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FALSE DICHOTOMY Many people in the African-American community today can trace their lineage to enslaved peoples, but not to the regions and/or tribes in Africa from where they originated. They were robbed of this connection to their roots by their captors and by the inhumane conditions of chattel slavery. They forged their common identity linked by this shared history. "Whiteness" is a response to, a reaction against this. "White" is a term of separation, to distinguish one from "black" or "colored." "Whiteness" does not exist, but unfortunately hatred and racism do. I am not "white," and I resent that term when I check it on diversity questionnaires. I am Irish, English, Scottish, French and German. I am a person of European descent residing in the Americas. The title of the lead article of the May 18 EW, "Culture of Whiteness," feeds into the false dichotomy of white vs. black. I applaud the substance of the article that makes many valid points. The historical chronology reinforces the need for the UO to actively recruit peoples of diverse backgrounds to enrich the learning experience for all students, faculty, staff, and the broader Eugene community. Keith Barger, Eugene
SISKIYOUS ABUSE Southwest Oregon's Siskiyou Mountains are a unique and special place. For our future, we need the wild rivers and wild lands that make Oregon a great place to live, work and raise a family. We need today's leaders to make a stand so that future generations can see salmon running in the crystalline waters of the Illinois River. Despite the claims of Sen. Wyden and Rep. DeFazio that they value the wildlands and wild waters of the Siskiyous, they have not made any efforts to protect the old growth trees in large blocks of wildlands affected by the Biscuit Fire. Next month, the Forest Service plans to sell the rights to log tens of thousands of mature and old growth trees from the flanks Illinois River. These forests are in large blocks of wildlands that the Forest Service staff identified three decades ago as logical additions to our Wilderness system. While it takes an act of the entire Congress to designate Wilderness, it will also take a commitment of our delegation to stop their destruction. Jeremy Hall, Eugene
WALKING WOUNDED BLUES I used to hunt in Oregon; worked long hours, but it wasn't bad. I paid good money for that shotgun — but that was before I saw Baghdad. I served in Frenchie's armor corps; it hurts so bad he's dead. They watch your every movement now — that's life or death in old Baghdad. The power's out, and folks are hot, no jobs, and sewage streams in streets. Sweet little kids still smile and play — pray for peace in grieving Baghdad. Baghdad, ancient Baghdad; as far from home as I can get. You're older than the Pharoahs — wiser than the oracles. There's things you haven't taught us yet. Jihadists come from everywhere; they cross the borders, and they're bold. It's sad a man would give his life to blast a crater in the road. There's schisms in the council; all could go in the can. I wish folks knew our sufferings — God bless you, Ms. Sheehan. Colin Powell spoke up, Shinsheki's gone, the command chain's all unhinged. Won't someone stand to get us home if we're not in here to win? Baghdad, ancient Baghdad; as far from home as I can get. You're older than the Pharoahs — wiser than the oracles. There's things you haven't taught us yet. You're on patrol or in your bunk; you're never safe with mortar fire. Ambush ahead or IED junk — you never rest in wild Baghdad. We've sacrificed, we're stretched too thin; we ain't got more to give. We're trapped in war beyond our ken — It's back to Baghdad — I want to live. I know, somehow, we'll see it through; new country "built" — we'll pack. The truth is that we gave too much. Goodbye, Baghdad, Iraq. Joel S. Gerstman, Eugene
MISSING KITTENS As a big fan and habitual supporter of Eugene's local music scene, it was with great interest that I opened up the recent Locals Only Music Guide (5/18). I was shocked — although not entirely surprised — to notice the glaring omission of one of Eugene's most popular bands, On The First Day ... They Were Kittens. The Kittens (definitely a local Eugene band) have been playing shows consistently for three years and even won last year's Battle of the Bands (sponsored by the Black Forest). They've packed almost every venue in Eugene on multiple occasions and, thanks to the Internet, are relatively well known out of state and even out of country. In fact, their midnight audition for the Battle of the Bands last year was standing room only — even though John Henry's infamous '80s night was going on a few blocks away! Yet, despite their huge popularity, I don't recall the Weekly ever mentioning them outside the club listings page. It's kind of weird, as if you guys have something against them. Do you?
Sabrina McNamara, Eugene
EDITOR'S NOTE: Nothing personal. Eugene has dozens of good bands, and we write about as many of them as will fit in our limited space.
NEW WORLD ORDER? I am a student of philosophy. Like all rational beings, philosophers are especially interested in the formal expression of an intuition or an experience that bears a general relevance but that also defies explanation. Artworks typically aspire to provoke such intuitions and experiences. I saw The New World from cheap seats at the Gateway Mall. The film presents the initial encounter between English settlers at Cape Comfort and the Pamunkey natives under the leadership of Chieftain Powhatan in 1607. Cautious relations soon give way to violent conflicts when it becomes clear to the latter that the former have no intention to leave. The formal qualities of any artwork can be constructively debated, of course, but that is not my concern here. Instead, I want to report on a spontaneous act of audience participation that emerged during the first scene of extended combat. As a war party was attacking their European antagonists, someone began to clap, and continued to do so for about a minute. What could such an act mean? What claims does it imply? What actions does it recommend? What failures does it presume to expose? Maybe there are intuitions and experiences that escape even the aesthetic imagination of a broader public that is perpetually at war with itself with respect to its own ominous origins. For my own part, I left the theater in confusion. Wandering out of the fast-food court and standing beneath those hideous neon lights to smoke a cigarette with some mischievous teenagers, I quite distinctly recall having the feeling that time is running out. Evan Haney, Eugene
IMPEACH HIM Nobody wants to bring the nation through the wrenching process that is impeachment, but the man who is supposed to be representing the interests of the citizens of the U.S., President George W. Bush, has done us wrongs that are irreparable and truly deserving of impeachment. He is guilty of leading our nation into a very costly war based on lies, half-truths and misinformation, thereby utterly depleting our treasury and overextending our military, gaining nothing; His appointees' incompetence engendered horrific failure when Hurricane Katrina struck; His closest subordinates have and are ordering torture of people for punishment and interrogation; yet none of these is to my knowledge an impeachable offense. In addition to these "mistakes" Mr. Bush has repeatedly authorized illegal surveillance of American citizens without their knowledge and without a warrant from any court of the land. He even lied and said that court orders would be obtained for any surveillance. Richard Nixon was impeached for the same offense, and he too, cited national security as a justification. Mr. Bush has violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as well as the 1st and 4th Amendments. Even if the Attorney General refuses to enforce it, this president is not above the law. This is the USA, not the former USSR or some dictatorship. Time is of the essence! We must reign in this outlaw president now, before he gets us into another bloody, pointless war with Iran, and bankrupts our nation fiscally and in every other way possible. Max Schwanekamp, Eugene
BUMS AWAY I'm from Brooklyn, and have I got a bridge to sell you. It's called, "Trust me, I'm your president. I'll do whatever I can to deal with rising gas prices." Looking at emerging news, I smell a rat. It was reported last week that Exxon/Mobil's first quarter earnings this year were $8.4 billion. And that's without the current spike in oil and gas prices. On the same broadcast, it was reported that the cause of $75-a-barrel oil (and hence inflated profits) is speculators' fear of decreased supply, and that is caused by the ratcheting up of aggressive threats toward Iran by the Bush administration. So, here's the deal: Bush blows smoke about Iran, oil mega-corporations pocket unprecedented profits, and Dick Cheney smiles out of both corners of his mouth. Once gas prices pass $3, they're unlikely to go back down. Something's gotta give, and I think throwing the bums out would be a good start. Otherwise we'll just be proceeding with the current trend of the dismantling of our civic society. Now, about that bridge ... Paul Prensky, Eugene
HOLD EXXON ACCOUNTABLE We need your help to hold Exxon accountable for their 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. A June 2 deadline is fast approaching for our government to claim the $100 million "reopener for unanticipated injury." This is a part of the original settlement to pay for the long-term harms that weren't known at the time. The long-term damage of the spill is undeniable and obvious to everyone but Exxon's PR lackeys. Seventeen years after the spill, fish, wildlife and human communities have not recovered. Before Exxon's spill there was always a thriving herring fishery in Prince William Sound. Today there isn't. Sea otters on Knight Island are still being exposed to toxic patches of oil. The AT1 pod of Killer Whales is going extinct. Studies done in the wake of the spill have come back showing oil is way more poisonous than we thought. For example, salmon eggs show damage at concentrations of oil 1,000 times lower than the old Clean Water Act standards. Meanwhile, in a show of incredible arrogance, Exxon's army of lawyers continues to stonewall fishermen and native people in court. Exxon reported obscene $8.4 billion profits so far this year. They could easily afford to pay the full reopener with their profit from just one day. Heck, executive Lee Raymond could afford it personally, having just quit with a $356 million severance package. These are some of the reasons why the federal and state government needs to demand the full $100 million reopener from Exxon. It's just a drop in the bucket of the costs of Exxon's continuing recklessness. Join the Cascadia Wildlands Project and spill-affected communities in calling on the Bush administration to hold Exxon accountable. Sign the petition online at www.exxonreopener.orgor call the Eugene CWP at 434-1463 to get involved. Gabriel Scott , Alaska field rep. CWP Cordova, Alaska
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