On the afternoon of Saturday, May 21, personal business caused me to drive through the corner of 19th and Alder in Eugene. On that corner was a group of college-aged white males, beers and hard liquor in hand. Empties littering the ground around them. They held a sign “Honk and I’ll do a shot.” I heard cars ahead and behind me furiously honking, and as promised — the boys swigged.
I was witnessing the past, present and future. The past: Generations of white privilege and safety nets resulting in the creation of these foolish white boys. The present: Soulless losers without worth or self-respect. The future: Cirrhosis. Self-pity. Anger. Blaming others for their nothingness.
I’ve heard from friends who frequently need to drive by that corner that the honk/drink scenario is a common occurrence. Fascinating. I guess the University of Oregon and Eugene Police Department chose to turn a blind eye. I don’t need a crystal ball to know that if those kids were Black males, they’d be beaten, tazed and thrown in jail, if not outright shot dead for “rioting.” There would be no repeat performance.
I have no hope for this country when I see these fine examples of future “leaders” on the verge of spewing out to the culture at large. There, they will continue to damage and disrespect not just their own bodies, but whatever and whoever else they touch. White “superiority.” Ha!
Ramona Wise
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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