Multiple letters to EW lately support Matthew Johnson’s letter (Letters 5/27), explaining how the anti-war movement ended the Vietnam War. I agree. This topic generated letters because it struck a nerve with Baby Boomers. I’m going to strike that nerve again, but differently.
Boomers, what happened when the war ended? I’ll tell you. You got yours. You finished your college degrees, got good jobs and bought homes in segregated neighborhoods. You had kids who went to segregated schools. You recreated in segregated spaces. Oh, they weren’t overtly designated as segregated, but they were — due to racist laws, policies and covenants.
You put your kids through college. Many of you enjoy a comfortable retirement from those good jobs. Some of you landed so well that you’ve bought homes for your kids and grandkids, or at least gave them noteworthy house down payments.
Your activism did not enter your board rooms, involvement with your kids’ schools or neighborhood barbeques. You didn’t question why your community, occupation, or kid’s school were so white. True, some of you continued the fight. But generally speaking, white Baby Boomers sold out.
You could have made significant changes in the fabric of our society. You could have turned your energy to fighting racism and creating equitable housing and hiring practices. Instead, you settled into your whiteness. You had the numbers and the economic power, but your activism died on the vine.
Pity. We could’ve had a better country.
Alex Li
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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