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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Sounds of Crater Lake ... Ashland council hopes to shift some meals tax funds ... Bybee fire in Crater Lake National Park closes Pacific Crest Trail ... Sounds of Crater Lake ... Ashland council hopes to shift some meals tax funds ... Bybee fire in Crater Lake National Park closes Pacific Crest Trail ... OUR VIEW Our View: Confronting racism and mental illness Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Saturday's gathering in Ashland titled "Unpacking Racism" was a valuable contribution to the community conversation about racial attitudes and what needs to be done to combat racism. We hope last month's incident in which a white man confronted a black woman with hate speech will create not only a heightened awareness of racism but also increased sensitivity toward mental illness and the lack of resources to treat it. The encounter between an Oregon Shakespeare Festival actor and a man who told her Oregon law would allow him to kill her without consequences was undeniably unexpected and frightening. And the community's response decrying the man's actions was gratifying. But additional details have emerged about the man and about the Ashland Police Department's decision not to pursue criminal charges. That decision has angered some, but the police are on solid ground. Police have had repeated encounters with the man, who they say suffers from mental illness and is prone to spout racist epithets. Does he really believe the nonsense he spouted, or is he just delusional? It's impossible to know. But it's fair to say one disturbed individual doesn't represent a resurgence of racist attitudes in the general population. The community members who came together in response to this incident plan to continue the effort in subsequent meetings, exploring implicit bias and the notion of white privilege. That's a commendable endeavor, but it won't address what's behind the June 24 encounter: untreated mental illness and society's woefully inadequate response to it. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501