4A | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Cottage Grove S entinel
116 N. Sixth St.
Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424
NED HICKSON , MANAGING EDITOR
Opinion
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ CGSENTINEL . COM
The First Amendment
C
ongress shall make no law respect-
ing an establishment of religion or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the
press, or the right of the people peaceably
to assemble, and to petition the Govern-
ment for a redress of grievances.
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800)
USPS#133880
Refl ecting on our ‘Breaking the Silence’ series
pain they have suffered.
The topic of suicide
seems to bubble up in my
career wherever I go. I
was first introduced to the
power of these conversa-
tions when I was serving
as an editor in Pennsylva-
nia in 2014.
It started with a wom-
who lost her son; a man
who attempted suicide
as a teen; and a woman
who suffered from severe
depression and anxiety
— and how they grappled
with the aftermath.
I remember them all so
vividly. They’re the kind of
interviews that stick with
be more inspired, more
touched by the whole
experience.
And the same goes for
this one.
We are proud to have
(Managing Editor’s
partnered with The
Note: Today marks the
Cottage Grove Sentinel,
final installment in our
Siuslaw News and New-
month-long collaborative
port News-Times on this
series with The Creswell
important subject this
Chronicle, Siuslaw News
month. It’s collaboration
Guest Editorial
and Newport News-Times
that rarely, if ever, occurs
Erin Tierney, Th e Creswell Chronicle
focusing on Oregon’s rising
between community
suicide rate. It was the first
newspapers in Oregon,
collaboration of this kind.
but is one that supports,
And it won’t be the last. — an by the name of Kathy
you, become part of you.
strengthens and upholds
Ned Hickson)
Merrill, who came to the
Just as the series titles
local journalism, as well as
paper as she was trying to suggest, it all starts with
its network of journalists.
want to commend the
start an Out of the Dark-
one story — one person to
It’s a collaboration that
subjects of the “Break- ness suicide survivor walk come out of the shadows,
has enabled our newspa-
ing the Silence” series
in our county.
one person to break the
pers to share resources
for their bravery in com-
She told me her experi- silence.
and readership, to spread
ing forward about their
ence with suicide; losing
That one story inspired information far and wide
experiences with suicide.
her husband, Carl. It was a another person to come
for the betterment of all
I sit in awe of their
heartbreaking story worth forward, and another. And our communities. We’re
courage and candidness
telling, and Kathy wanted then another.
thankful to have been a
in telling their accounts,
to tell it.
Kathy got her walk
part of it.
knowing it would be read
Shortly thereafter,
organized that year, and
Though the series has
by thousands. In this
beloved comedian Robin
I attended as a reporter
concluded, The Creswell
week’s piece, I am hum-
Williams died by suicide.
and as a supporter. People Chronicle, The Cottage
bled by those I interviewed People couldn’t have been came out in droves to walk Grove Sentinel, Siuslaw
for trusting me to tell their more shocked. The merit
for their losses, and I felt
News and Newport News-
story.
in expanding on the sub-
so proud of Kathy and all
Times encourage people
I always say that as a
ject became clear.
she’d accomplished.
to keep talking; to let
journalist, I am the vessel
And so began a series
A memorial vigil was
their stories be known; to
for which people can tell
called Stepping Out of the held in town next to a
continue to work toward
their stories. I am merely
Shadows, a series that,
quaint gazebo after the
healing; to watch for those
a transcriber; they are the very similar to this one,
series concluded. People
who may be suffering
ones who do all the work, recounted loss after loss of lit candles, sang songs and silently; to try and help
the ones who make the
loved ones by suicide.
I received the warmest
those in need.
story. It’s especially true
The series followed
embrace from one of my
Everybody is some-
in this case, and it was a
a woman who lost her
interviewees.
body’s loved one.
pleasure to be part of their husband; a man who lost
With tears in his eyes,
No one is immune to the
journey as Cora, Ashley,
his cousin; a daughter who he thanked me and said
pain of losing someone to
Eli and other loved ones
lost her mom; a son who
telling his story had helped suicide.
learn to grow from the
lost his mom; a mother
him to heal. I couldn’t
I
No matter what, someone cares about you
(Editor’s Note: As we wrap up our
month-long series collaborative focus-
ing on suicide, this week’s Guest View-
point is particularly poignant, submit-
ted by a Cottage Grove High School
senior willing to share their first-hand
experience dealing with the loss of a
friend to suicide. Though the series is
ending, we hope community members
will continue to keep this important
conversation going with one another as
well as in within these pages.)
There are hidden sides to losing
someone. Most feel sadness, a sense of
loss, and some even feel happiness. Yet
all these feelings are mixed up when
you lose someone to suicide.
Last summer, I lost a dear friend
to suicide. I had known her for more
than four years. She was one of my
closest friends. Even with us growing
apart before her death, we always had
each other’s back.
Her passing was very sudden just
as anyone lost through suicide is. But
even if I knew she was going to take
her life, there’s no handbook on how
to handle it. Once I learned the news,
I had many mixed emotions. But the
biggest was guilt.
I felt guilty for a lot of things. Not
talking to her as much, growing dis-
Guest Viewpoint
By Tyler Rhynes
Cottage Grove High School senior
tant from her, and not checking in on
her. The biggest was that I forgot to
wish her a happy birthday. I had set
a reminder to message her but time
slipped away — and I never did.
Now that her birthday is coming up
again next month, I feel terrible for
forgetting; I now make sure to mes-
sage everyone that simple message
when it’s their birthday.
Another thing was the unanswered
questions. Her death left me with
more questions than answers. Things
like this are difficult because you can
ask anyone — and everyone — and
they never can give you an answer.
Some questions I began asking were
“Did she know I loved her?” “What
pushed her to this?” “Why did she not
message me?” and “I thought she was
getting better?”
Now, I never will get an answer to
those questions. At the same time,
those questions have helped change
me to who I am. The tragedy is an
open door to grow.
Her passing has taught me to make
sure my friends and family know I
care for them and how quickly some-
one can be gone. And as it gets close to
one year since she passed, all I can say
is that if anyone ever feels like she did
to please reach out.
Someone cares about you and wants
you to be happy. There are other ways
to relieve the pain you are feeling.
Many people are willing to help you
through this. Some resources are the
National Suicide Hotline (1-800-273-
8255) and the online chat.
Just remember: No matter what,
someone cares about you.
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Eugene, Ore. 97440
Phone: 541-342-2447
Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@
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Salem, Ore. 97301
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Email: rep.cedrichayden@
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Phone: 541-465-6750
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