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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2018)
News Blue Mountain Eagle What do you think people should know about this type of abuse? LIGHT ABUSE Continued from Page A1 Continued from Page A1 abuse prevention. The task force includes officials from Families First, Department of Human Ser- vices, Grant County Health De- partment, Prevent Child Abuse Oregon, Community Counseling Solutions, Heart of Grant County and local schools. Lisa Weigum with Community Counseling Solutions said the task force saw a need for the Darkness to Light training in Grant County. “We’re seeing these trends of mental health struggles, sub- stance abuse, child abuse and ne- glect,” she said. The school, city, county court, parks and recreation and others, she said, have “all been eager to do their part in raising awareness.” Wade Cates of Boise, who is a 2013 Grant Union graduate, has been working with members of the task force to advocate for others who have experienced this type of abuse. “As a survivor of childhood sex abuse, my goal is to highlight the ways in which adults can be better informed in their interac- tions with youth,” Cates said. “We do a great job in our community of stepping up for children, but all of us can take it a step further by be- ing informed, learning prevention strategies, knowing how to iden- tify the signs of abuse and acting responsibly when child abuse is suspected or confirmed.” Cates said the training is an ex- cellent opportunity for everyone in the community to learn how to be better youth mentors and to show they are committed to the safety of children. “I cannot think of a valid reason for a child to be abused, ever,” he said. “It is the respon- sibility of the adults to take this issue seriously.” class attendance, in all of my rela- tionships with the people around me, in my self-confidence, in my men- tal health and even in my physical health. I had worked so hard to keep my abuse a secret, ashamed and feel- ing like I was somehow responsible for what had happened that I began accepting less from myself and from the people around me. I strayed so far from the future that I had set out to achieve for myself that I did not even recognize my own life. Just before my 21st birthday, I re- alized that holding in the abuse, as I had constantly been pressured to do by my offender, was tearing my life apart. Finally, for the first time, I knew that I needed to tell someone. I chose to tell the person who I was dating at the time, not even realizing the abuse was as severe as it was un- til I began to talk about it. The more I said, the more we were both shocked at the breadth of the situation. During that same year, I told my parents and my sister. Word of the abuse quickly spread among my ex- tended family. I was fortunate that the people around me all took my story very seriously and believed ev- ery word I said. None of them blamed me for anything that happened to me in the ways that I had blamed myself. Eventually, after a great deal of soul searching and talking with friends and family close to me, I knew that I needed to come forward and pursue legal action in order to ensure the safety of all children who were certain to be exposed to inter- action with my offender. I made contact with an Oregon State Police officer who took my statement about the abuse. In doing so, I was not even aware of the jour- ney that I was about to embark on. Many would refer to it as a battle, but for me it was one of the first steps in my continued path toward healing GUNS Continued from Page A1 some training and perhaps start working for the district by late August, Shelley said. But there are pros and cons to hiring an SRO, he said. One of them is the distance from Hum- bolt Elementary and Grant Union Junior-Senior High School to the school in Seneca. “One officer can’t be every- where,” he said. The school board took input on the subject at their April 18 meeting in Seneca. Williams said his goal is to make school safer, whether it was with an SRO or by arming teachers or staff. He said he believes the local community The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Pinwheels are the symbol of children during April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month. and in finding my voice again. I re- ceived and continue to receive coun- seling and mental health support at no cost to me, as a survivor of a vio- lent crime. The process of prosecution and the mental health battles have not been easy, and I will never try to make it sound easy, but it has changed my life for the better. The disentanglement of my emotions in- cluded revisiting a time in my life that I was ashamed of, felt guilty for and wasn’t easy to talk about. Despite the overwhelming difficulty of the process, I know that because I came forward about the abuse and continue to honor the process, I am happier and more successful in life than I have ever been. Whereas I had spent nights alone, crying, since I came forward, I am not alone with the burden anymore. is comfortable with firearms. Shelley said he had been poll- ing teachers and staff and noted there were “lots of things to look at.” Who would be armed? Would they receive extra pay? How would they be trained? “I want to start the discus- sion early,” he said. Shelley said he sought an opinion from Rebekah Ja- cobson, a Salem attorney the district has consulted with in the past, and Matt McGowan, a sales executive with Payne West Insurance, was on the speaker phone. Taking public input Monday - Thursday 7am- 6pm Friday 8am - 5pm M.T. Anderson, a ranch- er from Izee whose children will attend district schools for eight more years, told the board he had thought a long time about the subject, spoken Mendy Sharpe FNP Abuse thrives in silence. Child sexual abuse is naturally difficult for anyone to discuss, whether someone has been abused or not. The unfor- tunate fact is that the solution lies in every person being informed and having uncomfortable conversations about it. If we continue to make the topic taboo, abused children will feel how I felt: that it is unacceptable to talk about what is happening or has happened to them. In order for some- one to disclose that they have been sexually abused, they must feel safe, that they are supported and that they will be believed. Abuse of this nature has the po- tential to impact far more people than just an abuser and a survivor. In my situation, the list of people hurt by what happened to me goes well beyond myself, and there is only one guilty person. Especially in a community as small as ours, people must consider that a single person is responsible, that it doesn’t reflect on anyone else and that any other line of thought victimizes a group of people who are entirely innocent. How do you think preven- tion and response to child sexual abuse can be im- proved? There are countless ways that prevention of sexual abuse and re- sponse to sexual abuse could be improved, and every single person has a responsibility to take part in working to keep children safe. When, still today, one in 10 chil- dren are sexually abused before they turn 18, something has got to change. The first step to improving both prevention and response is to be in- formed on the facts. The next step is to have open, honest conversa- tions about sex abuse with adults to parents at Seneca and Grant Union, looked at statistics and thought it through carefully. “As a parent, I would be comfortable with the idea,” he said. He emphasized that arming teachers should be voluntary and not limited to teachers — all school staff should be eligible, but the school board must ensure that teachers and staff receive proper training. Anderson noted that school shootings are typically over in about three minutes, so the weapons should not be locked up. He recommended teachers carry concealed weapons on their person. He also warned the board that if a public forum is held to discuss the issue, about 80 percent of the people would support arming teachers or staff, but the minority could be very vocal and influence the 49485 Apppointments available Wednesday, April 25, 2018 The John Day Chapter of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Is there anything you would tell other victims? First, there are not words for me to express how sorry I am that you are carrying the burden of being abused and that your heart is filled with the immeasurable pain that abuse leaves behind. What we ex- perienced was not natural and so it does leave a mark on our hearts. Second, you are not alone no matter how alone you may feel right now. One thing I know for certain is that there are trustworthy, compas- sionate people all around us, who we don’t even realize care. The things my abuser said to me had me unwilling to trust the people around me, always fearing that peo- ple would not believe me, worrying about the many impacts my truth would have on the people around me. He took my voice away. No matter what you experienced, no matter how small you may feel that it was, it did happen and it was inhumane of your abuser to strip your voice away. The most powerful feeling I have ever experienced was the moment I decided to take my voice back and vowed to help others do the same. You’re already a warrior to have survived the abuse. Now, go get your voice back! perceived results. He also ex- pected to hear strong opposi- tion from people without chil- dren in district schools — even people who were not residents. Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer noted that the board had discussed the subject in the past. “I’m glad you’re talking about it again,” he said. Palmer noted that schools have fire extinguishers and hold fire drills, so it made sense to prepare for school shootings, too. He advised the board to hire a consultant for advice and to look at other schools for ideas. Palmer suggested the dis- trict begin with a selection pro- cess to determine which candi- dates were most comfortable handling a gun. He also of- fered to make available a com- puterized training program for active shooter situations. “It’s kind of fun, actually,” he said. Palmer emphasized that arming teachers or staff would be a preventive measure — a shooter might avoid going to a school that was known to have armed teachers or staff. A myriad of issues “You’re on the right track,” McGowan told the board over the phone. Gathering public input was an important first step, he said, but many insurance policy questions needed to be answered. A person carrying a weap- on, for example, might not be covered. He also suggested securing guns in a safe with a “thumb lock” to allow quick access. McGowan noted that an- other school district in Ore- gon was leading the way in ...would like to acknowledge the following people and businesses who helped make our 28th annual Big Game Banquet an overwhelming success. THE CUT ABOVE (ASHLEE) THE CUT ABOVE (KIM) 1188 BREWING COMPANY EL COCINERO GRANT COUNTY AUTOMOTIVE BEST WESTERN JOHN DAY INN TIM UNTERWEGNER JOHN DAY VIDEO SHOPPE OXBOW TRADE COMPANY VOIGT CHEVRON BAR WB SQUEEZE-IN RESTAURANT CHUCK’S LITTLE DINER MOBILE GLASS OF OREGON BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLE 1ST CHOICE AUTO BODY NYDAM’S ACE HARDWARE CANYON CREEK CREATIONS BODY FITNESS & DANCE STATE FARM INSURANCE TRIANGLE OIL JAVA JUNGLE ELSA SPENCE HUFFMAN’S MARKET TIDEWATER CONTRACTORS GOOD DEALS SNAFFLE BIT DINNER HOUSE DP HOME ENTERTAINMENT RADIO SHACK MALHEUR LUMBER CLOUD 9 HAIR SALON CAROLYN WALL TIMBERS BISTRO A BIT OF EUROPE JOHN DAY RIVER VETERINARY CENTER SUBWAY OF JOHN DAY and with children. Abuse thrives in silence. It would stop dead in its tracks if everyone were willing to have these difficult conversations, if we could talk about this crime as se- riously as we do others, if perpetra- tors were living among an informed, vocal society. It is important that anyone who says that they have been abused is believed and taken seriously, that every person works to make survi- vors of sexual abuse feel safe and supported and that abuse is report- ed to the proper authorities immedi- ately so that offenders can be prose- cuted and be made to register as sex offenders. THE OUTPOST GIBCO AG & INDUSTRIAL JEANNIE & DEWAYNE POTTS MARGO WHITE RUSSELL’S CUSTOM MEATS TERI & DARRELL FROST ETC J5 BEEKEEPING JOHN DAY GOLF CLUB DARK HORSE GROUP JOHN DAY AUTO PARTS NAPA GALE WALL TRACKER SAFES KATU DESIGNS QUILTS & BEYOND WESTERN HERITAGE LAW FIRM BERRY CREEK RANCH STYLISH 10 NAILS LARRY NEUGART DAYVILLE CAFE TRACIE UNTERWEGNER STEIN DISTILLERY, INC. TOASTED FOWL GAME CALLS LEN’S DRUG JD RENTS ANDY’S PLUMBING & SPORTS ROAN PETE MAJORS We have made every effort to recognize all our donors, supporters, members and volunteers. If you feel someone has been omitted, please notify a committee member. 52804 this approach to school safety and was considering working with law enforcement to dep- utize teachers or staff. “You’re not the only peo- ple talking about this,” Mc- Gowan said. Cori Anderson noted that current training calls for teachers and students to hide from a shooter, but she would prefer to have them protected by someone with a gun. Shelley agreed, saying it would be better to fight back than cower in a corner. Several board members asked about other preventive measures, in particular rec- ognizing ahead of time when people with mental health problems posed a threat. “It needs to be part of the discussion,” board member Amy Stiner said. Board member Haley Walker said she’d like to see some data from previous shooting incidents to under- stand what could have been done to prevent the shooting. She also noted that teachers or staff might need special training so they could handle the emotional trauma from taking a human life. Josh Walker, who has children at the Seneca School, said he didn’t want to make a fear-based deci- sion, and he believed there was a “slim chance” of a shooting happening here, but he supported the idea of arming teachers or staff. “I don’t see a downside to this,” he said. Palmer noted that support for the idea exists among the public — one person told him he would be willing to donate one or two guns to help the school district ad- dress costs. Discussion on the sub- ject will continue at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, at the Grant Union Junior-Senior High School. 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