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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Barnstormer's Vintage Fair outgrows McPhail property, moves to The Expo ... Cave Junction man will go to prison for causing fatal crash ... Costs vary wildly at Rogue Valley's four hospitals, new report shows ... Barnstormer's Vintage Fair outgrows McPhail property, moves to The Expo ... Cave Junction man will go to prison for causing fatal crash ... Costs vary wildly at Rogue Valley's four hospitals, new report shows ... OUR VIEW Our View: Confronting racism and mental illness Comment MailTribune.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 as she walked her dog 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 against him. That decision has angered some in the community, but the police are on solid ground. The man is known to police, who have had repeated encounters with him. They say he suffers from mental illness and is prone to spout racist epithets, including toward police. His condition makes it difficult for him to focus, and police say that makes it difficult to deal with him. His conduct consists of speech — reprehensible speech to be sure, but nothing more — which makes it protected under the First Amendment. Police and the District Attorney's Office determined the man had not committed a crime because he took no action. Judging from police accounts of their encounters with him, the man sounds more damaged than dangerous. And yet, he remains on the street, his mental illness untreated. Does he really believe the nonsense he spouted — including that "the KKK is alive and well" in Southern Oregon — 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. MailTribune.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 MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked 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. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501