Our Rights Are Being Trampled!

As with the Battle in Seattle and the Monsanto Row in Sacramento, the Brew-ha-ha in Ottawa is being portrayed as violent fringe extremists with crazy views up against the law-and-order-protecting state. The reality is, to anyone present at those protests (excluding John Zerzan’s “Anarchist” agent provocateurs) is that the truckers against vaccine mandates and their allies are exactly the same as the coalition of farmers, unionized workers, Earth First!ers, hippies and human rights activists who fought against corporate globalization.

Why is the whole medical freedom community written off as right wing nutjobs with unacceptable views? Why would any progressive person or paper ignore or condemn the demands of millions of people? Is it deplorable to demand an end to the state of emergency that has been used by the state to trample the human rights of all citizens? Is it wrong to demand an end to the propaganda and the censorship perpetrated by the media and government?

Anthony Willey

Cottage Grove

Editor’s Note: And yet here you are writing a letter to an editor of the propaganda-making and freedom-censoring media.

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!