I feel compelled to respond to a rather grotesque letter written to Eugene Weekly in the May 26 issue. That letter, abridged: White boys partying outside = “Foolish privilege, soulless losers, self-pity, blaming others for their nothingness.” The Weekly urges writers to avoid personal attacks, so I will merely refer readers to that author’s previous articles.
That said, it must be a privilege to view the world with such a facile lens. It’s far easier to judge people by the color of their skin rather than by the content of their character. An assumption that had these “white boys” been “Black males” (notice the author’s inflection), they would have been beaten by police, is destructively reductionist. That type of conclusion adds absolutely nothing to the conversation. At best, it is divisive and polarizing.
I say this as someone who wants radical change in our government, in our institutions and overall equity. Nevertheless, I do not have to qualify who I am nor where I have been. Neither should anyone else. Ever. We are complex characters. Coming to the table without empathy and/or lacking openness just makes you an asshole.
David Ross
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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