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# 📧 Why does The Oregonian “hate” military families?
- URL: https://gijustice.com/20250124-1256-oregonian/
- Published: 2025-01-24T20:56:42.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-30T17:53:53.000Z
- Author: Logan M. Isaac
- Tags: The Oregonian, Betsy Hammond, Therese Bottomly, Lizzy Acker, Aimee Green, SJM1

*The following was sent to* [*Politics Co-Editor*](https://gijustice.com/tag/Betsy+Hammond) *Betsy Hammond and* [*Vice President*](https://gijustice.com/tag/Therese+Bottomly) *Therese Bottomly of The Oregonian/Oregon live on January 24, 2025 at 12:55\. On January 27, after visiting Senator James Manning's office, whom Hammond disclosed she had somehow worked with before, I learned the hearing for SJM1 had been cancelled.* 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/5e/625e8b30-aba8-4ca4-b679-851550ded791/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-30-at-10.53.28.png)

Betsy \[Hammond\] (and Therese \[Bottomly\]),

Sen Thatcher has asked me for comments on [Senate Joint Memorial 1](https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SJM1/Introduced?ref=gijustice.com), which will have a committee hearing on Tuesday. When [you and I talked on the phone](https://gijustice.com/oregonian-gijustice), you made a big deal about not being an editor when the Albany Legion hall was burned to the ground on July 4th, 2010, which felt reassuring at the time.

However, [your LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-hammond-880aa561/?ref=gijustice.com) says you became an editor in January 2017\. If so, then you were in leadership when [Lizzy Acker](https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2017/04/marine%5Fsuffering%5Ffrom%5Fptsd%5Fcha.html?ref=gijustice.com) (and later [Aimee Green](https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2018/03/marine%5Fwho%5Fsmashed%5Fchair%5Fonto.html?ref=gijustice.com), both CCed), labelled what Damien Rodriguez did a "hate crime" in April 2017 and March of 2018\. The title of [ORS 166.155](https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors%5F166.155?ref=gijustice.com), under which Rodriguez was charged, is "Bias Crime" - the word "hate" never appears.

*The Oregonian* ***created*** an association between "veterans" and "hate crimes" while ignoring their ***protections therefrom*** under the 2009 HCPA. Damien Rodriquez might even have grounds to sue the outlet for misrepresenting his charges, I dunno.

Despite what you claimed in our call, you don't have the plausible deniability you think you do. The fact that you knew about [my testimony on December 20, 2024](https://gijustice.com/orla-testimony/) and determined it was not newsworthy heightens the appearance of bias.

I can't speak for Thatcher, but I *can* say that I will be pointing your bias out to her team to use as they see fit.