Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ash falls on Rim Village as battle with Crater Lake fire continues ... Ready and waiting ... Lead found in four more SOU facilities ... Ash falls on Rim Village as battle with Crater Lake fire continues ... Ready and waiting ... Lead found in four more SOU facilities ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Aug. 6 Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Aug. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News A case of the vapors Quickly! An OSF dramaturg needs to get some bowdlerized scripts of “Shrew,” “Merchant” and “Othello” into the hands of OSF’s executive director Cynthia Rider. Should she get her hands on the real things, Ashland Fire and Rescue crews will be responding to what may be the first recorded case of a fatal attack of the vapors. If OSF is going to continue its more-than-75-year project to cycle through the complete canon, oh, how the tears will be flowing backstage. John Gaffey Ashland Clash of values Regarding the display window controversy, a reader wrote that when a person of color tells us that something is hurtful, we ought to say, “How can I help?” I concur. However, that cannot be the end of the discussion. It is not always possible to do what the hurt person asks. Their solution may clash with other important values like freedom of expression. If we apply such a deferential standard, many books would not only be taken from store windows, but off the shelves as well. That is, after all, the point of the banned books display. Is it not? Annie Winch Ashland Column disrespectful Jeffrey Gillespie's commentary Aug. 5 criticizing James Adams’ letter to the editor has a dismissive, haughty tone that is neither respectful nor constructive. In a nutshell, Adams was saying he didn’t see the kind of “daily” racism in Ashland cited in an open letter from OSF. Instead of simply offering a different view, Gillespie felt compelled to link Adams with “white privilege,” chastised him for attempting to defend “his” town, said Adams’ opinion is based on “implicit bias,” linked Adams to the “privileged elite, the top tier of which is occupied by wealthy white men,” implied that Adams is among those “conspiring to ignore the prejudices being inflicted on those who are not as privileged as themselves,” and noted that people like Adams are “naïve” and “enabling.” I read Adams’ letter. Gillespie did a lot of reading between the lines to come up with his condemnation of the man. Finally, Gillespie said that “If the valid statements being made by the company (OSF) rub rich old white people the wrong way, that’s a sign that OSF is on the right track.” Yup, Gillespie indulges in a little ageism to top off his righteous indignation over Adams’ reasonable expression of his own opinion. It’s yet another example of the polarizing tone we see more of in conversations these days, and that’s unfortunate. Jim Flint Ashland What we don't see I was fortunate enough to have a very nice dinner in downtown Ashland on the day that the Daily Tidings published James Adams’ guest opinion in response to the concerns expressed by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Given that Adams asked Ashland citizens to look around, I took the time to conduct a thought experiment by looking around the restaurant. Remarkably, I did not see any people of color eating in the restaurant, nor did I see any black or brown faces as I walked back to my car after dinner. The only people of color encountered during my evening were the cooks in the restaurant kitchen. I’m worried that Adams might be implying that’s where people of color belong. Living in a predominately white city can blind its citizens to what is experienced by those not in the majority. I’m reminded of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” The remarkable insights of Sir Arthur’s Sherlock Holmes solved the crime not by what he found, but by what he didn’t find. I’m concerned that an upstanding citizen like Adams cannot see what isn’t in Ashland: people of color. The city is much poorer for this absence. And when an actor at the festival drops their character to walk their dog around the city, there are racial epithets, furtive glances, and maybe even clutching handbags closer. Given Adams’ attitude towards the Shakespeare company, maybe he believes that black people belong only as actors on a stage, characters they must assume even as they leave the stage. My wife and I plan to continue our strong support for the Shakespeare Festival in its outstanding diversity. I can only encourage Adams to do the same. James Jarrard Ashland DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Aug. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501