Viewpoint: Blurred Distinctions: Common practice of unsigned editorials may be deceptive. Living Out: Ethel's Hideaway: Battling life's evil is exhausting. Letters: EW readers sound off. Blurred Distinctions Common practice of unsigned editorials may be deceptive. Unsigned editorials are traditional among most newspapers, including The Register-Guard. Why is this tradition so common, what reasons justify or argue against this common practice of vagary, and is this practice consistent with the expected standards of professional journalism? An e-mail from Editor Jack Wilson of the R-G explains, "Unsigned editorials are meant to communicate an institutional point of view, as opposed to a bylined column, which expresses a personal opinion. Were we to begin signing our editorials, this distinction would be blurred or lost. In addition, by signing our editorials we would obscure the degree to which our editorials are the product of a consensus, and are prepared through a collaborative process of writing and editing." An opinion, written under the byline of Editor Wilson (R-G, March 31) explains the deliberative process by which consensus is achieved. Lacking a consensus, the majority position of participating editorialists -- the publisher and three editorial page editors -- prevails, except when the publisher exercises a veto. Obviously, the publisher has the right and privilege of operating in almost any way he chooses. But an unrevealed veto deceives readers who are not aware that the publisher has a veto option. It does away with the collective institutional opinion as described by Wilson. Newspapers cannot have it both ways. Editorial sentiments are either individual opinion or something more significant, never both. An unrevealed veto doesn't merely blur, it obliterates the important distinctions between personal opinion, majority position and consensus. The owner-publisher's veto unavoidably pressures employee-editors to write in accommodation of the publisher's philosophical values before collective deliberation occurs. This obvious persuasional dalliance may extend beyond the editorial columns of the R-G to the Letters section and beyond. Some years ago, Eugenean Paul Nicholson's letter to the editor was denied publication. Paul then submitted essentially the same information as a paid advertisement. The R-G administration insisted on changes in the wording of the advertisement. Who, other than the publisher, would have authority to dictate policy overlapping two major and presumably operationally independent newspaper divisions? At times the presumed wisdom of the R-G editorial staff seems to be less than collective and sometimes egregiously inaccurate. Some years ago repeated misinterpretation of municipal tax increment financing was apparent in editorial content. I suggested that a call to the Lane County Assessor's office would verify that all property owners, not just tax increment district property owners, paid for municipal tax increment financing. The former editor rudely rebuffed this constructive suggestion. To its credit the R-G later published my letter, which gave reason why a series of four editorials were in error and asked for correction and an apology to readers. No editorial apology or admission of error was ever published but ensuing editorials on this subject indicated revised understanding. Did collective editorial deliberation assure authoritative accuracy? Does this incident exemplify an accepted standard of professional journalism? Does it reflect professional humility? Trusting readers may fail to compare selective editorial interpretations, particularly those found in local candidate endorsements, with related facts appearing in the news section of the R-G. Scrupulous comparison reveals embarrassing inconsistencies between news and editorial content. Such inconsistencies suggest some degree of administrative separation of editorial and news divisions. But inconsistencies also suggest the unrevealed veto influence on editorial content. Recently, my letter to the editor (July 12) cited 19 items interpretable as corruption at the federal, state, county and city levels of government. Two additional verifiable facts were deleted from my manuscript: "Former Eugene leaders have illegally given $10,000 per year to the Chamber of Commerce, (and Eugene City administrators) violated urban renewal law ..." were cut from the published letter. Every example of corruption except the two relating to local government and the Chamber of Commerce were published. The editorial staff did not offer an alternative to my e-mailed question suggesting that this deletion was censorship. Does the "veto" privilege apply to letters as well as editorials? In answer to the opening questions, unsigned editorials are apparent attempts to fabricate a more credible authoritative image and to acquire greater persuasive power; the voice of an institutional oracle. Only the editorial insiders know the frequency with which unsigned editorial content is determined by less than a majority of the editors or a veto by the publisher. Objective and cautious readers who know of the veto potential are therefore compelled to skepticism, a condition that does not foster trust, reduces respect for editorial opinion and -- despite the common practice among other newspapers -- must certainly fail to meet minimum standards of journalistic professionalism and honesty. The R-G is generally recognized as a superior newspaper. Negligible loss of editorial influence would result if all but consensus-derived editorials were signed. Such a precedent-setting policy change by the R-G would enhance its journalistic excellence, its public trust and community respect. Ray Wolfe is a professor of chemistry emeritus at the UO, a City Hall bird dog, and producer of "In the Public Interest," a weekly Cable 97 video program. Back to Top Ethel's Hideaway Battling life's evil is exhausting. On the opening night of my mother's play, our house buzzed with actors, directors, movie producers -- exciting and mysterious people. It was cool to see my ordinary mom magically transformed into a glamorous playwright, but I was late for a phone date with my best friend. Luckily, an 11-year-old kid can slip out of a party unnoticed. I escaped the commotion in the living room and closed my door. Debbie and I needed to concoct a plan to get permission to go to the movies by ourselves. I picked up the extension phone in my bedroom. My mom was on the line talking to a woman I didn't recognize. I swiveled the receiver away from my mouth so they couldn't hear me breathe. A strange, husky voice oozed from the phone, "... then after the show tonight we'll see you at Ethel's Hideaway." "Yes, dahling, see you there." My mom sure didn't sound like her regular self. I waited for her to hang up first. Something was up. I knew all about dastardly plots from watching Sky King and Penny and "My Friend Flicka." I was pretty sure my mother and this mystery woman were in cahoots. Was my mom really some kind of bandit, living a wild and rugged secret life away from her normal job and family? I leaned back and rubbed my bare feet along the rows of chenille on my Annie Oakley bedspread. Ethel's Hideaway had to be somewhere out in the desert. Probably an old mining shack with tumbleweeds blowing past the weathered timbers of the entrance. Ethel must be the leader of the gang. I could picture her: a hard-living leathery woman in jeans and a sweat-stained Western shirt with pearly snaps. She'd sit backwards on her chair, toss back a shot of whisky and wipe her mouth on her sleeve. Then she'd smack her glass down on the table and make the dust jump. Ethel and her outlaw gals could be planning to hold up a stage coach and make off with the payroll. I'd bet these women did whatever they pleased and didn't have to get anybody's permission for anything. They wore their favorite jeans every single day if they wanted to. And they took a bath only when they felt like it. My mother was involved in something so adventurous and so secret that not only could I never mention it to anyone else, I couldn't even let on to her that I knew. From then on, whenever she claimed to be going for groceries, I knew she was out there in her pointy-toed cowboy boots, kicking up dust in the starry night as she rode her palomino across the desert to Ethel's Hideaway. About the time I figured out that The Borrowers weren't living in our walls, I learned that Ethel's Hideaway was nothing but a restaurant with a husky-voiced hostess. It was OK, that small disillusionment paled in comparison to the realities of puberty. I suspect that my fantasy of my mother's secret life planted the outlaw seed in my own life and directed me toward my quest for freedom and justice. I have plenty of adventure and limelight. My own play (about lesbian sexuality) enjoyed at least underground success. I have the glamour of performing comedy improv for cheering audiences. I get to do battle with the Snidely Whiplash of homophobia. I don't need anyone's permission to wear whatever I want. And I bathe only when I feel like it. But fighting for equality and civil rights all the time is stressful. Society's constant questioning of the morality of your sexual orientation wears you out. Rising hate crimes and gay suicides weigh heavy on the soul. Battling evil is exhausting. From time to time I just want to hide away. When my mother died a few years ago, I bought a small cabin in the woods, a couple hour's drive from where we live. I named it in honor of her and the secret life she never had. Our Ethel's Hideaway sleeps eight. Every year we have a gang of women out for a long weekend. We let down our vigilance and determination and take it easy. No TV, no newspaper, no answering machine, no e-mail. About once a month my sweetheart and I steal away to Ethel's Hideaway all by ourselves. We magically become peaceful, calm and relaxed with nothing more to do than walk on the beach, read novels under the cedar trees and keep the wood stove going on cold nights. That's where we live our secret life as normal people. Sally Sheklow has been a part of the Eugene community since 1972 and is a member of the WYMPROV! comedy troupe. Her column, which began at EW, also runs in several other newspapers around the country. Back to Top Profiling Continues Today I watched "The Twentieth Century" with Mike Wallace. Interestingly enough, it was about racial profiling practiced by police all over the country. At 11 am I shut off my television, left my house to run some errands. In the alley behind my house I observed a white male staggering, obviously very intoxicated. Looking up the alley, I saw a police car approaching. Climbing in my car, I felt confident this officer of the law would at least make contact with this person. Thus I was very surprised when I stopped at the corner to see the police car in my rearview mirror. At that same instant a motorcycle cop passed in front of me. I signaled and make a left. The motorcycle cop pulled over to let me pass, which I found strange. I came to a second stop sign, signaled and turned. Upon completing my turn, the cop in the car turned on lights and siren. This did not surprise me. I pulled over immediately, turned off the ignition, and put my hands where he could see them. The officer stated his reason for stopping me was failure to signal. At that moment I knew I had been "profiled." I am a black woman. I live in the Whiteaker area. That is why I was stopped. I would have to be a complete imbecile not to use my blinkers at the first stop sign with a cop in front of me and one behind me, and an absolute moron not to signal at the second stop sign with two cops behind me. The officer issued me a citation, which of course I will have to pay. I had not been drinking, there was no cache of drugs on the passenger seat. This cop ignored a falling-down-drunk white man to hassle me. Profiling is alive and well in Eugene, Oregon. S. McDonald Eugene The Message Got Out Post election, post mortem comments by those who promoted the county/city tax increases to further fund "public safety" projects parrot the usual "we didn't communicate our message enough." This is curious in that the political committees pushing these tax increases had a combined total of over $100,000 in funds to "communicate" their message. Our committee, Enough is Enough, neither asked the public for donations nor spent one thin dime in communicating our message of opposition. It was truly a grassroots effort making use of donated sign materials and a few professionally printed lawn signs donated by a group of Eugene citizens. We stood on street corners, we wrote letters to the editor, we called in to area talk shows. Proponents of these multi-million-dollar measures should recognize that, indeed, their message got out only too well. Taxpayers are more than capable of understanding the bottom line message that they were being asked for ever more tax increases. Taxpayers just got their annual property tax bills, talk about "sticker shock." Over $90 million is spent annually in Lane County to fund "public safety." Our committee name said it all, "enough is enough." Perhaps this time city and county bureaucrats will respect the will, and the real life circumstances, of burdened taxpayers, seniors on fixed incomes, working families. We demand efficiency with our hard earned dollars, not more misguided waste. Carol Berg Enough is Enough Committee/ No on 20-36, 20-38, 20-39 A Little Perspective Imagine a country, not friendly to the U.S., holding an election under the following circumstances: 1) Opposition parties denied participation in the three presidential debates. 2) Hundreds of millions of dollars given to two candidates by the wealthy oligarchy. 3) Media time dominated by the propaganda of the ruling class candidates. 4) Only half of the electorate participates in the election. 5) Only 25 percent of the eligible voters choose the leader. 6) Election irregularities occur in the state whose governor is a brother of one of the candidates involved in the dispute. 7) The possible winner does not get the majority of the votes cast in the election. How would we react? 1) Call for a new election with international observers (send Jimmy Carter). 2) Covertly send millions of dollars to "democratic" forces (El Salvador, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile, Yugoslavia etc.). 3) Help organize street protests (CIA). 4) Cheer as the "pro-democracy" demonstrators burn the parliament (Yugoslavia). 5) Send in the marines (Panama, Dominican Republic, Grenada). 6) All of the above. Think about it. Pete Mandrapa Eugene Now is the Time Your voice really does matter! Today's (11/9) National Public Radio program broadcast that there are representatives that are actually approaching the issue of abolishing the electoral college. I encourage you to become a participant in this discussion. Now is the time to contact your federal representatives and senators to ask them to voice their stance on this topic simply by asking: "How does the senator/representative stand on the proposal of eradicating the electoral college? I would like to know." The electoral college is obsolete and does not reflect the wishes of the voting public. It's an important issue and it needs to be addressed now. Several thousand phone calls (and letters) cannot be dismissed. If we all take the initiative to get involved, we may actually begin to affect change in our political representation. Please pass this message on to as many people as you can. Call Congressman Peter DeFazio (465-6732), Sen. Ron Wyden (431-0229), and Sen. Gordon Smith (465-6750). Do not e-mail them as they will not be able to take important information and may very likely ignore the severity this question. Asking now is crucial. Remember what's at stake: your right to elect the official of your choice! G. L. Greenlaw Eugene Re-Vote in Florida As an American voter who respects our democratic system, I feel that George W. Bush is morally bound to call for a re-vote in the places in Florida where confusing ballots made voting difficult. Any person who would lead America as President and says "I trust the people" should be happy to allow concerned citizens to vote their minds. Someone who says he wants to "restore honor and dignity to the White House" should not allow himself to come to power in such an questionable and possibly illegitimate way. Al Gore won the popular vote; Bush should acknowledge that every step should be taken to ensure the true will of the American people is heard. We have to look at why we vote in the first place -- to express our desire for how the country should be governed. If thousands of people say they were not able to accurately express themselves, it should be our moral obligation to make sure this is corrected. Blake Carper Eugene Fascist Scumbags Darn! Bush got elected president! What a disaster -- well, not really. If Bush was not elected some other fascist scumbag talking head would have been. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Living in a privileged liberal town like Eugene can be extremely frustrating at times. People here pretend to be so concerned with the "issues," yet very few people are willing to do anything besides petition against certain evils committed by this system as if it's not the whole damn system that is evil. How much blood must government shed before people realize that we need to abolish it? And how big must the hole in the ozone become before people realize that a revolution against the industrial-patriarchal-capitalist system is a necessity if we are to survive as a species? Let us hope that the oppression and exploitation we will be subject to under Bush's regime will finally wake up the masses of apathetic consumers and cowardly liberals who plague this wretched nation. If we die apathetic, we die pathetic. Steven Gider Eugene Sound of Chainsaws Tre Arrow recently explained to Salon magazine that in the struggle to establish the Green Party, "everything is a victory, bro!" This may seem to some people like the most inanely fatuous political statement ever made, but I would like to clarify some Green positions toward such attitudes. The Bush/Cheney team is slobbering over itself in anticipation of expediting the process of gettin'-while-the-gettin's-good. They undoubtedly will be ripping up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in short order, and you can hear the sound of chainsaws revving up in anticipation of the reopening of forestlands put off-limits by Clinton/Gore. Environmental laws will undoubtedly be relaxed as corporations are allowed to set their own standards for pollution limits. Minimum wages will certainly be frozen and the rich will be getting massive tax-breaks. Bush/Cheney in charge? You might as well appoint Exxon as CEO of the country and quit pretending. But even though Al Gore would be preferable to Bush in absolutely every category that matters in the lives of most Americans, we think that as long as the corporations are behind them, it doesn't matter which party gets in. But fresh assaults on the environment and tax cuts for the very rich will only serve to reinforce our position that the oligarchic duopoly of republicrats are choking the life out of Mother Earth. In the mean time, (we) will sleep like babies as we wait for the day when things get so viciously out of control that people are finally forced to wake up and join us in counting symbolic gestures as victories against a world gone mad. Then they too will recognize that in this fight, everything's a victory. Bro. Mike Moss Corvallis Invaluable Work One of the best of the public services provided by Eugene Weekly over the years has been your election endorsements. Even when I have disagreed with your recommendations, I have deeply appreciated, and looked forward to being able to consult, the research, analysis, and conclusions you have shared with the progressive community. This year especially your work has been invaluable, freeing many of us to spend more time working on the issues that hold our hearts (or even living our lives) and less time trying to figure out or remember the rest of them. Jain Elliott Eugene Safety Paradox Since moving back to Eugene after many years traveling in the U.S. and abroad, I've come to appreciate Eugene's unique bike-friendly system. It is a rare place that has as many bike lanes and car-free systems like the riverwalk/bike path. In summer I could barely wait to get off the streets of Springfield and onto the bike path and have sense of safety. Now with change of seasons and daylight savings time, it has reversed. Now after several near collisions with bikes with no lights, I feel safer on the streets of Springfield -- and that says a lot. I don't get it! Eugene has great and rare alternative transportation system here. Why don't bikers use lights? Are they too groovy? If we can save the whales, eat free-range chickens only, how about little mutual respect for fellow bikers? Herb Kieklak Eugene LETTERS POLICY: We welcome letters on all topics and will print as many as space allows. Please limit length to 250 words, keep submissions to once a month, and include your address and phone number. E-mail to editor@eugeneweekly.com, fax to 484-4044, or mail to 1251 Lincoln, Eugene 97401. Back to Top Table of Contents | News & Views | Arts & Entertainment Classifieds | Personals | EW Archive