Perspective

I lost a friend last night. The mental health system - not in NC, but in Oregon - let her down, and she jumped. Literally. Her spouse had to identify her after they pulled her out of the Willamette River.

As I told armywife earlier tonight, she was brilliant. Beautiful. And desperately, oh-so-badly broken. She was a Navy veteran. She fought her demons fiercely, and I can't help but think that she actually won. Perhaps to some that is blaspheme, or at least sinful thinking, but I feel more at ease about her now than I have since I've known her.

At any rate - I have to say, her life, and her death, puts things in perspective for me. It's not that I care less about what we do here, or when we have our boots on the ground, or our voices on the phone. In fact, I care more. This is why I do what I do; this is why I am passionate about my politics.

I don't want one more tortured soul to face that long night alone again. I don't want one more broken sister or brother to walk by themselves into darkness and not find a strong hand to help.

I'm not talking about religion - I'm talking about substantial mental health care. I'm talking about parity. I'm talking about suicidal people not being released into the night with no where to go but the top of a bridge.

And the only way to make that happen is to force it. We must insist on it. We must hold every single one of our legislators - at state and national level - responsible, for every single crack through which someone falls. I don't care who they are, or whether they are one of "ours" or not.

At the mental health forum, I watched Beverly Perdue put her hands up in denial and push back at her questioners:

"This is not my fault."

Yes, ma'am, it is. Not Julia's death. But there have been deaths in NC , and there will be more. You will forever be the image of the bureaucratic vote for me but don't blame me mindset that so sickens me in the aftermath of my friend's suicide.

I am not naive enough to think that all suicides can be prevented, but some of them can. I am not naive enough that some illnesses can be cured, but some can be managed. That will never happen with an "It's not my fault" mentality in office.

I'm not writing this as a hit piece on Bev Perdue. I see little difference between her and Richard Moore. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

I was going to go look for a quote to illustrate that it is the job of government to take care of people who can't take care of themselves, but frankly, I don't need anyone else to tell me that, and neither do you.

And my friends, at that mental health forum, the candidates who stood out were the Democratic gentlemen running for Lt. Governor. The Democratic Party is fortunate to have Dan Besse, Walter Dalton, Hampton Dellinger, and Pat Smathers in its ranks.

The three we know best - Besse, Dellinger, and Smathers, have emerged as leaders in the party. I believe they point the way to the future of the NCDP.

Each of them, in their own way, is proactive and progressive, and I urge you, if you have not already voted or made up your mind, to vote for one of them. I feel certain that with any one of them in the LG seat, some of the cracks through which our citizens fall will become smaller.

May you all have peace tonight.