Sept. 22, 2013

Right Down the Street
By Dr. E. Faye Williams

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Our office, the national headquarters of the National Congress of Black Women and my home are about a mile from the Washington Navy Yard.  By now everyone’s more than familiar with the national tragedy that occurred there.

Ours is a community fully engaged in growth and urban revitalization.  New buildings and businesses emerge almost daily.  High-rise office buildings and condos add to the revenue stream of our community.  The "Washington Nationals Stadium" is a regional attraction that brings baseball lovers into the area from nearly every corner of the metro area and, albeit seasonal, is the source of hundreds of jobs.  Anchored by strong community organizations that protect the vested interests of local residents, the area surrounding the Navy Yard epitomizes the good in urban growth.  The shooting tragedy at the Navy Yard is antithetical to the spirit and goals of our neighborhood.

The complexities of analyzing such a tragedy are myriad.  With complete certainty, we’ll see a renewal of the debate to modify current gun laws.  We can be just as sure to see a re-examination of the role of contracted services in the execution of government function and the manner in which contract employees are screened to qualify for employment.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure we’ll engage in a complete or thorough examination or discussion of the question of mental illness and its impact in mass shooting events.  Among discussion points, this remains one of the most important.  I say this because a common element among recent mass shootings has been attribution of some level of mental illness upon the shooters.

Immediately after the Sandy Hook Massacre, WE, as a nation, were willing to entertain a wide-ranging discussion on how to prevent a recurrence of such a horrific event.  The theme of the day was "a comprehensive solution”.  Integral to that initial conversation was the question of how to take weapons from the hands of the mentally ill.  The events of the Navy Yard reinforce the need to address that issue specifically.

Based on behavioral information that has surfaced about the current alleged shooter, more than several incidents that brought his mental stability into question were ignored.  Although I abhor his actions, I cannot lay complete blame at the feet of someone who was non compos mentis.  That said, I must question the judgment of those who discharged him, those law enforcement officials who minimized his potentially criminal acts, and the naval officials who took and ignored reports of his aberrant behavior.

I also question the judgment and concern of family and friends who would ignore or deny the clues of a fully-grown man locking up in a room for hours playing violent video games or behaving menacingly towards neighbors.  Reportedly, the alleged shooter's father justified one of his son's shooting rampages by claiming PTSD related to trauma suffered during the events of 9/11.

It is clear that along the way the ball was dropped - multiple times.  These failures almost excuse the lack of attention paid to his behavioral background by the contractor that hired him. Almost, but not quite.

In retrospect, many seem to recognize the problems that were affecting the alleged shooter.  In afterthought, folks are willing to disclose their understanding of the clues that signaled mental illness.  Now that it’s too late, numerous remedial solutions are being floated.

The larger picture of this event confirms for me that mental illness is a more pervasive problem that’s increasingly expressed with violent outcomes.  I believe we can no longer ignore, deny or excuse the acts of our associates because we don't want to cause problems for them.  There’re no easy answers, but we surely reject actions and behaviors that bring death and mayhem upon those who do not deserve it.