EW is Great!
“Do better, EW.” (George Keim in letters April 9.)
What a lazy comment from a local beer peddler who should heed his own advice.
John Brobst
Eugene
Tax Day Pennies
If I were to have put my pennies into a jar this past Tax Day, I would want them all to go towards protecting the natural world that supports life on Earth and to the moral world, which supports the common good. I would not put a penny towards war.
I put this to politicians: As John Lennon so beautifully wrote in his iconic song “Imagine”: “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will live as one.”
Benton Elliott
Eugene
PeaceHealth Questions
A big thank you to Shawn Boles for his excellent piece on what PeaceHealth is doing regarding Emergency Services at River Bend hospital April 9.
What I can’t understand is that the hospital is still using as their mission statement something along the lines of, “We carry out the mission of Jesus Christ by promoting personal and community health…”
I think a lot of us would appreciate it if they were a little more honest in that statement.
Also, do physicians still take an oath to “first do no harm”? Maybe that also needs some looking at.
Nadine Powell
Eugene
Love thy Dogs
Doyle Srader (viewpoint, April 9) clearly is not a dog person. That gives him no standing to criticize those of us who are. If we were to follow his creed, only wealthy people or those who put dogs to work would be able to own a dog.
However, the most important quality of life for dogs is love. Just as it is for us humans. In fact, oxytocin levels increase simply from eye contact with the human they love. I’m sure human oxytocin increases too.
And, reality is no human should have to live in miserable living conditions, not just for the dogs. But our societal reality is that many of us can not afford vast estates where we can allow ourselves and our canine companions to run free.
I know that my canine companions would have died from heartbreak if I had given them away as if they were a possession. We all do our best to give them and ourselves a good life. But most important is the love we share with the non-human animals that we live with.
Angela Flynn
Eugene
Library Levy? Yes Please.
There are so many reasons to vote yes for the Eugene library levy.
I will highlight one — the library’s focus on early literacy programs that help kids learn to read. As a longtime early childhood educator and school board member, I know firsthand the importance of providing resources to support the foundations of literacy early. It starts with infants, toddlers and preschoolers to build a love of books and vocabulary growth. Studies have shown that children entering schools who have had rich experiences, exposure to books and language have heard up to 32 million more words than children who have not. These differences are predictive of which children will be struggling readers by third grade. The library provides free access to books, storytelling and activities that enhance vocabulary and the love of reading in children. And parents get to observe how they can do this at home with their children.
The early literacy programming is even more effective with access in our branch libraries as well as the main library, offering opportunities to visit on different days and times. The levy supports easier access by keeping all three branches open throughout the city and by maintaining digital access to books and resources.
Libraries help children enter kindergarten ready to learn to read and succeed in school. Join me in voting yes for the library levy in May!
Judy Newman
Eugene
Pedestrians Share Responsibility for Safety
A number of letters to the EW lately assert that many motorists care little or nothing about pedestrian safety. Can we also recognize that some pedestrians, especially near the University of Oregon, act as if they are oblivious to the vehicles around them? Several friends agree that pedestrians jaywalking across Hilyard and Patterson Streets near campus sometimes appear to deliberately walk into the path of oncoming traffic, as if to taunt motorists with their power to make them slow down.
Awareness and safety on the streets are everyone’s responsibility.
Tim Baxter
Eugene
ONLINE EXTRA LETTERS
Garbage… More or Less
Our house only generates one can of refuse a month. Neither Apex nor Royal is willing/able to accommodate. They will only bill for twice a month pick up, which is overkill. Sani-Pac works with us and stays within our budget. We regret they are milking the system and abusing our environment — still, choices must be made. Happy to switch when another hauler is flexible — and affordable.
Sarah Ruth
Eugene
Response to EW Extra Newsletter!
Days to Celebrate? Recognize? Note? On the Horizon
You left out Bicycle Day, April 19.
The day Albert Hofman left work early because he felt so strange.
Jain Elliott
Eugene
Srader’s Dogs
I’m not surprised there weren’t any letters about Doyle Srader’s Going to the Dogs opinion piece. While I read what Srader writes, I haven’t felt moved by any of it. There is so much filtering we have to do if we are to keep our brains together. I just feel Srader’s topics are carefully chosen, not from any lived experience. Not authentic. What we need is more of your specialty: on the street reporting, in the brew halls, causing trouble, keeping us up to date on the shit show that aims to be reality in the USA, 2016. Authentic is my Ukrainian grandma scrubbing her furry pet cats in a big tub in the backyard. Spot, Blackie and Whitey. She didn’t speak much English, but I inherited my love of cats from her.
JW James
Eugene
Blockade on Cuba Deprives of Key Resources
The US blockade on Cuba has caused extreme damage to the country and its people through the deprivation of a resource used to keep the energy grid up and running, namely, oil. The blockade that the US has imposed has led to sweeping shutdowns in the Cuban power grid, there is no power throughout the country for 22 hours in a day, leaving people with only two hours of electricity daily.
It is important to mention the impacts that this truly implies, meaning that fuel for vehicles is also in extremely short demand, this means that ambulances cannot run. The lack of power means hospitals struggle to remain in operation.
Ever since the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, the U.S. has been in a longstanding trade war, which has not been lifted. Prior to the blockade, sanctions were imposed on Cuba, which prevented trade with the U.S., but did not have nearly as big an impact as the current blockade. The attack on Venezuela targeted Cuba as well, this is due to the longstanding trade of oil from Venezuela.
The stated reasons for the blockade and general embargo has been to topple the Cuban regime, but considering the harm being caused to the people, the blockade becomes pointless. Additionally, many times in which the Cuban people protested against their government, the root cause for their displeasure was in U.S. action. This blockade is something that society needs to stand up against; for humanity’s sake, this blockade must end.
Brennyn Smith
Eugene
Actions are Louder Than Protesters
No community is perfect; they just cannot be. The diversity of the population makes it that way.
Perfection is not what it is made out to be, imperfection is the fabric of life.
We have elections upon us, voting is your voice, speak now or forever hold your peace.
I know, your vote means nothing, well, the minority who do vote affect you. Taxes are passed, the yearly school bond; in other words, voting will affect you in many ways.
Emergency medical services are back in town, we have this season, 2027, and I hear people want to keep the EMS, people did not vote, the minority decided, after 70 plus years, they will be leaving.
The Riverfront Project, that cost the property owner $50 plus a year, passed in 2018, the people voted for it, they did not know they were, it was hidden in a Parks and Recreation Measure. If they would have read this measure, I wonder if they would have voted for this.
Eugene has no hospital, will have no family affordable entertainment, have a homeless problem, not able to purchase a home and more.
If you care about this imperfect community, vote.
If filling out a mail-in postage paid ballot is hard to do, then hold your peace, accept the outcome.
Voting speaks louder than protesting.