OPINION
6A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015
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about the realities of life
But leave self-declared
for those not yet elderly.
conservatives
and
their
Founded in 1873
Which is where that Fed-
contempt for the poor on
eral Reserve study comes
merica remains, despite one side. What’s really
STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher
in.
WKH GDPDJH LQÀLFWHG E\ striking is the disconnect
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between
centrist
conven-
LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor
the Great Recession and its af- tional wisdom and the re-
ond year, and the current
BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager
termath, a very rich country.
edition actually portrays
ality of life — and death
a nation in recovery: In
CARL EARL, Systems Manager
But many Americans are eco- — for much of the nation.
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nomically insecure, with little pro-
JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager
stantial plurality of re-
ple,
positioning
on
Social
Paul
tection from life’s risks.
DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager
spondents said they were
Security. For decades,
Krugman
7KH\ IUHTXHQWO\ H[SHULHQFH ¿ a declared willingness
better off than they had
HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager
nancial hardship; many don’t expect WR FXW 6RFLDO 6HFXULW\ EHQH¿WV HV EHHQ¿YH\HDUVDJR<HWLW¶VVWDUWOLQJ
to be able to retire, and if they do pecially by raising the retirement how little room for error there is in
retire have little to live on besides age, has been almost a required many American lives.
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Social Security.
position — a badge of seriousness
0DQ\ UHDGHUV ZLOO , KRSH ¿QG — for politicians and pundits who LQ QRQHOGHUO\ $PHULFDQV VDLG
nothing surprising in what I just want to sound wise and responsi- they had no retirement savings or
VDLG %XW DOO WRR PDQ\ DIÀXHQW ble. After all, people are living lon- pension, and that the same frac-
Americans — and, in particular, ger, so shouldn’t they work longer, tion reported going without some
members of our political elite — too? And isn’t Social Security an kind of medical care in the past
seem to have no sense of how the old-fashioned system, out of touch year because they couldn’t afford
it. Almost a quarter reported that
other half lives. Which is why a new with modern economic realities?
he suicide in April of 54-year-old Carrie Barnhart is only the VWXG\RQWKH¿QDQFLDOZHOOEHLQJRI
Meanwhile, the reality is that liv- they or a family member had ex-
most recent and obvious of many such family tragedies that U.S. households, conducted by the ing longer in our ever-more-unequal perienced financial hardship in the
Federal Reserve, should be required society is very much a class thing: past year.
happen in our county and region, year in and year out.
And something that even startled
reading inside the Beltway.
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Before I get to that study, a few DORWDPRQJWKHDIÀXHQWEXWKDUGO\ PHSHUFHQWVDLGWKDWWKH\ZRXOG
Sorrow, pain and a lingering social wrong. A person who is thoroughly
stigma continue to impede our inter- determined to commit suicide is hard words about the callous oblivious- at all in the bottom half of the wage not have the resources to meet an un-
vention in and reaction to suicides and to stop. Meanwhile, CBH and all oth- ness so prevalent in our political distribution, that is, among those H[SHFWHGH[SHQVHRI²
life.
who need Social Security most. 7KH\ZRXOGKDYHWRVHOOVRPHWKLQJ
suicide attempts. Barnhart’s family is er health and social service agencies
I am not, or not
And while the retire- or borrow to meet that need, if they
right in seeking better answers than operate in a seriously constrained only, talking about
ment system FDR could meet it at all.
they have received thus far.
budgetary framework that makes ac- right-wing contempt
Social
Of course, it could be much
introduced may look
old-fashioned to af- worse. Social Security is there, and
It is natural for families to second tive, ongoing case management into for the poor, although
Security is ÀXHQW SURIHVVLRQDOV we should be very glad that it is.
guess years worth of behaviors and a frustrating exercise of constantly the dominance of
compassionless con-
it is quite literally a Meanwhile, unemployment insur-
there, and
clues leading up to these personal stretching too few resources to cover
servatism is a sight
lifeline for many of ance and food stamps did a lot to
catastrophes. “What did we miss?” too many needs.
to behold. Accord-
our fellow citizens. cushion unlucky families from the
we
should
“What could we have done different-
In addition to making sure mental ing to the Pew Re-
A majority of Amer- worst during the Great Recession.
be very
LFDQV RYHU JHW And Obamacare, imperfect as it is,
ly?” “Who could we have asked for health care is effective, there other search Center, more
than
three-quarters
more than half their has immensely reduced insecurity,
help?” And simply “Why?” All these recognized ways to protect against
glad
that
of
conservatives
be-
income from Social especially in states whose govern-
questions and more crowd the minds VXLFLGH7KHVH LQFOXGH VWUHQJWKHQLQJ
lieve that the poor
Security, and more ments haven’t tried to sabotage the
it is.
of families and friends. Sometimes, connections with family members, “have it easy” thanks
than a quarter are program.
there are no answers. But sometimes, the community and social institutions; to government bene-
But while things could be worse,
almost completely
lessons can be learned, some of which helping those at risk by improving ¿WVRQO\LQEHOLHYHWKDWWKHSRRU reliant on those monthly checks.
WKH\ FRXOG DOVR EH EHWWHU 7KHUH LV
7KHVH UHDOLWLHV PD\ ¿QDOO\ EH no such thing as perfect security,
may invisibly blossom into saving a their problem-solving skills; and ed- “have hard lives.” And this attitude
translates
into
policy.
What
we
learn
penetrating
political debate, to but American families could easily
life years, decades or even genera- ucating everyone about warning signs
from the refusal of Republican-con- some extent. We seem to be hearing have much more security than they
tions later.
such as an expressed loss of purpose
trolled states to expand Medicaid, less these days about cutting Social have. All it would take is for pol-
At a minimum, a thorough exam- in life, changes in sleeping patterns even though the federal government Security, and we’re even seeing iticians and pundits to stop talking
ination of facts and feelings can aid and increased alcohol or drug use. would foot the bill, is that punishing some attention paid to proposals for blithely about the need to cut “en-
a family’s mourning process. Even 7KHUHQHDUO\DOZD\VDUHVRPHZDUQ the poor has become a goal in itself, EHQH¿W LQFUHDVHV JLYHQ WKH HURVLRQ titlements” and starting looking at
better, it can help a whole community ing signs — in Barnhart’s case, her one worth pursuing even if it hurts of private pensions. But my sense the way their less-fortunate fellow
is that Washington still has no clue citizens actually live.
improve its understanding of serious own suicide threats were a loud and rather than helps state budgets.
depression, brain diseases in general, clear warning siren.
and how our institutions might better
A genuine advance of the modern
safeguard individuals in the grips of age is we now understand that re-
By DAVID BROOKS
ZKR VXUYLYHG WKH 1D]L
7ROODNVHQ FRQWLQXHV
crisis.
sponsible discussion of suicide does
New
York
Times
News
Service
“I
have always admired
death
camps,
a
predom-
Helped by retired Wyoming police not increase the risk. Silence and pre-
those goal-oriented, stub-
inant
quality
she
noticed
RI¿FHU1RUPDQ7XWWRQWKH%DUQKDUW tending an illness might get better if
born, successful, deter-
few weeks ago, I asked was generosity.
family is prodding the county to take a we simply ignore it aren’t effective.
mined individuals; they
“Perhaps,”
she
con-
readers to send in essays
closer look at how Clatsop Behavioral It’s clear what we all must do if some-
make things happen, and
cludes, “the mission is
the world would be lost
+HDOWKFDUHKDQGOHGWKLVVSHFL¿FFDVH one we love shows signs of suicidal describing their purpose in life not a mission at all. ...
without them.” But, he ex-
Everywhere there are tiny,
7XWWRQLVFRUUHFWLQVWDWLQJWKDWSDWLHQW thoughts — listen, show you care, be and how they found it.
plains, he has always had
A few thousand submitted con- seemingly inconsequen-
FRQ¿GHQWLDOLW\VKRXOGQRWVHUYHDVD direct but non confrontational in ask-
a “small font purpose.”
tial
circumstances
that,
if
permanent “cloak of invisibility” for ing about feelings and plans and seek tributions, and many essays are on- explored, provide mean-
“I can say it worked
David
agency actions. Meaningful oversight SURIHVVLRQDO DVVLVWDQFH 7KH VDPH line.
for me. I know it sounds
ing” and chances to be
Brooks
requires, at a minimum, that the coun- goes for local society as a whole —
I’ll write more about the lessons generous and kind. Spiri-
so Midwest, but it’s been
ty insist on a process of professional this is a subject that warrants ongoing they shared in the weeks ahead, but tual and emotional growth happens ZRQGHUIXO , KDYH D WHUUL¿F ZLIH
kids, friends from grade school and
in microscopic increments.
and independent case review to audit discussion and active efforts to im- one common theme surprised me.
high school, college, army, friends
I expected most contributors
Kim
Spencer
writes,
“I
used
whether procedures were followed prove our response.
would follow the commence- to be one of the solid ones — one locally, and sometimes, best of all,
and whether those procedures need to
CBH operates a 24-hour crisis in- ment-speech clichés of our of the people whose purpose was horses, dogs, and cats. Finally, I
be changed.
tervention program that tries to assist high-achieving culture: dream big; FOHDUO\GH¿QHGDQGXQGHUVWRRG0\ have a small industrial business that
1RQH RI WKLV VKRXOG SUHVXSSRVH people at imminent risk of suicide. set ambitious goals; try to change purpose was seeing patients and , VWDUWHG DQG KDYH UXQ IRU \HDUV
the world. In fact, a surprising num- ‘saving lives.’ I have melted into based on what I now identify as prin-
that CBH or the county did anything 7KHFULVLVOLQHLV
ber of people found their purpose WKHLQEHWZHHQVSDFHVWKRXJK1RZ ciples of ‘Pope Francis capitalism.’”
Hans Pitsch wrote: “At age 85,
by going the other way, by pursuing my purpose is simply to be the per-
the small, happy life.
son ... who can pick up the phone the question of meaning in my life
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story of a man who was asked by time of crisis. I can give it to you pose of my life is another matter.
a journalist to show his most pre- today and again in a few days. ... I World War II and life in general
cious possession.
can edit your letter. have taught me that outcomes from
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... I can listen to our actions or inactions are often
Spiritual
wrote, “was proud
you complain about totally unpredictable and random.”
He adds, “I am thankful to be
and excited to show
your co-worker. ...
and
the journalist the
I can look you in alive. I have a responsibility to my-
gift he had been be-
emotional
the eye and give self and those around me to give
queathed. A banged
you a few dollars meaning to my life from day to day. I
growth
in the parking lot. I enjoy my family (not all of them) and
W PD\ VXSHU¿FLDOO\ VHHP OLNH CDC shipments of live anthrax up tin pot he kept
carefully wrapped
not upset if you the shrinking number of old friends.
the plot of a end-of-the-world EDFWHULDLQDQG´
happens in am
in
cloth
as
though
cry.
I am no longer <RXXVHWKHWHUPµRUJDQL]LQJIUDPH¶
movie — for more than a year the
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LW ZDV IUDJLOH 7KH microscopic
drowning, so I can in one’s life. I am not sure if I want
U.S. Army accidentally shipped a that happens pretty regularly.”
journalist was con-
KHOSNHHS\RXDÀRDW to be framed by an organizing princi-
deadly disease from a Utah labora-
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with a little boost. ple, but if there is one thing that keeps
tory to nine other states and South 86 ODERUDWRULHV DXWKRUL]HG this dingy old pot so
1RW DOO RI WKH WLPH me focused, it’s the garden. Lots of
Korea.
to work with fully active, fully vir- YDOXDEOH"µ7KHPHVVDJH¶WKHIULHQG but every once in a while, until you plants died during the harsh winter,
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King novel, the pathogen would 7KLVQXPEHULVWRRODUJHE\DIDFWRU resonated deeply. In that moment back; it is easy for me.”
ach and tomatoes are thriving in the
have jumped the fence and started RIWR´
I was able to relieve myself of the
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rampaging through the innocent ci-
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life was more forgiving. But we that high-containment laboratories EH UHZDUGHG ZLWK IXO¿OOPHQW 0\ ³GHFLVLRQ WUDS´ ³7KLV WUDS LV DQ tree this year.”
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amazingly consistent phenomena
can’t always count on such good comply with regulations. However, vision cleared.”
<RXQJFRQWLQXHV³,KDYHDOZD\V whereby ‘big’ decisions turn out to everyone, but there is something
luck.
our work has found that aspects wanted to be effortlessly kind. I have much less impact on a life as beautiful and concrete and well-pro-
Live anthrax like that sent of the current oversight programs wanted to raise children who were a whole than the myriad of small portioned about tending that size of
a garden.
around the nation by the Army is … depend on entities’ monitoring kind.” She notes that among those VHHPLQJO\LQVLJQL¿FDQWRQHV´
highly dangerous, but not conta- themselves and reporting incidents
gious in a traditional sense, so this to the regulators.”
particular blunder between March
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ly the same chain of errors as the gent need of serious intervention.
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By PAUL KRUGMAN
New York Times News Service
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What did we miss?
T
Recent suicide raises many
questions for the community
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A
Anthrax goof gives
real pause for alarm
I
Lack of real oversight
could put many in danger
Where to write
