Letter from the Pacific Northwest
By Bill Matturro
Greetings fellow progressives:
Circumstance has taken me from the South Georgia woodlands to the Willamette Valley of Oregon, and the city of Eugene. This town of approximately 150,000 persons, home to the University of Oregon, is situated on the fertile valley floor between the Coast range and the Cascade Mountains.
It's rainy and cool during the winter, but the warmer Pacific coast waters and the snowy winter sports areas are both about an hour's drive in either direction.
From the edge of downtown neighborhood where I am living, Eugene appears to me to be what the rest of the country might be like in 20 years. There are eight or more natural food stores just within walking distance of my house, carrying a wide range of organic produce and other natural products.
The downtown Farmer's Market, which opens April 1, is supposed to be one of the best with local organic, fruits and vegetables in abundance. There are many restaurants that offer vegan and vegetarian meals. So many folks don't eat meat that I even saw an ad for a barbecue joint that offered veggieburgers!
From my front steps there is a steady progression of folks walking, riding bicycles, or driving Priuses down the street. In fact, my joke is that Eugene is so progressive it is the Priuses that are up on blocks!
The local bus system is free to U of O students and staff, and is powered by biodiesel fuel. Most of the gas stations offer alternative fuels at the pump.
As I walk through even apparently middle class neighborhoods, I am amazed at how many homes have vegetable gardens filling every available space, even between the sidewalks and the street.
Just about every other house has an anti-war sign or a peace flag flying. Also, Eugene has made a near religion of recycling.
This past weekend the 25 th annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference was held at the law school. This event draws activists from around the world, and the sessions and workshops are free and open to anyone. Progressive groups, including Earth First! and the Animal Liberation Front tabled in the law school lobby. My favorite had to be the Voluntary Extinction Movement that advocates zero births to let the earth return to a pre-human balance!
Naturally, like all life, there is a yang to this yin. Outside of the city in the burbs there are shopping malls, big box stores, and plenty of McMansion subdivisions.
There is constant tension between developers and those who want to maintain the open spaces that surround the city. There are even battles in town where single-family home owners are fighting to keep out new multi-family structures that are a part of the city government's in-fill strategy.
From what I have heard there is also some not-so-subtle racism prevalent here. While there are quite a few Native Americans, Asian-Americans, and other minority groups, there are very few African-Americans. They are subject, I have been told, to the same unfortunate ill-treatment that is all too familiar in our part of the country.
Two final thoughts: Tallahassee has a unique concept in its Progressive Center. There are plenty of activist groups scattered throughout Eugene, but I think how much more effective their work would be if they could be co-located in a facility like the Progressive Center.
Finally, because the dominant orientation here is left-of-center it is easy to be progressive or different in Eugene. But it is not so easy in North Florida/South Georgia and I salute those of you of progressive thought and action for the courage you display in the face of opposition. Keep up the good work.
Bill Matturro writes an occasional column for the Tortoise called "View From Up South."
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