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Feb 2, 2022·edited Feb 2, 2022Author

Hi, everyone. In an effort to maintain transparency I want to let you all know that I started the day allowing comments for this article from all members of the public (we made it 11 hours!). I have made the decision to turn comments off for everyone but paid subscribers because I am starting to receive comments that I believe are truly harmful to the community. I am always open to respectful discussion and disagreement, no matter what side of an issue someone falls on, but I draw the line at people sharing antisemitic and conspiratorial beliefs on my page.

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What a great headline question. You don’t need to write about this gallery or any other to know the answer. I’m not saying you didn’t do a good job. But your question is answered by taking a simple look at what is going on worldwide today. The true infection seems to be a virus of the mind. This is a pandemic of social emotional learning. How quickly we learn to segregate again. How quickly we learned to look down upon a difference of opinion as a scourge. This isn’t going to go down well at all if we don’t open our doors to everyone. Thanks Charles for having the ethics of a true human being to see through all this folly.Maybe I should’ve said insanity.

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I would be very interested to hear why the auction committee decided to keep their vaccination policy in the face of evidence that the vaccines don't do much to stop the spread. Everyone is getting sick, whether they are vaccinated or not. Fully half of my vaccinated and boosted circle got sick recently. States like Vermont where nearly every adult has been vaccinated have recorded their highest number of cases this past month. No one is claiming that the vaccines stop the spread anymore.

So what was the committee's reasoning for keeping the vaccine policy? Were they willing to listen to what Froelick had to say? In my experience, when I bring up the topic of vaccine requirements with friends who are in support of such policies, the discussion gets shut down one of two ways: either I get called a nasty name (anti vaxxer [even though I am vaccinated], conspiracy theorist, etc) or the response is: "Well, people are dying. Don't you care?" which effectively brings the discussion to a halt. It's not difficult to imagine that Froelick's exchange with the committee went something like that.

As a reporter, I wish you had asked them why they kept the policy. There is so much to explore here! This is a fascinating time in our lives. Never before have we as a society required proof of a vaccination to enter businesses. We didn't do it for smallpox, or polio, or measles. These policies absolutely beg to be questioned by smart, incisive reporters. And I'm just curious! Aren't you?

Anyway, thank you for your article and delving into this difficult topic, even if it was just dipping a toe into the water.

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Feb 1, 2022Liked by Jennifer Rabin

A nuanced and responsible approach to the issue at hand AND the larger picture. Thank you for your thoughtful writing, Jennifer.

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Feb 1, 2022Liked by Jennifer Rabin

I applaud you for taking on a difficult topic, particularly in light of the relatively small and tight-knit nature of the Portland art scene. It seems many knew and were troubled by this situation, but speaking up is difficult when a job or reputation is on the line. No one wants to lose another gallery in Portland, but for those of us trying to do better, this is a situation that needs to be called out.

Perusing Charles' twitter account was equally troubling. Seeing voices who commonly promote hate and misinformation (such as Tucker Carlson) amplified through likes and retweets was sickening. Other likes and retweets that mock gender identity or compare the mask/vaccine mandates to segregation, Nazi Germany, etc. were equally tough to read.

I really feel for the artists and staff in his gallery. It must be miserable to have your livelihood upended by the radicalization of the owner.

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Thanks for your willingness to reflect on and write about an issue that is complex. These days, it's too easy to fall into some type of "cancel culture" and not dive deeper into an issue and those involved. We've got to be able to have disagreements in this world, and not let that irrevocably divide us. So many issues around COVID have been treated (primarily by the media) along a strict binary of right/wrong or liberal/conservative or us/them, but that's never the full reality -- we can hold space for a range of perspectives and beliefs, even if we don't agree with them. Thanks for leaning toward complexity here, even if some people reading this (including me a bit) don't agree with everything you've said.

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My name is Byron Beck, and I was the one who called for a boycott of Charles Froelick and his gallery on Facebook. I was not contacted by the author of this article or anyone at Oregon Arts Watch, where this was also published, to discuss why I made a decision to boycott Froelick. As someone who worked in the field of journalism for many years, I find that not only bad reporting, but an attempt to dismiss my decision. I expect more from Oregon Arts Watch who has many accomplished journalists working at the publication who know better.

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Feb 1, 2022Liked by Jennifer Rabin

As usual, you’ve handled a complicated topic and it’s larger implications with sensitivity and forthrightness, always guiding us toward a greater understanding of how we can take care of each other and embrace the ways art makes a difference for us in the world, individually and collectively. Thank you for your consistent efforts on behalf of us all.

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deletedFeb 1, 2022Liked by Jennifer Rabin
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