I believe that we can keep ourselves safe, and we don’t need barbed wire or jail cells to do that. As stated by Nova Sweet from the Family Preservation Project in the May 11 Eugene Weekly, “Today we invite you to join us as we begin to imagine what a world without prisons could look like. Imagining a world that centers care and not punishment in addressing harm.”
I don’t buy into Lane County’s tactics to scare us into funding the jail by showing mugshots and listing crimes that people have been charged with. The county spins a great story about the services provided in the jail and claims that without the jail levy people would not have mental health services. I don’t buy into that, and I believe we can do better. What about all the people who have experienced harassment and decline from being in the jail? Most people in the jail have not been convicted of a crime, but are awaiting trial and cannot afford bail.
Proponents of the jail admit that, ideally, we wouldn’t need a jail — yet this is the system we have. Call me naive, but I want to live in an ideal world today, and I don’t accept the current system. Those of us with Healing Not Handcuffs (HealingNotHandcuffs.org) will continue to push for true community solutions, along with all who want to join in this effort. We’ll be working on it day after day, five years from now and long after that.
Laura Ray
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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