Tom Coffin’s featured story in Eugene Weekly titled “Totalitarian Ruin” (10/7) appeared to encapsulate the fears that many reasonable people (Democrats, moderates, even some Republicans, likely) are already grappling with in the aftermath of the attempted Jan. 6 insurrection. He dared readers to imagine what things would be like in our country had these domestic terrorists succeeded in overturning the 2020 election and usurping the government (think North Korea and Russia).
His resounding point in this piece was that our very democracy is at stake, now more than ever, and that we risk losing it all as we face the threat of similar events in the near future. Here’s my gripe: Our democracy has been so selectively applied, from its inception, that it barely ever resembled a democracy at all. So what exactly are we trying to salvage here?
Coffin himself admitted in his piece that the U.S. “still features systemic oppression of African Americans through its justice system, police use of deadly force,” as in, to this day in 2021. This comes as no surprise given the constitution was written by and for a select group of people.
So in order to imagine a better future, we must be bold enough to acknowledge that this current system, which called itself a democracy but operated more like an autocracy, is working exactly as it was designed to, exclusively benefiting white men at its inception, and now maintaining an elite, racist, sexist, inhumane power structure. We can and must do better. The work starts with admitting where we stand.
Cassandra Buitron
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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