Pen Pals, Pay Pals and Thrift Store Pals
You’ve heard of pen pals? My girlfriend from high school (now lives in Oklahoma) and I have evolved into “thrift store pals.” She travels by car frequently, and she’ll stop at every thrift store on the map. The deals she finds are commendable, and much is brand new. She’ll show off her purchases by texting me pictures.
Then she started sending me some of her random bargains in the mail. And the things she sent me were good! I felt obligated to do the same, so I found myself sending her some of my thrift store finds as well.
When I pointed out (sometimes) postage cost more than the contents, we began analyzing all of our purchases. Was it a want or a need? For you or who? Is it a future gift, or is it getting tossed in a box? How many do you already have? Are you telling your husband? Oh, it’s brand new, with tags? That is a good price. Only $5 for that designer piece, and you’ve got shoes to match! Perfect! Are you going to purge an old pair?
More recently, she confessed our new scrutinizing has caused her to put more things back on the shelf.
We phone each other often and one day I answered: “You’ve reached thrift store anonymous. What is your confession?” She laughs and says, “How did you know I went to the thrift store today?”
Cynthia Branen
Marcola
Aging and Raging Issue
I’m 78 and found this week’s (Sept. 10) Eugene Weekly full of articles about us oldies:
On the cover
On p. 3
On p. 4
On p. 7 (the cover story)
On p. 8
On p. 10
And then ads about products beneficial to oldies and others whose physical abilities are less than “top-notch”:
On p. 3
On p. 5
On p. 7
On p. 8
On p. 9
On p. 10
Thanks for reassuring us that we remain of interest.
Tom Barkin
Eugene
Response to Call for Boycott
In response to the attempt to isolate and censure Israel in last week’s (Sept. 17) letter to Trader Joe’s.
We are sickened by the propaganda and lies surrounding the Gaza war and the failure to acknowledge the actions, intentions, and responsibility of Hamas, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas has systematically and strategically used Gaza’s civilians and civilian infrastructure as human shields. This is a war crime under international law. A detailed examination and critique of Hamas’ actions and intentions can be found in an article published in Lawfare called
“The Dangerous Failure to Hold Hamas Accountable for Using Human Shields.”
Condemning Israel and, by extension Jewish people, for defending themselves in the wake of a horrific massacre and believing that Oct. 7 was a justified or legitimate act of a “liberation movement” is a falsehood and serves as a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate Jews and deny Israelis their right to live peacefully in their ancestral homeland.
We recommend the excellent letter released by Creative Community for Peace on CreativeCommunityforPeace.com, signed by more than 6,000 leaders across entertainment, academia and public life, united to reject the “genocide” accusation against Israel.
The accusation of genocide by Israel has spread throughout the globe like a virus. It supports Hamas’ evil strategy to deflect their own responsibility and blame Israel. We urge our fellow Jews and our non-Jewish friends to treat the accusation of genocide with revulsion — as the latest in a long history of lies about the Jewish people.
Lorri Goodman, Laura Goodman, Oriana Kahn Hurwit, Mark Hurwit, Luba Jillings, Marilyn Rice, Gerald Rice
Important Election Coming Up!
Frank Harper, frequent opinion writer to the Eugene Weekly, reports that Eugene has a “dismal” record on voting. (27 percent in 2024 primary election.)
He encourages us not to wait until the last minute.
These are the dates you should know:
Oct. 13 Last day to register to vote.
Oct. 14 First day ballots are mailed.
Nov. 3. Election Day! Drop your ballot off at an official drop box by 8 pm on Election Day.
Mr. Harper also reminds us that Americans have died “just so we can vote in a free and fair election.”
It’s important. Vote!
Sheena A. Schroeder
Eugene
ONLINE EXTRA LETTERS
Braver Conversations
Thanks for the profile of Braver Angels (EW, online 9/16). I’ve been a participant since 2022 and have had a lifelong interest in polarizations. While I will hold my nose and vote for Democrats this fall, I gave up on that party in 1993 after Clinton and Gore broke their environmental promises. I also gave up on the Greens in 2009, and now am independent from narrow partisanships.
My view is that we all share an abundant, finite planet, and we have passed the limits to endless growth, which is heresy for all parties.
I think “Braver Accountability” is needed to heal politics. The Democratic Party enabled Trump through failures to enforce laws. Republicans who say we need civility seem reluctant to discuss how their party engages in unprecedented levels of corruption and meanness.
A recent severe example of political division was the pandemic. Over a million and a half Americans died of COVID, more than from all wars since 1776 combined, and nearly all of the casualties, disproportionately Republican, were unvaccinated. Meanwhile, Republican leaders were first in line to get immunized while they urged their followers to remain unprotected, with deadly consequences. Viruses don’t care about opinions.
Mark Robinowitz
Eugene
Sideways
At last we got some sorely needed rain. Oregon’s woodlands have been burning at a scale never seen before. The last two years have been record setters for destruction by fire. As a long-term resident of Oregon, I have to wonder if something besides our global warming is at work, or should I say not working.
From the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, things have gone sideways. Could it be the 1,400 qualified firefighting personnel that Elon Musk and DOGE let go and never replaced? Or perhaps it was the defunding of 57 Research Stations that studied drought and forest management, and the defunding of federal programs that marshalled resources on the ground to limit fire damage? Did reorganizing Forest Service personnel, replacing high-ranking experts with partisan, less knowledgeable personnel, have any impact?
When the government decided to stop funding to research fire prevention, replace knowledgeable experts and lay off firefighters for fire containment, the results are very clear.
Hal Huestis
Eugene
Voters
Let’s all play make-believe! Let’s pretend the people who don’t vote are responsible for the “bad officials” who get elected.
Let’s pretend Democratic Party officials represent their constituents and not corporate interests.
Let’s pretend we received the hope and change promised by Barack Obama back in 2008.
Let’s pretend Joe Biden supported the American people instead of a genocide against the Palestinian people.
Let’s pretend our governor and Oregon’s House and Senate – all controlled by democrats – actually care about the welfare of Oregonians, especially low-income and homeless persons struggling to survive.
Let’s pretend we’re making a difference by voting for the lesser of two evils.
Let’s pretend.
Robert Simms
Eugene
Where is Val Hoyle?
We only see Val Hoyle when she’s running for reelection. We have found her to be the most disappointing and unprofessional candidate running for office representing Oregon’s 4th congressional district. Our son has lost two legs and is pleading for help with his disability claims and pleaded for help from Hoyle; nowhere to be found, just an answering machine. She’s a ghost, but wait, she finds money to advertise exploiting her desire to help us; not happening and she doesn’t care. There is no trust with Hoyle, just lip service; she should listen to my son cry at night. She needs to look up the word ashamed!!