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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 2015)
Street Roots • Oct. 16-22, 2015 Ignore the gunman behind UCC shootings? Just the opposite BY JASON RENAUD A ND JENNY WESTBERG CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS Jason Renaud and Jenny Westberg are with the Mental Health Association o f Portland. This column was keynote address to the supporters o f . Street Roots by M ultnom ah County Chief Operating Officer M arissa Madrigal. I n the days since the Umpqua Community College mass murder, communities grieve, mourners weep, survivors twist in anguish, and we - all of us - grope for answers. “How will we get through today? How can we face what might happen tomorrow?” Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin thinks he has the solution, which he expoused on cue for any journalists with pen in hand. Hanlin believes we heal best when we embrace denial, ignorance and the virtues of silence - starting with the shooter’s name. “Let me be very clear: I will not name the shooter,” Hanlin said. “I don’t want to glorify the shooter, I don’t want to glorify his name, I don’t want to glorify his cause.” He urged the media to “avoid using (the name), repeating it, or engaging in any glorification and sensationalization of him.” Of course, the media took the non-disclosure as a challenge, and they had the name later that day: Chris Harper-Mercer. Hanlin, apparently, believes suspects of certain crimes should not just be prosecuted and punished; they should be forgotten, disappeared, scrubbed from public memory, ciphers who never existed — and then we can heal. T hat forgetting a name, a crime, an existence, will somehow salve our wounds, somehow comfort the terrorized. 11 "“"wwwigift' § my wisge:.uwre1 are monsters in the nearby woods — monsters that can never be mentioned or named, lest an uneasy truce be broken. To keep the monsters at bay, the villagers refer to them only as “those we don’t speak of.” Every village creates monsters. But the sheriffs advice on keeping our monsters at bay is completely wrong. We need to know everything possible there is to know about Chris Harper-Mercer in order to interrupt the next Harper-Mercer. The stop is not heroic; it does not happen at the firing line; it can only happen hours and days and weeks prior, with careful planning by families, friends, medical and social-service experts, and trained police officers. We can plan, anticipate and act — if, and only if, we know. George Santayana told us we’re doomed to repeat what we forget. We suggest you reject oversimplification, false solutions and repetitive doom, and remember Chris Harper-Mercer. Will we ever know entirely why Chris Harper- Mercer decided one day to shoot strangers? No. Not really. Below, we’ll make a guess, but an inner aspect of his terror is the ambiguity he left behind. It’s simple to get lost in the ambiguity, and people will insert their political agenda in the void. But collectively we can be wise, rise above the prurient post-mortem, and seek a better solution. The why is unimportant. What caused him to shoot strangers is very im portant Let’s get the uncomfortable facts on the table. Harper-Mercer identified as mixed race; his father is white, and his mother is black. There are millions of non-white Americans who don’t shoot anyone. Being mixed race isn’t why he shot strangers. You can split hairs and find reasons to be racist — but you’d be wrong and still a racist Harper-Mercer was isolated and angry. There are millions of isolated, angry young men in America who don’t shoot anyone. Being isolated and angry doesn’t predict a shooter. Harper-Mercer was a gun n u t America is home to millions of gun nuts. Even mixed-race, isolated gun nuts. Lots. As investigators dig, they will probably find some of those guns shouldn’t have been sold to Harper. Reasonable people, like our president, will opine Americans or kill 10 people - including himself - wound 9 others, and terrify a quiet rural community. Did his bipolar disorder cause Harper-Mercer to shoot strangers in a peaceful college campus in rural Oregon oft a sunny summer afternoon. By itself, no. Millions of Americans have bipolar disorder - even untreated or poorly treated bipolar disorder — and those millions barrel through life without ever deciding it’s a good time to shoot strangers. T ie why Is «m m portaat. What Can we hold a person with mental caused him to shoot straagers illness responsible for Is very Importaat» get their crimes? Yes, of the uacoaiiortable facts oa course. We do it all the table. the time. Our jails and prisons are filled with people with untreated alcoholism, addiction and mental illness. But it’s shortsighted to hold only the individual accountable. In a sense, Donald Trump is rig h t Crazy people are going to do what they’re going to do. So the first question is, what can we, as thoughtful, planful people, do to solve a complex tangle of unknowns? We collectively miss the opportunity to solve the problem if we skip the larger solution, which is effective and welcoming treatments for mental illness, alcoholism and addiction. The harder question is, whom do we hold responsible for the fact that Harper-Mercer was sick with his bipolar disorder and unable to unsafe and gun regulation is important and control his impulses? That responsibility is held necessary legislation. He’s rig h t We agree. by the people of Oregon and its elected Guns should be regulated - within reason. But representatives, who for decades have refused it’s unlikely any level of regulation would have to provide those effective and welcoming slowed down Chris Harper-Mercer. treatments for mental illness. Being a gun nut alone didn’t make Harper- I f s our fault. Our fault. Mercer dangerous. But it’s not one thing or another. It’s a Chris Harper-Mercer had bipolar disorder — a combination of at least several things. If we find severe and difficult-to-treat mental illness, which, the combination, we’ll find the next Harper- if left untreated or poorly treated, can manifest Mercer. If we look, and look in the right place, if delusions, fears and hatreds powerful beyond we say his name and think compassionately of any media pundit analysis. People acutely his parents, if we don’t give up - we aren’t affected by bipolar disorder have very little doomed. control over their impulses and, when sick, will These tragedies are predictable and do seemingly crazy things, like buy five cars, have sex with seven people, paint half a house — preventable. It’s up to us. Better health here for you Delivering physical, behavorial heatth and dental health care fo re ve r 230,000 children, families and individuals'on the Oregon Heatth Plan in the Portland Tri-County area. Together we are health HooUft Sis»#-« of Oroya» www.healthshareoregon.org
