapologetically reversed.
Robert Bolman
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
Comments are closed.