Regarding Nadia Raza’s article “The Love that Liberates Us,” Eugene Weekly May 11: As a former long-term resident of Oregon Department of Corrections, I agree that identity, as it relates to the stories we tell about ourselves and the world, is a vital aspect of healing and transformation.
During my prison sentence, I listened to hundreds of crime stories. Considering that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) correlate to higher rates of delinquency and crime, most of the descriptions I heard made sense when connecting the dots between trauma, criminalization of people and subsequent crime.
Delving into identity through story is delving into accountability — both personal and external accountability. Personal accountability is a felt and expressed recognition of causing harm to others. External accountability is the recognition that crime has context and people who commit crime often come from environments of disadvantage.
“We all participate in this system.” The authentic stories we tell about our roles are the exact thing needed. For justice impacted people, stories provide agency and strength that help heal from harmful experiences. For non-justice impacted people, stories help to understand the correlation between systems of trauma and disadvantage as they relate to crime.
Shawn McWeeney
Executive Director
Juvenile Advocacy and Mentorship
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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