Believe Survivors
An open letter to students of University of Oregon
Dear University of Oregon students, You don’t know me. But there are thousands of people like me on your campus. In January 2013, I was … Continue reading
Guest Viewpoint
Author: Guest Viewpoint
Schools Need a Dose of Democracy
As we celebrate and reflect upon another year “back to school” and brace ourselves for the upcoming election season, we are reminded of George Washington’s words in his 1797 farewell address: “… as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion be enlightened.” Ours is a much different world, but Washington’s logic is just as sound today as it was then. The government we have reflects the state of public enlightenment. Continue reading
Defending Old Hazeldell
In her Sept. 15 column entitled “Quarry on Native Lands,” Kayla Godowa-Tufti argued that the Old Hazeldell Quarry (OHQ) site, which is currently the subject of a public land use process with Lane County to allow quarry mining, is culturally significant to local Native American tribes. There are a number of factual inaccuracies that merit a response. Continue reading
Paying the Price for Peace
Paying the Price for Peacewith S. Brian Willson A Film and Conversation for the 2016 International Day of Peace By Jack Dresser and Mariah Leung Co-directors, Al-Nakba Awareness Project Continue reading
The $7 Million Giveaway
Eugene and Lane County's tax break makes no sense
I am baffled by the decision of the Eugene City Council and the Lane County Board of Commissioners to give away an additional $7 million, to Singapore-based Broadcom, on top of the $14 million the company was already getting for creating 229 jobs in the West Eugene Enterprise Zone. That’s $21 million, what they paid for the property, for 229 jobs! Continue reading
Choose Your Battle
No candidate will save you, but some votes are better than others
I’m not a fan of HRC. But I’m no Bernie-for-the-revolution person either. No election will bring us the revolution we need. Even electing Jill Stein or Sanders would do the same as electing the “Hope” and “Change” of Obama. The ball is still in our court. And Hillary Clinton is not the same as Trump. I much rather fight the Clinton administration than the Trump administration. Continue reading
Spirit of the Law
How Much Does Standardized Testing Really Cost Us?
There is the letter of the law, then there’s the spirit. Rep. Lew Frederick, the Oregon House’s only African American legislator, was the guiding force behind two new Oregon laws: HB 2655 (the testing opt-out bill of rights) and HB 2713 (the testing cost audit bill). The spirit behind the two new laws is clear: To honestly examine the costs, both financial and otherwise, of the standardized testing that dominates Oregon education and to allow parents and students to make their own informed decisions about what kind of education is best for them. Continue reading
SLUG Invitation
A letter from a soon-to-be old queen
Your Queen and Mine of the Society for the Legitimization of Ubiquitous Gastropods, Markalo Parkalo, wishes to convey warmest wishes, solstice celebration and official offerings herewith: First, thank you for your support of my favorite nonprofit: LILA (Lane Independent Living Alliance). Your contributions from my Third Ball amounted to more than $2,000, and we increased awareness of Independent Living (IL) in Lane County. IL is the applied value of choice for people with any disability. Continue reading
Ban Nuclear Weapons
A Message from the Mayor of Hiroshima
It is an honor and pleasure to send this message on the occasion of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Commemoration in Eugene, Oregon. On Aug. 6, 1945, a single atomic bomb rendered Hiroshima a scorched plain and burned tens of thousands in its flames. By year’s end, 140,000 irreplaceable lives had been taken. Those who managed to survive, their lives grotesquely distorted, were left to suffer serious physical and emotional aftereffects compounded by discrimination and prejudice. Nuclear weapons are an absolute evil and the ultimate inhumanity. Continue reading
The Real DNC
Protests and walkouts mark the Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) can most accurately be summed up as a conglomerate of protests. This wasn’t simply a coming-together of Democratic delegates casting their pledged vote. This was a rallying point for many groups to come together and express their displeasure, and often rage, at a system they have grown frustrated with. Continue reading