The following is presented as part of The Columbian’s Opinion content, which offers a point of view in order to provoke thought and debate of civic issues. Opinions represent the viewpoint of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus opinion of The Columbian’s editorial board, which operates independently of the news department.
Donnelly: Rare mental disorders demand treatment, not hate
By Ann Donnelly
Published: June 5, 2022, 6:01am
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‘Evil.” “Monster.” “Demon.” As a mental health advocate, I cringe when commentators describe 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, the Uvalde school shooter, in those terms. There is ample evidence that his traumatic childhood led to severe mental disorder, which could have been identified and treated. It wasn’t. The illness and the sufferer are not evil.
No individual with a severe mental disorder should have access to firearms or other weapons, especially if they express violent thoughts or plans. Sadly, red-flag laws restricting gun purchases are limited by incomplete data, and Ramos had no criminal record. People on social media noticed his violence-laced writings but did not act to alert authorities. After legally purchasing a weapon, he headed for the elementary school.
There, a door failed to lock when closed. Local police botched the rescue, failing to follow their own training to enter immediately. An off-duty border guard, alerted to the shooter, borrowed a privately owned shotgun and helped to hunt down the killer. In this case, firearms in private hands provided timely backup to law enforcement.
Illness made the horrific episode happen. Until we understand this rare strain of youthful mental disorders, we will be ignoring the root of the problem. Kudos to nonprofit NAMI SW Washington for consistently informing us, starting years ago, about Adverse Childhood Experience Syndrome, or ACES. Childhood shocks and traumas create demonstrable physical changes in young brains and the outcomes are unpredictable. The young person may or may not become violent.
The Uvalde, Texas, and Parkland, Fla., shooters each suffered such shocks. At age 5, Nikolas Cruz, the Parkland shooter, witnessed his father’s death. His mother died just three months before the shooting. Ramos’ early life was full of domestic violence among family members, a drug-addicted and distracted mother, and bullying at school because he stuttered.
Cruz and Ramos — ACES survivors — developed severe disorders expanding to violent thoughts and fascination with guns. Their profound disorders were not recognized or treated in time.
Graphic news shows, violent video games and social media likely amplify such thoughts. Then, it may be easy to access legal and illegal guns. But why do some young men become violent while most others with similar hardships survive and even thrive? We may never know.
Realistically, we have to zero in on the source of this extreme, horrific violence, which is illness. Without excusing or coddling, we must act to treat and prevent. I’m told our local schools explicitly teach students not to bully the vulnerable, a timely lesson. Parents, teachers, health professionals must be vigilant for warning signs — self-mutilation, isolation, online threats. People on social media must raise alarms immediately. Our schools must be reinforced.
A sign of progress is the new Columbia River Mental Health Services Night Mobile Crisis Service. We must also continue to add community-based mental health treatment facilities, such as one currently planned by DSHS in Salmon Creek. On May 26, a public hearing brought some local residents eager to oppose it.There is no greater need, the location was carefully selected, and it should be approved.
Our state’s capacity to serve youth with severe mental health conditions is inadequate. Severely ill children may instead be shuttled to emergency rooms, sometimes living there for months.
Ramos’ mother pleaded “please don’t judge him … I only want the innocent children who died to forgive me. Forgive me, forgive my son. I know he had his reasons.”
Sadly, he did. And we must forgive, learn and make progress.
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