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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1997)
r . ; • \ ■ • • . * *• • ;v - Page A2 *• / • • • . • á . • • • ' t“ • * _- • * * • .•? •- . tl* . J ’ -■ ’..* '•* • i " • /.< • ♦ ■ • S -• ! s. u' ' .? f »s. ^4 ’S r ^ / • * k T5 v * { r Z o • « '» . 4 * '*’ » • .- . f • * J >«* «* .* ‘ • *. t v -*£ • • * . *• \ •» ♦ -jJ -jf- T - Z • ■• <- V* • .• .: ’ • ' . - •. •> ' ’ ..» ». • • ■. ? / ’ . . • .• <Tltc p o r (Lutò ^ ìlb s r o w ir ------------------ ------------------------------ — í_____ ■WTxy A r e B l a c k M e n A f r a i d O f T h e r a p y B y M itc h e ll E. G ibson , M .D ., P.C. Carl is a 47-year-old Black attor ney. He is married, has two beautiful children, and a net worth of well over $3 million. Tonight, after work, Carl plans to go home, have dinner with his family, make love to his wife, then retire to his study where he will place a revolver to his head and end hislife. N oone will know why he did it. In 1994, over 2,000 Black men killed themselves. The vast majority of them did not seek potentially life saving psychotherapy or talk to any one about the stresses which led to Christmas Seals Help Fight a Growing Killer The American Long Associa tion o f Oregon is launching its an nual Christmas Seal Campaign with a special emphasis this year on asthma, a common lung disease that can result in a sudden inability to breathe. Tw oO regon teenage girls tragi cally made news when they died from asthma attacks in the last year. such a desperate act. Traditionally, Black males have made up a very small percentage of the outpatient populations of most mental health practices. Yet, the stresses on the African-American male in the United States are enormous They include high unemployment, high divorce rates, high rales of incarceration, a homicide rate 20 times the national average and shortened life-expect ancy (64.6 years). With all these pres sures, why then do Black men shy away from getting therapy? As a Black male psychiatrist I have seen first hand both sides of the issues which plague the Black male. In Oregon, more than 55,000 chil dren and 100,000 adults suffer from asthma. Asthma deaths are rising nationwide. T hat’s why this year’s Christmas Seals Campaign is dedi cated to preventing needless asthma deaths. When you seal the envelopes of your holiday cards with Christmas Seals and make a contribution to the Lung Association, you show your support in the fight against asthma and other lung disease. The Christmas Seal Campaign is the Lung Association’s largest source o f fund In my practice, it is a rare occurrence to see a Black male voluntarily come into therapy for any reason. How ever, when they do, it is often with much fear and trepidation. The fact that I am a Black male helps to some degree, but the same issues continue to surface as reasons for their general resistance and fear. The multitude of environmental and social stressors which are unique to the American Black male have served over the decades to effec tively launch a massive assault on our collective conscious and uncon scious mind energies. The system which is ostensibly designed to pro C rim in al-m atters related to d o m estic v io le n c e and a n ti-h a ra s s m ent p e titio n s are already heard in D istrict C o u rt, w hile civil p ro c e e d in g s and the p ro te c tio n o r d e rs are the re sp o n s ib ility of S u p e rio r C o u rt. “T his sep aratio n in ju ris d ic tio n has created h a rd sh ip s for v ic tim s, cau sed in e ffi cie n t du p licatio n o f case p ro c e ss ing, and h in d e re d o ffe n d e r a c c o u n ta b ility ,” F ritz le r c o m m ented. Judge R obert L. H arris, P re s id in g Ju d g e o f the S u p e rio r C ourt, a g rees. “T his c o o p e ra tiv e arran g em en t betw een the c o u rts w ill p rovide b e tte r p ro tectio n for the v ic tim s o f d o m e stic v io le n c e ,” he sta te d , ad d in g “ it will re su lt in c rim in a l and civ il d o m estic v io le n c e m atters being h an dled in a c o o rd in a te d fash- As the annual stop-smoking cam paign rages, the Tobacco Interven tion Network is rallying health pro fessionals around a new message: “Snuff Out Spit Tobacco!” Network director Ken Manske makes it clear, “Smokeless tobacco can kill.” Some 12 million people, many of them youngsters, are regular users of smokeless, or “spit” tobacco. Each year, 8,000 Americans die of oral can cer that is primarily tobacco-related. ion. We thank the D istric t C ourt for th e ir le a d e rsh ip and p a rtic i p ation in this e f f o r t.” In o rd e r to deal w ith ju r is d ic tional issues, the D istric t C ourt Ju d g es in v o lv ed in th is program will becom e S uperior C ourt C o m m issio n e rs and be p ro v id ed w ith sp ecial train in g . This is also a first step in cre a t ing a dedicated dom estic violence court, a concept approved by D is trict Court Judges earlier this year. They hope to provide around-the- clock service handled much like s e a r c h w a r r a n ts , s a y s Ju d g e Fritzler. "W hen an officer sees and incidence of dom estic abuse, he or she will be sw orn in by the judge and be able to deliver the protec tion order right on the spot. I think it’s going to be a great public ser vice,” he added. City Launches Redesigned Web Site T h e C ity o f V a n c o u v e r ’ s aw ard -w in n in g In te rn e t site has a new lo o k . T h e r e c e n t l y launched, re d e sig n e d site fe a tures a new n av ig atio n bar and crisp new g rap h ics. The n av ig atio n bar, ru n n in g dow n the left side o f m ost p ages, p ro v id es a site m ap w ith e asy -to - follow c o n n e c tio n s am ong the s ite ’s p rim ary pages. T hese p ag es prov id e in fo rm a tion on V an co u v er h isto ry , city governm ent and d ep artm en ts, the local c o m m u n ity , n e ig h b o rh o o d pro g ram s, c u rre n t jo b o p e n in g s. C ity C o u n c il a g e n d a s, re c e n t new s re le a se s and lin k s to o th e r g o v ern m en t and agency sites. T o p ic s o f o th e r p a g e s on Council Meetings Changed The regular meeting of the Vancouver City Council set for Monday, Dec. I has been canceled due to a lack of quorum. Future council meetings arc scheduled as follows: Consent meeting Monday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m. Regular meeting Monday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. Consent meeting, Monday, Dec. 22, at 6 p.m. Consentmectings cover routine items voted on by a single motion. Typical items include payment of bills, awarding contracts and fust reading of ordinances Regular meetings usually include a citi zen comment period and public hear ings. Council meetings ;ire conducted in Vancouver City Hall, 210 E. 13th St. Agendas are available before die counci I meetings or on the city’s home page a, www.ci.vancouver.waus. V a n c o u v e r’s w eb site — w hich to ta ls m ore than 100 in dividual pages — in clu d e: the C ity C h a r ter, health and safety in fo rm a tio n , p arks and re c re atio n p ro g ram s, city go v ern m en t phone d irecto ry , annexation, cable fra n ch ise a g re e m e n t, citizen boards a n d c o m m is s io n s , th e G e n . G e o rg e C. M a rsh a ll P ro g ram , Jack M urdock A viation C e n te r and V an c o u v e r N eighbors n e w s letter. “W h a t’s N ew ” and " E tc e te ra ” se c tio n s on the hom e page p ro vide links to pag es on tim ely and o th e r p a r tic u la r ly in te r e s tin g co m m u n ity to p ics. V a n c o u v e r's hom e page has re c e n tly a v e ra g e d o v e r 1,300 loo often been based on bitter past experience, either vicarious or di rect. Faced w ith these pressu res and the p e rc e p tio n that m ed ical/p sy - c h iatric h elp could lead to fu r ther loss o f co n tro l over o n e ’s life and w ell-b e in g , the A m e ri can B lack m ale m ore often than not will ch o o se to avoid the c o n flict all to g e th e r and take m atters into his ow n hands if n ecessary. S u c h an a p p r o a c h c o u ld be view ed as a form o f fatal n a rc is sism w hich could u ltim ately a l low a problem to grow to u n n e c essa rily large p ro p o rtio n s. However, when faced with his torically ambiguous and often am bivalent support systems, narcissis tic self-preservation and self-deter mined action is a logical alternative. In other words, “I can do bad by m y self’ seems to be a reasonable point of view when faced with unrea sonable options. In the hands of an experienced, com petent, p ractitio n er p sy ch o therapy can have remarkably posi tive life-changing effects. I have wit nessed this from the perspective of my own therapy and from the per spective of doing therapy with thou sands of clients. S n u f f - O u t S p it: T o b a c c o Courts Consolidate Domestic Violence Cases B eg in n in g Ja n u ary 1, 1998, C la rk C o u n ty D is tr ic t C o u rt Judges w ill begin h an d lin g d o m estic v io len ce P ro te c tio n O r ders p re v io u sly issu ed o n ly by the S u p erio r C ourt. I t’s all p art o f a m ove to c o n so lid ate se rv ic e s, e lim in a te c o n flictin g o rd e rs, and p ro v id e re s i dents w ith one p lace to get help, according to D istrict C ourt Judge Randy F ritz le r. "T h is a g reem en t re p resen ts a true c o lla b o ra tiv e effo rt betw een the C o u rts to a d dress a p erceived need for g reater e ffic ie n cy and b e tte r se rv ic e to the p u b lic ,” he said. B ecause ju d g e s w ill be m ore fa m ilia r w ith the p a rtic ip a n ts in each case, they w ill be ab le to m ake b e tte r d e c isio n s ab o u t c u s tody, v isita tio n , se n te n c in g and treatm ent tect and defend Black men from this assault has at times been the instru ment of many unspeakable legally sanctioned acts i.e.; public lynching, police brutally, racially discrimina tory public policies (Jim Crow laws) and a spate of experiments (i.e. Miss Evers’ Boys). This often fatal irony has left a indelible mark on the most basic survival instincts of every Black male in America. In effect, each and every time a Black male interfaces with the system, i.e. through the courts, the police, and the medical system, at some level he believes that his life and well being will be endan gered. Unfortunately, this fear has all v isito rs per w eek, a num ber that co n tin u e s to clim b. M ost p o p u lar pag es are Jo b O p p o rtu n itie s, A b o u t V a n c o u v e r, N e ig h b o r hoods and V a n co u v er H istory. In August, the city’s Internet site received an Award of Excellence in the ninth annual APEX completion for communication professionals. A PE X a w ard s rec o g n iz e e x c e lle n c e in g rap h ic d e sig n , e d i torial c o n te n t and overall c o m m u n ic a tio n s a c h ie v e m e n t. In S ep te m b e r, the site received a S ilv e r Savvy A w ard, p resented by th e N a tio n a l C ity -C o u n ty C o m m u n ic a tio n s and M arketing A sso ciatio n . V isit V a n c o u v e r’s w eb site at: w w w .c i.v a n c o u v c r.w a .u s/. More than 30,(XX) new oral cancer cases are reported yearly, with painful and horribly disfiguringconsequences. Thousands more lives are lost to can cer of the throat, larynx or stomach, directly attributable to spit tobacco. "It’s not enough to tell smokers to quit,” says Manske. “If we really want to prevent tobacco-related deaths, w e’ve got to get spit tobacco users, as well as smokers, off the tobacco habit.” His recommendation? Get spit tobacco users to switch to harmless Mint Snuff(TM), asafe, non-tobacco, food-grade alternative specifically designed to help people quit chew ing tobacco. Mint Snuff comes in the same round tins and in the same form (finely ground mint chew or pack aged in little teabag- like pouches) as the tobacco product, so it satisfies all the social needs and habits of the spit tobacco user. “The difference,” he emphasizes, "is that mint is totally safe... while tobacco kills.” The Oregon Mint Snuff Company, a Network supporter, has contrib uted 100,000 cans of Mint Snuff to dental health professionals nation wide, to help in tobacco cessation intervention. Free samples are avail able at 1-800-EAT-MINT (1-800- 328-6468) or www.mintsnuff.com. The Tobacco Intervention Net work is comprised of over 9,000 dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and other oral health professionals, both civilian and military W a n te d The P ortland Police B ureau, in c o o p e r a tio n w ith C rim e S to p p ers, is asking for yo u r help in locating and a p p re h e n d ing G erald Lee C h itten d en . A felony no bail arrest w arran t, ch arging C h ittenden w ith R o b bery in the F irst D egree, is on file in M ultnom ah C ounty. G erald Lee C h itte n d e n is a 2 9 -y ear-o ld w hile m ale (DOB January 4, 1968). He is a p proxim ately 5 ’04 to 5 ’06 tall and w eighs 130 to 135 pounds, w ith brow n hair and green or hazel eyes. He is p ro b a b ly c u r ren tly w orking so m e w h e re in the P o rtla n d /V a n c o u v e r a rea at an auto re p a ir-ty p e fa c ility . If you have any in fo rm a tio n re g a rd in g th is c a se , ca ll the C rim e S toppers Program . C rim e S to p p ers is o ffe rin g a c ash re w ard o f up to $ 1,000 for in fo r m ation, rep o rted to C rim e S to p pers, w hich leads to an a rre st in this case or any unsolved felony c rim e , and yo u can re m a in anonym ous. C all C rim e S to p pers at (5 0 3 ) 823-H E L P . Suspects Arrested After 43 Min. Pursuit Portland Police Officers arrested four subjects involved in a series of motor vehicle thefts involving Jeep Grand Cherokees. The arrest in volved a 43 minute police pursuit which ended in a vehicular crash on West Union Road in Washington County. At approximately 10:50 a.m. on December 12, 1997, officers from the Auto Theft Task Force (ATTF) of the Portland Police Bureau ob served a stolen silver 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling in the area of SE Foster and SE Powell. Officers attempted to stop the ve hicle and its four passengers. A vehicle pursuit ensued which trav- eled west bound through SE Port land, crossing the Ross Island Bridge, south into SW Portland, ending in a crash in rural W ashington County. The stolen jeep struck a Plymouth van driven by a woman attempting to make a left and turn into a residential neighborhood. The woman suffered minor injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital. The driver of the jeep suffered more serious injuries and was transported to Emanuel Hospital. No one else was injured. The four subjects are believed to be members of a group which has been involved in a series of motor vehicle theft scams. The suspects in the thefts represent themselves as professionals who falsely rent the vehicles from local area car rental businesses. The vehicles rentals are then billed to other local area busi nesses. At least six Jeep Grand Cherokees have been falsely ob tained in the past two months. The pursuit involved members of the Portland Police Bureau, Washington County Sheriff’s O f fice, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Po lice. Speed during the pursuit ranged between 25-70 miles per hour. A rrested and charged: Jack Landrew Brown white male, DOB October 04, 1965. PGE's Ed Bunn. On call, on the move around the clock As part of PGE's Eagle repair and restoration crew, Ed brings his truck home and is always ready to roll— 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Aided by the latest communication technology, he's usually first on the scene of a power outage or electrical emergency. Ed is there for you, helping bring power to North, Northwest and Northeast Portland—safely and reliably. *
