Portland War Club staging Civil War
Below are the comments I made in Portland press in early 2016. Some of my crucial comments were deleted. I got no response. And, subsequently, I was subjected to especially gruesome death threats. So I stopped making comments. Portland media is keeping its the Portland Secret behind a thick curtain.
In Portland, Oregon, it’s been a provocation after provocation, for years and decades, organized by the same people. The “opposition” is in it together with the establishment. The leading “Police accountability advocate” in Portland is, actually… an Assistant to the President of the Euthanasia network, a very influential organization in Portland. Jason Renaud is presented to the public as a “mental health advocate and the police accountability “expert,” his euthanasia work kept behind the curtain. Jason Renaud used the death of James Chasse, who died a torturous death in the hands of the police in 2006 to raise a whole generation of kids on provocation. These kids are now young adults and they DO fight the police. Renaud made the film, “Alien Boy, the life and Death of James Chasse” where the officers who killed James Chasse go on camera, smiling and the truth of what really happened is covered up. Renaud made the film together with Cascadia Behavioral Health, the agency who neglected the care of James Chasse and who trained the police. Portland Provocation Machine has been pushing kids to fight a “Revolution” aka a Civil War. While… the same hand plays all the card and holds all the cards and trains the police against the community. The person who is training Portland Police is my former co-worker Liesbeth Gerritsen. Gerritsen connection to the globalist network called “Process Work” has not been disclosed to the public. “Process Work” has outposts in war zones and hotpots of conflicts all over the world, including the Ukraine, Russia, Middle East, including zones of terrorism.
James Chasse was killed on September 17, the Constitution Day, the anniversary of the signing of the American Constitution on September 17, 1787.
On the Constitution Day we should be celebrating Civil Rights and the Constitution. Instead, the provocateurs are staging demonstrations where people demonstrate against their own country!
Jason Renaud/Cascadia’s film “Alien Boy” is a lie-lie-lie provocation piece that incites violence. It uses a song “go grab your gun, your’re always on the run, ’cause she’s an Alien…. You got him on the run, ’cause he’s an Alien, Alien, Alien, Alien Boy. You have no rights at all…. ” The film “Alien Boy” presents a punk rock Satanist/Nazi band “Poison Idea as… friends of James Chasse. “Poison Idea” goes “Hatefests” along bands like “Wehrmacht” and songs like “Pure hate.” In a 2016 video “Poison Idea” depicts a staged, brutal terrorist attack. In normal reality somebody would do something AGAINST inciting violence and terrorism right? But here, it’s just one of the pieces of the ongoing stream of provocations that include a steady stream of websites, twitters, facebooks, events… even classes. Jason Renaud has ran classes for kids about how to fight the police!
“Alien Boy” has also been used to incite violence towards me, an immigrant from Poland. I worked for 12 years as a crisis response clinician in Portland, Oregon, for a team Project Respond run by Cascadia. I saw James Chasse one time, for one minute, on September 15, two days before his death. I was a part of a team of three clinicians on the scene. Without anybody making a peep to me for seven years it took to make the film, the film presented me as accountable for his care and his death. For the Portland Provocation Machine, anything goes. It’s my co-workers at Cascadia who set me up. People who knew me for years. Who worked with me in the same office. As it turned out, just like James Chasse was a subject of abuse and “hunt” for years, I’ve become a target too. I’ve been death threatened and subjected to gruesome Holocaust-themed harassment, including being threatened to be “erased with no trace” and burned alive. I’m not actually Jewish, but apparently, for the hunters, being from Poland is enough to target me. My Cascadia co-workers who set me up were/are in the globalist network “Process Work.”
“Process Work,” focuses on conflict and provocations and… on the occult. They call it “political witchcraft.” They stage manipulations and they organize their “witchcraft” according to repetitions of dates and anniversaries and rituals. Unfortunately, this is what’s been going on in Europe for centuries. “Process Work” is from Switzerland.
James Chasse was killed on the American Constitution Day, September 17. The welfare check depicted in film “Alien Boy” was on September 15. September 15 is the anniversary of signing Nazi exclusion laws in Nuremberg on September 15, 1935 under Hitler. It took me years to realize that James Chasse’s death wasn’t an “accident” at it was originally described, but a brutal murder. And it took me years to realize the extend of the provocation – the forgeries in the media, in the legal documents, the kangaroo courts running court trials…. And that I had been under a “chase” myself for a long, long time. That my co-workers at Cascadia and the Portland “social” activists used me as a target for years.
Besides what has been done to me personally, there’s also a huge anti-Semitic smear prepared by a very strange guy in Portland who presents himself as an artist. But what he is producing is not “art.” This guy produced a lot of very provocative anti-Semitic Internet content. It’s horrible. HORRIBLE. It’s sitting on the Internet. I don’t want to provide details because right now it doesn’t seem to be attracting any attention. But if you see a smear involving Portland Oregon and events (true or not) in Paris (and other places in Europe) in 1920s – that’s this SMEAR produced in Portland! Please don’t believe it!!
Please find my pages:
ElaHowardPortland.wordpress.com
AlienGirl.Blue (works intermittently)
Ela Howard Portland. com (works intermittently)
I created a whole another page about the cyber harassment I’ve been under besides direct harassment.
Ela Howard.net – not much there – a page I made just to make a TRACE. (works intermittently)
The actual comments I made in Portland press are down the page, under “Expanded Content.” The comments are repetitive. I got no response. So I kept on. And then, I was harassed with gruesome death threats, so I stopped commenting.
February 2, 2016. Oregonian published an article on interviewing police after a person dies in a police-involved death. I commented. My comments were deleted. Somebody wrote that it was because I was “advertising.” I commented again. Response – zero or minimal interest.
February 17, 2016. Portland Tribune published an article about the death of Christopher Kalonji the young man who died in Portland area. This young man, nineteen years old, of mixed ethnicity, from an immigrant family, was shot in a standoff with police. He was holding a rifle. I made comments suggesting that the investigation should include if this young man was exposed to the inflammatory materials and presentations produced by Jason Renaud, of “Compassion and Choices,” the organization that promotes assisted suicide. Jason Renaud’s materials carry the message; “get up stand up” and fight against the police and the “System.” These materials are easily reachable by the youth and general public and mislead the public into believing that they need to engage in a conflict. I commented, then noticed that MHA, the organization run by Jason Renaud tweeted the article, but… my comment was not there…
February 17, 2016, Portland Tribune writes about Newberg Dundee initiative in policing and mental health I commented. When I checked back, my comment was not there.
February 22, 2016, Race Talks Policing Forum There was actual event, the meeting about community policing, with speakers inducing the assistant Chief of Portland Police and the President of Portland NAACP Jo Ann Hardesty. There’s a facebook page for the event. A few hours before the event I posted some pictures and made some comments. Why is a man who works for an organization that promotes assisted suicide presented as an Expert on mental health and suicide and why is he presented as the leader to the Portlanders who want to enjoy themselves and go on living?
February 23, 2916, The Oregonian published an article about the Sweet Cakes by Melissa, the bakery who was fined by Portland BOLI for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. The bakers got a new lawyer – from Texas, a former lawyer of the president! I wrote a comment about my BOLI interview and about how I was intimidated with cake decorated with gravestones. I got one response. I wrote a longer comment. No reaction. And then – some really strange reactions. I posted pictures of… not surprisingly – cakes!
February 27, 2016, Oregonian publishes an article about the death of Christopher Kalonji
The title is: “Teen shot by Clackamas deputies claimed ‘his goal today is to die,’ records show”
Why would a nineteen years old kid want to die? Everybody is susceptible to media and to pressure and influence, but especially the kids. Kids can be pressured, abused and framed. The question should be if this teenager who is now deceased, or any other teenagers, were exposed to inflammatory materials mass produced in Portland, telling kids to “get up, stand up and fight” the police and the “System.” The question should be if this young man was influenced/inspired by these materials to engage in a stand-off with the police…. To my horror, I heard, how on the radio, Jason Renaud and Jo Ann Hardesty who have been producing “get up, stand up” media for years, discussing Christopher Kalonji’s death…. They did not touch on the question of what is the effect of their own materials and output. They talked about Jason Renaud visiting the grieving parents after the kid got shot in the stand-off…. and how they were proud of what they have been doing… later in the conversation, Renaud and Hardesty discussed a person going against the cops and getting shot as … “martyrdom….” So – I made some comments in the Oregonian….
So, I made comments…. About how there are materials and workshops in Portland about “building resistance” and “fighting the cops”… And some comments about the film “Alien Boy.” And the film “Arresting Power.”
Somebody made a comment about Christopher Kalonji and about LaVoy Finnicum: “Must have read LeVoy’s bible”
So I commented too. Here’s my comment, extended:
February 28, 2016, Oregonian publishes an update about the mayoral debate – it’s CANCELLED! There was supposed to be mayoral debate organized by the Oregonian between the two considered-as-top candidates Ted Wheeler and Julius Bailey at the Revolution Hall. But… somebody submitted threats to disrupt the debate and… the debate got cancelled! I post my picture “Portland, Oregon Renaissance.” and the link to my website. There are lots of nasty comments about the debate. By now, I’ve been observing and reading these comments for so long that it seems like some orchestra where with the same tunes played over and over again. I wonder if somebody has multiple accounts and keeps making vile comments that pit people against each other… But…. that’s just a guess. .
February 29, 2016, Oregonian publishes an article that the mayoral debate is UN-CANCELLED! The debate took place! Eight candidates participated! I posted some comments cheering the debate up and thanking them for having courage to get together after all, regardless of the threats.
March 1, 2016. I look back at the comments. Somebody who calls himself/herself/themsevles “goodbyeore gon” made the following vile comment under the article about cancelation of the mayoral debate: “Word has it that the Queen of Hearts is very upset with the Or E Goonian. Goonians, be prepared Or E will place a hex wrench on your dimly lite skull LOL Better days are in store for the ALL people with a sense of humor.”
I posted a my “Portland Oregon Renaissance” picture and a comment.
March 5, 2016. Oregonian published two articles on open-carry. Meaning, open-carrying weapons. The first article is: Police say no crime committed by men strolling through SE Portland neighborhood with assault rifles. And the second article: LaVoy Finicum rally: Protesters will openly carry guns in downtown Portland, police say.
I didn’t comment on the first article. But I commented on the second one. I posted the following comment and a picture with the American Flag and words: The Super Powers of the American Consitution: Checks and Balances.
Wow. Portland is known to be populated by mellow types: artists, musicians, nature-lovers, foodies, intellectuals, and those who simply want to have fun living their lives in the mellow, rain-subdued Portland. And, now, all of a sudden, an armed demonstration in support of the armed militia? Is this demonstration perhaps…. set up by the same people who, for years, have been producing the “get up, stand up and fight”materials and feeding this stuff to Portlanders, including youths and kids?
Please do not carry weapons during this demonstration or any demonstrations. Please spent your time celebrating the American Constitution – the part about checks and balances – by checking what is the intent and source of income of the persons who produce the “get up, stand up and fight” message and if these leaders are persons of balance.
Few minutes later I saw that my comment got deleted.
So I re-posted it. And clarified. Keep Portland mellow, safe and balanced. My comment was deleted.
I reposed the comment and this clarification that I’m referring to Jason Renaud. My clarification got deleted. And then…. See down the page.
March 14, 2016. Oregonian published an article on Chris Harper-Mercer, the young man who committed the horrible mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon in October 2015.
At this point, after years of being pressured into silence, I feel like I need to speak up. So I made comments. The question should be, was this young man influenced by the “get up stand u and fight” materials produced in Portland. I made comments about the film “Arresting Power,” produced in Portland by three very (very) NON African American looking ladies who proclaimed that they had 15 years combined” of experience in film making. Somehow, this combined experience allowed them to produce a film about “building resistance.” The film’s trailer features a young man saying, “Effective resistance is resistance when you push all the way through the line and then you push over,” while, shortly, the film shows a picture of a man holding a rifle with his finger on the trigger. The facebook page of the film features all kinds of calls to action, including pictures of a blown-up police car, ablaze on fire. And another question should be, why did these three ladies, and other producers/backers and promoters of this film give themselves a right to endanger our safety. I made a picture of Harper-Mercer with the Free Cascadia aka Cascadia Rising logo he was using, according to some articles. This is the same logo used in one of the videos of one of the anti-cop anti-System demonstrations, the one after which a swastika sign appeared in my backyard. This stuff should be treated in Portland with all seriousness. But, nope. The only advise I get is that I should leave town and go into hiding, because “they” will get me and harm me, eventually. I’m writing these words in the evening of March 14, there’s no reaction to my Oregonian comments on the Harper-Mercer article. But, surprise, surprise, three of my comment stayed and only one disappeared. What a HUGE improvement!
The part about the “Free Cascadia” or “Cascadia Rising” logo and the ideology will need expending. There’s a lot to say about it – over my twelve years of working for Project Respond I went out on crisis calls and met tree-lovers, environment lovers, revolutionaries…. Most, if not all, people just want to live their lives and have fun. Portland is a beautiful city filled with mellow people who like to have mellow fun. It was quite obvious that things were being stirred up and the tensions inflamed in phases, gradually, with different reasons being provided by those who are busy stirring things up as the reasoning behind telling people to raise up and “free” Oregon from the “System.” First, it was trees. Oregon was to be free of loggers. Then all the stuff against religion and about “religion free Oregon.” Then, Oregon was to be “free” of authority, so people could have free weed. Then, Oregon was to become police-free. Then, racial tension was build up. Now, it’s open-carry. It seems like Harper-Mercer got into the “Cascadia Rising” project sometime in the anti-religion phase and the build up of racial tension.
March 14, 2016. Willamette Week published an article about the mayoral debate on social justice that took place on March 10. Present were the top three candidates. The leaders of the debate included Jason Renaud and Jo Ann Hardesty, both involved the production/promotion of the “get up, stand up” materials, including “Alien Boy” and “Arresting Power.” Links to their output are featured as reference material in the youtube videos of the the anti-cop anti-System demonstration in the aftermath of which somebody put a swastika sign and my backyard. Oh, and did I mention that, besides a swastika, at the same time, violent videos, some Nazi-themed appeared on my computer. Oh, and did I mention that I contacted Renaud to ask him why he put me in his film without asking me for permission, he wrote back that he had a RIGHT to do it. And he ended the conversation. When I contacted Hardesty, her husband wrote me back that she was busy. The space for commenting in Willamette Week is very short. So I just provided some links and encouraged the author of the Willamette Week article to revise Wilamette Week’s perspective on WHAT is presented to Portland as leadership in social justice, civil rights, policing and mental health. I posted 7 comments. The journalist responded to the first one: “Ela, I’m confident that Jason Renaud and JoAnn Hardesty are qualified to speak on the issue of the 48-hour rule.” And subsequently, she didn’t react at all.
And the Derek Humphry angle. What’s up with that?
March 16, 2016. Article in the Oregonian.. “Newberg student wanted to set up ‘kill zone’ at school, police say.” “A Newberg High School student detailed his growing obsession with shooting up his school and planned to “personally kill at least 100 people” in a large-scale attack, police said Tuesday.” Did this teen go to one of the “blow up the System” workshops offered by Portland “social activists? I haven’t commented yet.
March 28, 2016, Resuscitation.
On Easter Sunday the Oregonian published an article about an elderly man, Mr. Bob Oswald, who at 83 enjoyed a full life. He had a cardiac arrest, but help arrived quickly, and he gor resuscitated. He’s going to enjoy more happy days! How wonderful!
At this point I have researched a LOT about “Compassion and Choices”, the work of Jason Renaud and his double role of a coordinator of volunteers who conduct the “aid in dying,” that is, help vulnerable people obtain lethal drugs. And while doing so, Jason Renaud also leads the Mental Health Association of Portland and has a huge say in the world of Portland politics, policing, directing funding etc. Reading about Mr Oswald successful resuscitation I couldn’t help but remember some of the videos Jason and his group posted. Especially the “medical entertainment” where entertainers dressed as doctors and medical staff dance around an unconscious person on a gurney while singing and “making fun” of resuscitation.
April 13, 2016 Oregonian publishes an articlePortland police still struggling to track mental health crisis calls, outside monitors say
Well… it’s been more than a decade of Cascadia running the police training and their collaboration with Jason Renaud of “Compassion and choices”…. What shall we expect?
I posted two comments. With pictures and links to Renaud’s work in delivering “Aid in Dying” No reaction from the press. No reaction from anybody. But, at least, my comments didn’t get deleted.
April 15, 2016, Oregonian publishes an article. ‘You police the way you want to be policed,’ Gresham officer says. The article is about an interaction between police and a woman in Gresham who is an immigrant from Mexico. It would be good for Portlanders to know what happened with the team of diverse crisis response clinicians that joined Project Respond Cascadia in 2002, after the death of Jose Santos Mejia Poot. Wouldn’t it?
I posted two comments, with specifics. I specifically asked the author of the article, the Oregonian Journalist Carli Brusseau to follow up and let Portlanders know that the Portland “Expert” on suicide, policing and politics is, actually, working for an organization that delivers “aid in dying.” I mean, AID IN DYING. For real. With no quotation marks. No reaction fro Carli.
Oregonian has about a hundred entries quoting Renaud. Three of these entries are articles about Renaud’s work for “Compassion and Choices.” The rest is about Renaud’s “Expertise” on mental health, crisis response, policing etc…. There’s NOT A SINGLE ENTRY providing disclosure that he does BOTH.
Oregonian articles on Renaud’s activities as promoter of “aid in dying.” Janet Adkins, Jack Kevorkian and the end of an era. http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/06/janet_adkins_jack_kevorkian_an.htmlDoctor who campaigned for Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act uses law to end his life http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/03/doctor_who_campaigned_for_oreg.htmlTigard-area And – branch of American Association of University Women Nov. 9 program http://blog.oregonlive.com/mytigard/2010/11/tigard_area_branch_aauw_november_9_2010_program.html
In my comment I point out an article about the fence on the Vista bridge that was built to prevent people from committing suicide. http://koin.com/2013/07/25/vista-bridge-suicide-barrier-personal-complex/ Renaud is quoted saying that the fence was a “waste of money.”Renaud didn’t clarify what perspective he’s coming from as a professional promoter of “end of life innovations.” This alone should raise ALARM in any journalist. Right? Right? Nah.
May 10, 2016, the Oregonian posts and article,Portland honors 29 police officers killed on duty since 1867. I post a picture of the female officer with her hand on a coffin covered with the American flag and a comment.
May 15, 2016. The Oregonian posts an article about NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)Thousands gather in Portland to support mental illness nonprofit NAMI I post a comment. Jason Renaud used to work as the Executive Director for NAMI. There’s a video of Renaud speaking as a NAMI mental health advocate. I also posted a video of the volunteers with the Mental Health Association of Portland Oregon talking about how Cascadia closed drop-in centers and passed running the groups to Renaud. The video is almost 50 minutes long. It’s obvious that the volunteer have never been told about Renaud’s work providing assisted suicide. Misleading and exploiting vulnerable population is immoral, criminal and plain wrong. Will anybody get interested?
February 2, 2016. Oregonian published this article on interviewing police after police-involved deaths.
Here’s the link to Oregonian’s article on interviewing police. I commented. My comments were deleted.
February 17, 2016: Comments I made in Portland Tribune about the death of Christopher Kalonji
On January 29, a young man, nineteen years old Christopher Kalonji died after a stand-off with the police. Oregonian reported. I didn’t comment. At that point I still didn’t have enough courage to say what needed to be said for years – please investigate if this young man’s behaviors/actions have been influenced/inspired by the “public outcry” against the police and fight against the “System” led by Jason Renaud, who is an employee of “Compassion and Choices” of Oregon, the well-funded agency that promotes assisted suicide.
Then, a couple weeks later, I listened to this interview on KBOO, the progressive Portland radio. Here, a Portland social activist, Jo-Ann Hardesty interviews Jason Renaud about the death of Christopher Kalonji. Jo-Ann Hardesty’s program is called “Voices from the Edge.” The program. starts with the song, “get up, stand up, stand up for your right, don’t give up the fight.” It’s a social activism program. In this interview, just like in the previous interviews on Hardesty’s had with Jason Renaud on KBOO, Hadesty introduces Jason Renaud is with the Mental Health Association of Portland” Hardesty talks about how Jason Renaud is busy all over Oregon and his has his hands full in his own “neck of the woods.” Hardesty doesn’t disclose that this “neck of the woods” is Jason Renaudis being employed by “Compassion and Choices of Oregon,” the wealthy organization that promotes assisted suicide.
This KBOO radio program – Jo-Ann Hardesty and Jason Renaud’s conversation – is very similar to their previous conversations. They don’t discuss preventive methods that could have protected this young man from getting involved in using a rifle or engaging in a stand-off with the police. Hardesty and Renaud had not discussed such preventive measures in their previous KBOO conversations either. Jason Renaud discuss police brutality.
An informed conversation would explore the issue in more depth. The cops did fire the shots. But had happened before? Who taught this young man to use a rifle? Who radicalized this young man? When did the radicalization start? Was it when he was still a kid? Were there any particular materials, or groups in Portland Oregon who influenced this young man and inspired him to “get up, stand up” and fight?
Jason Renaud produced the film “Alien Boy.” This films title is inspired by song whose lyrics start “go grab your gun.” Jason Renaud is employed by an organization that promotes assisted suicide. Jo Ann Hardesty who had known Jason Renaud for years and who must be aware of this source of income, discuss the shooting.
To my horror, they talk about Jason Renaud paying a visit to the parents of the deceased young man. Jo Ann Hardesty says she’s in contact with somebody (was it a neighbor?) who had witnessed the shooting. Hardesty praises Renaud for taking his time and contacting the family of the deceased young man.
In Portland, Oregon, when a young man dies in a police-involved shooting, his parents get a visit from an employee of Compassion and Choices,” the agency that promotes assisted suicide.
Apparently, this is all OK with the progressive Portland Radio KBOO. I searched KBOO’s website for any sign of a disclosure of Jason Renaud’s employment. I haven’t found such disclosure.
By the way, with all the time Jason Renaud and Jo Ann Hardesty spend on their seocial activism in the area of mental health, policing and diversity, they don’t talk about the actual solutions. They don’t talk about the culturally diverse sub-team that was hired to join Project Respond Cascadia in 2002, after the death of Jose Santos Mejia Poot. Project Respond is the team that pairs up with Portland Police to respond to crisis calls. Project Respond has been in opreation since early/mid 1990’s. The culturally diverse sub-team consisted of masters-level clinicians: Native American, African American, Latina, Asian and Eastern European/Slavic. I was a part of this culturally diverse sub-team as Eastern European/Slavic clinician hired to work with the large population of refugees who settled in Portland area, mostly religious refugees, mostly Evangelical Christians. Over my twelve years of working for Project Respond, I went on thousands of crisis calls paired up with Portland Police. I have a degree in medicine from Poland (not accredited in the USA). In Poland, before I moved to the USA, I did a residency in psychiatry. Neither Jason Renaud or Jo Ann Hardesty had ever reached out to me to inquire about the reality of crisis response. Over the seven years it took Jason Renaud to produce the film “Alien Boy,” in which he frames me, a minority employee, the last remaining member of the “Poot’s team” as a “wrongdoer.” Apparently, social activism means different things to different people – in this case, it’s making an immigrant from Poland into a target. For seven years of his film-making, Jason Renaud didn’t contact me for permission or a reality check. When I contacted him, he broke off the contact. I contacted Jo Ann Hardesty in 2015 via her website and asked her to meet with me. Her husband wrote back saying that she was busy. Neither Jo Ann Hardesty nor David Hardest eever got back to me.
With such low interest in direct sources, is “Social activism” Portland style connected with reality? Does it represent reality?
Here’s a new film coming out of Portland, Oregon. Produced by Portland activists. Arresting Power. Arresting Power: Resisting Police Violence in Portland, Oregon documents the history of conflict between the Portland police and community members throughout the past fifty years. … The film (uses)… experimental filmmaking techniques, and archival newsreele. (The film…)creates a space for understanding the impacts of police violence and imagining a world without police.
I wonder if anybody from the culturally diverse sub-team at Project-Respond Cascadia (the “Poot’s team), the people who actually did the work responding to crisis calls with the police, was interview for this film. I wonder if it be even mentioned that this team existed, people put lots of effort into doing the work, but the team was dissolved and I was the last one to go.
Back to the death of Christopher Kalonji.
On February 17, 2016, I read this article in Portland Tribune. The article gives some of Christopher Kalonji’s history. His country of birth is Israel. The family moved to Portland area when he was six years old. The funeral service was at one of Portland synagogues. The article describes some details of the circumstances of his death and asks the questions how his death could be avoided.
My obvious answer to this questions is yes, of course – all effort should be made to teach the kids to handle their frustration without reaching for, or using a weapon. I commented on the article in Portland Tribune, pointing out that a a lot of media output in Portland calling for a “public outcry” against the police and to fight the “System” is produced by Jason Renaud, an employee of “Compassion and Choices of Oregon,” a well-to-do organization that promotes assisted suicide.
As I was surfing the internet, I went to Mental Health Association’s twitter account lead by Jason Renaud. The twitter account has 35 thousand followers. I keep looking at Jason Renaud’s output. I continue to be amazed how this is allowed. Jason Renaud reaches out and targets the population of people with mental health problems. Normally, working with, informing and giving advice to a vulnerable population (people with an any kind of illness, youth, kids) is regulated by the State and requires a license.
I noticed that Mental Health Association Twitter changed their profile picture to that of Christopher Kalonji. As if… they are… what? Presenting themselves as if they’re standing up for Christiopher Kalonji? But…MHA’s/Jason Renaud’s materials might have actually…. have inspired this young man’s behaviors and actions that lead him to his death!
I noticed that MHA tweeted the link to the article in Portland Tribune.
I clicked on the article, and to my amazement, I saw that my COMMENT pointing out that Jason Renaud is employed by the organization promoting assisted suicide WASN’T THERE.
I noticed that the article was the same, but the webpage address was different.
The day before, I had commented under an article with this address. http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/293460-170514-could-death-of-oak-groves-christopher-kalonji-19-have-been-avoided
MHA tweeted the same article, but with a different web address: http://pamplinmedia.com/cr/24-news/293459-170514-could-death-of-oak-groves-christopher-kalonji-19-have-been-avoided
So I commented again:
The same day, there was another article in Portland Tribune about policing and mental health crises.
February 17, 2016. NDPD (Newberg-Dundee Police Department) taking a proactive approach to mental health
New mental health crisis response unit building relationships with people with mental illnesses before they have a crisis
The article starts: “In Newberg-Dundee Police Department Sgt. Mark Cooke’s experience, when it’s deemed that someone struggling with mental illness must be committed to a hospital for observation and evaluation, a lot of times that person is less than willing to comply, making for a difficult and potentially dangerous situation for everyone involved.”
I commented. I have something interesting to say. The thing about who’s been leading the “public” outcry. And, after all, I’m a veteran of the job. I responded to crisis calls as a mental health clinician paired up with Portland Police. I have a Medical Doctor degree with residency in psychiatry from Poland. I have a lot to say.
The next day I saw that my comment was deleted.
Here’s a facebook post quoting my original comment on ElaHowardBlogger page. I started this page just to document things. I’m not repeating this comment here, because it’s redundant. Is redundancy going to help me to get myself out of my digital cage? Maybe if I stay redundant, and creative, somebody will get interested, eventually.
My comments that are present Portland Tribune, as of today, February 21, 2016, show up under Discuss profile/ Ela Howard.
February 22, 2016. Police Forum –
The meeting was about to take place. The event has its Facebook page. I made some comments.
www.facebook.com/events/900671133385838/
First, the event. This is the quote from the Facebook even page:
RACE TALKS 2, in cooperation with the Albina Ministerial Alliance Peace and Justice Committee and the Portland Police Bureau invite you help improve communication between the Police & the Public. Come share your thoughts & opinions with the Portland Police and community leaders at this FREE event:
RACE TALKS 2: Community / Police Forum
Where do we go from here with Community Policing?
Monday, February 22, 2016, 6-9 pm
Madison High School Cafeteria
2735 NE 82nd Ave.
971-222-8254 (Snacks served)
Speakers:
– Portland Police Bureau—Asst. Chiefs Mike Crebs & Kevin Modica
– NAACP—Jo Ann Hardesty, President, Portland Chapter
– Communitty Oversite Advisory Board (COAB) —Kathleen Saadat, Compliance Officer / Community Liaison Team
– Albina Ministerial Alliance Peace & Justice Committee: Dept. of Justice Community Oversite Committee—Rev. Dr. T. Allen Bethel & Rev. Dr. LeRoy Haynes
– Portland Police Association—Daryl Turner, President
Community Discussion Questions:
– What do you see occurring presently in community and police relations?
– What would you like to see occur in community and police relations?
– What are you willing to do to help improve community and police relations?
Now, my (Ela Howard) content: On the Facebook page of the event, I wrote a brief exposition saying that Jason Renaud is encouraging people to fight the police while he’s employed by an organization promoting assisted suicide. I wrote about Christopher Kalonji. I pointed out that Jason Renaud produces radicalizing materials and tells the public to stand up and fight the police. And that it was Jason Renaud, the employee of “Compassion and Choices,” the organization that promotes assisted suicide, who went to visit Kalonji’s grieving parents after Kalonji was shot by the police.
I got a few likes and one comment. The person who commented pointed out the following: So you’re thinking that because he works for a company that assists terminally ill patients carry out their plan to end their own lives, he is deliberately trying to trick people into officer assisted suicide? I don’t follow the logic here. You do know that death with dignity was passed by the voters of this state not once but twice, right? The second time by an even larger margin than the first?
This is an extremely valuable comment for me. I’ve been inside this maze for so long and I’ve been threatened into silence for so long, that to me, things are obvious. Plus, I had a lot of time to observe the dynamics and notice the details. I don’t know what other people think. I just know that, somehow, the whole city has been going for it for years, as if…. exactly…. Not knowing? Knowing, but being too scared to say anything? Actually believing that that this manufactured “Revolution” would actually be fun?
Here was my response:
The voters voted for the right for assisted suicide for people who choose it. Every organization has a mission statement they need to stick to. If an organization (“Compassion and Choices.”) collects money, they should use it to finance only what is covered by their mission statement.
I’m not a terminally ill person. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to have my safety compromised. I want to be treated respectfully. I want to have my choices honored. Without showing any compassion and without giving me any choice, Jason Renaud stepped into my life. I really wish he didn’t. Jason Renaud produced the film “Alien Boy, the Life and Death of James Chasse” where he and other producers used my name in a fictionalized scene without asking me for permission. Actually, he did it against my wish – I did not want to be part of this film. Then this film is used to promote the fight against the “System”. I’m not the “System.” I saw James Chasse one time, only for one minute. There were two other clinicians were conducting this welfare check with me, including his case manager. These two clinicians were American-born. But Jason Renaud and other producers picked only me, an immigrant from Poland, to put in their film. I’ve been subjected to threats and intimidation, sometimes right by my house. Somebody put “x” signs and a swastika sign in my backyard. Has it been done to me in the name of fighting the “system,” or because I’m an immigrant? The lines are blurred. Did Jason Renaud start this snowball while on the dime of an organization promoting assisted suicide?
Harm is one thing. Transparency is another. If somebody is making films, presentations and media, or doing political lobbying, they need to disclose if they’re doing it on their work time, or are being paid otherwise, and who is paying.
There’s of course the ethics. Life, death and suicide are sensitive subjects. What defines and “Expert” on suicide and mental health? If, for thirteen years, Jason Renaud spent his eight hour workdays researching assisted suicide and helping people die, does it make him an “Expert” on politics of mental health services for the Portlanders who want to live?
Also, I wrote a comment under David Hardesty’s post. David Hardesty is a partner in the consulting firm “Consult Hardesty.” Jo Ann Hardesty is the president of Portland, Oregon NAACP.
Hi David! I contacted you and Jo-Ann last year and Jo Ann was busy, and then I never heard back from either of you. I was asking for help with my Civil Rights. To recap, briefly; I worked for twelve years for Project Respond, the team that responds to mental health calls paired up with Portland Police. I was a minority employee, part of the sub-team of culturally diverse clinicians hired in 2002 after the death of Jose Santos Mejia Poot. That sub-team was hired as an effort to increase cultural competence in crisis response. But, gradually, this culturally-diverse team got phased out phased out. Are you guys aware of this team? This team doesn’t seem to be mentioned in the Portland social activist media. When I was fired in 2014 from Cascadia Behavioral Health I was the last one to go. I was fired because I was trying to present the perspective on the negative impact of escalating the tension between the community and the police, like, for example, the film, “Alien Boy,” that focuses on police, but doesn’t mention Cascadia, the agency that trained the police provided mental health services to James Chasse. Cascadia is not mentioned in the narrative of the film, only in the credits- as Associate Producers of “Alien Boy.” I think I also mentioned in your email to you and Jo-Ann that this film “Alien Boy,” framed me – I only saw James Chasse one time, for one minute, but the film names a fictionalized crisis responder who is cast as a “wrongdoer.” I’ve been a target of a horrible harassment for a long time. For example after the “night of rage” on September 17, 2015 demonstration downtown on the ninth anniversary of the death of James Chasse. The second morning after that somebody put a swastika sign in my backyard. I’ve been also targeted with direct intimidation, sometimes right by my house.
I filed a Civil Rights complaint with Portland BOLI. Besides framing me up in the film “Alien Boy” and making me into a target of dangerous harassment and intimidation, before they fired me, Cascadia hired a lawyer who used a death reference towards me. Before that, I was under a lot of pressure to stay silent about the whole thing.
I described everything to BOLI in my complaint and in my interview, but they just sent me a letter saying that my Civil Rights complaint would be dismissed.
I know I had approached you already, and you didn’t have time. But I’m just giving it another try, reaching out to you for help.
As of the next day, February 23, I didn’t receive an answer to this comment from David. So I tagged David Roger Hardesty and JoAnn Hardesty. Will they notice?
Update on February 24, 2016. No response from Portland from Hardesty social activism consulting firm.
February 23, The Oregonian published an article about the Sweet Cakes by Melissa, the bakery who was fined by Portland BOLI for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple.
Here is the link to the article. In Portland, the cake thing is a really big deal. It’s been in the press forever. Today, the article in the Oregonian is about that the bakers got a new lawyer – from Texas. The lawyer is really high-power. He’s the former lawyer of the president!
I wrote a comment about my BOLI interview and about how I was intimidated with cake decorated with gravestones. I got one response. The other commentators just keep going about the same thing, like nothing happened. It’s like having a conversation, and the conversation goes on and on and on and the same things are being repeated, and somebody new steps in and says, and gives some news that there should switch the conversation into a different gear, but…. the conversation is NOT switched. It’s like nobody noticed. Is the comment forum on the Oregonian and…. algorithm…. ? Nope, it’s just the same person writing, copying and pasting, repeating vile remarks.
So I post some pictures of cakes, this one on the top. “goodbyeore gon” responds, but, so what. Celebrate American Freedom!
: 0
February 27, Oregonian published and article about the death of Christopher Kanonji.
Here’s the link to the article. The article states that the teen “wanted to die.” And – he got shot. But…. where’s the community? Where’s the, “it takes a village to raise a child?” There’s so much that might have happened to this kid. He could have been approached, radicalized, influenced, talked into doing what he did….
So, I made comments…. About how there are materials and workshops in Portland aimed at radicalizing the kids… About the film “Alien Boy.” And the film “Arrecting Power.”
Somebody made a comment about LaVoy Finnicum: “Must have read LeVoy’s bible”
So I commented too:
In their recent KBOO radio media piece, Portland’s proclaimed activists, Jason Renaud and Jo Ann Hardesty discussed deaths – the death of Christopher Kalonji and the death of LaVoy Finnicum.
Renaud: “I do think that this case is an accurate representation of suicide by cop.”
Hardesty: “Say it again.”
Renaud: “This man said, I’m never gonna go to jail. They’re gonna have to kill me, and then, when presented with police force, ran out at them, and proceeded to pull a gun. He was trying to get himself killed by the police to prove the point, to become a martyr.”
Hardesty: “Yeah…”
The question is, did Renaud and Hardesty, who have been putting out their “get up, stand up, and fight” message for years, influence Christopher Kalonji with their ideas BEFORE he proceeded to pull a gun/rifle. Did their films, media appearances, events, and their idea that a man getting himself shot on purpose means “martyrdom” reach and influence Christopher, a Portland teenager, when he was still alive?
Portland needs leaders and activists who will teach the kids to be constructive and to build their future by learning, growing and living.
:
February 28, 2016 – Feb 29 Mayoral Debate CANCELLED/ UNCANCELLED!
uncancelled – Oregonian article Debate takes place. ! Hurray! Eight candidates take part in the debate! The room is packed!
Upon seeing the vile comment by “goodbyeore gon” I post my Portland Oregon Renaissance picture. Oregon is not gone. Oregon is here.
March 5, 2016, Open -carry LaVoy Finicum rally: “Protesters will openly carry guns in downtown Portland, police say.”
And, another article on 0pen-carry. : Police say no crime committed by men strolling through SE Portland neighborhood with assault rifles. I didn’t comment on this one.
But I commented on the first article: With the picture depicted below. My comment got deleted. Links to screenshots to deleted comments: Deleted comment #1Deleted comment #2
This was my original comment:
Wow. Portland is known to be populated by mellow types: artists, musicians, nature-lovers, foodies, intellectuals, and those who simply want to have fun living their lives in the mellow, rain-subdued Portland. And, now, all of a sudden, an armed demonstration in support of the armed militia? Is this demonstration perhaps…. set up by the same people who, for years, have been producing the “get up, stand up and fight”materials and feeding this stuff to Portlanders, including youths and kids?
Please do not carry weapons during this demonstration or any demonstrations. Please spent your time celebrating the American Constitution – the part about checks and balances – by checking what is the intent and source of income of the persons who produce the “get up, stand up and fight” message and if these leaders are persons of balance.
I reposed my original comment with this the below clarification: My clarification got deleted.
I didn’t mean to direct my comment at anybody who is genuinely putting an effort to speak up for the American Constitution. I just know a lot about one of the leaders, because he framed me. Jason Renaud, of “Compassion and Choices” produced the film “Alien Boy, the Life and Death of James Chasse” that he uses as a part of the multi-media presentations and workshops encouraging Portlanders to fight the police and the “System.” Jason Renaud, without my permission, or even contacting me for 7 years of making his name used my name, Ela Howard, to name a fictionalized character, a crisis responder, in his film in a wildly distorted scene. As a result, I was subjected to horrendous acts of intimidation. I’m not the “System.” I saw James Chasse only one time, only for one minute. There were two other clinicians on the welfare check depicted in the distorted welfare check in this film. The two other were American-born. Jason Renaud and other producers picked me, and only me, an immigrant from Poland, to put me in his film and to frame me.
This is what I mean by lack of balance. “Alien Boy” doesn’t depict reality.
In reality, I worked as a crisis response clinician for twelve years for Project Respond Cascadia, the team that pairs up with Portland police to make the calls sucessfull. Over the twelve years, I didn’t see anybody injured during these calls. I did not see the police draw a gun. I was a part of the multi-cultural team of clinicians who were helping minorities during the mental health crisis calls. This team got phased out. I, a minority employee, got framed, spotlighted as the representative of the “System” and subjected to horrendous intimidation.
This is what I mean by the lack of balance – Jason Renaud, while being employed by “Compassion and Choices” of Oregon, producing distorted information and framing me, and immigrant from Poland.
Jason Renaud presents himself as a social activist and a leader. Social activism is not about framing an immigrant/minority. Social activism should be the opposite. Social activism is about helping people.
Somebody posted a response to my comment. The response is about gun rights.
I posted the response to this response; My response got deleted
I came from Poland to Portland Oregon in 1996 for what was meant originally as a short visit.I stayed, because Oregon so beautiful and because I met many wonderful people. Over the twelve years of my working as a crisis response clinician all I did was putting my heart out to safe people’s lives.And name was put, without my permission, in a movie that is used to encourage people, including youths, to fight the police and the “System.” I’ve been trying to point out for years that “Alien Boy” and other materials produced by the same group carry a distorted message, but I was pressured into silence.
I only know what I saw over my twelve years of doing my job as a crisis response clinician, saving lives.Youths and especially kids are susceptible to pressure and they should not be exposed to distorted media materials.Youths and kids should be nurtured and taught how to learn, grow, and enjoy their lives.
Somebody posted the following comment: Yes Ela, we get it. It’s really All About You!
My response:
Well… the filmmakers should not have put me the film “Alien Boy , the Life and Death of James Chasse” without my permission. Especially in a film that goes against my values and ethics and had made me into a target. If not this film, I would be sitting by a fireplace right now, knitting.
Because my clarification to the comment about balance got deleted, I posted a new comment:
To clarify my previous comment about balance – I’m referring to one particular person, who is presented in Portland as a leader and expert on mental health and suicide and who’s been making presentations about “fighting the cops,” while presenting his film “Alien Boy, the Life and Death of James Chasse” as a part of his “fighting the System” multi-media output.
I’m looking at this from the perspective of somebody who worked as a clinician with people with vulnerabilities, including youths and kids. A kid’s life is a learning process. Kids should learn about their rights from their parents, elders and well- meaning teachers. But, in Portland, there are presentations available on “fighting the cops” and fighting the “System” delivered by an employee of “Compassion and Choices.” Seriously.
The film “Alien Boy” is a part of the media that is presented.
Specifically, I want to express my deep concern about the death of Christopher Kalonji, a teenager, a minority teen from an immigrant family, who recently (January 2016) died in Portland area during an armed stand-off with police. For some reason, he engaged in this stand-off. My question is – has he attended any of these presentation? Was he exposed to any of the “fight the System” media? Did anybody persuade him into doing what he did?
Christopher was only nineteen years old. He could have gone to college, study, work, have fun, do anything that kids and youths do with their lives. How many Portland kids are attending these presentations and events? Do the parents know? Kids should not be subjected to confusing message about their most vital priorities. Kids should learn how to constructively build their/our future.
March 14, 2016, the Oregonian publishes an article about Christopher Harper-Mercer
– the young man who committed the horrible mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon in October 2016. I made this picture first, then made comments.
Comment 1:
youths and kids can easily influenced and encouraged.The question should be if Chris Harper-Mercer was influenced/encouraged by the Portland-produced “get up, stand up and fight” media..Some resources showed that Chris Harper-Mercer used the logo that is also used on some Oregon websites with the message that calls for an armed insurgency.
Or, did Chris Harper-Mercer see the Portland-produced film “Arresting Power” (Release date: January 24, 2015, in Ashland, Oregon, two hours drive from Roseburg)?This film calls for “building resistance.” A quote from the film’s trailer: “Effective resistance is resistance when you push all the way through the line and then you push over.”Shortly, the film shows a man holding a rifle with his hand on the trigger.
The film is presented under umbrella of… social advocacy. The makers/backers of this film conduct presentations, events and discussions, including in colleges and even high schools.All this seems to be running unchecked. Besides events, the film has internet presence. “Arresting Power” facebook features calls for “resistance” while showing pictures of… a blown-up police car and many other direct or indirect suggestions of violence.
Did Chris Harper-Mercer go to the showing in Ashland? Did he go to the other events? Did he follow the facebook pages calling for armed insurgency and are using the same blue/white/green logo? Did Chris Harper-Mercer follow the “Arresting Power” facebook? Here’s an example https://www.facebook.com/arrestingpower/posts/709924142415535
From “Arresting Power” facebook page that is actively promoted by those presented to Portland as top leaders in of social justice and activism
The text on “Arresting Power” Facebook that accompanies the picture of the burning car:
“When the cops kill people of color that is simply the normal operation of a racist institution in a grossly unequal society. That’s the job that police are put there to do … Our efforts, then, should not be directed toward fixing this institution—but toward destroying it. As we make our demands and plan our campaigns, this ultimate goal must always be kept in mind. We should pursue changes that de-legitimize, demoralize, discredit, and disempower the police and which, correspondingly, energize, embolden, and empower the community. When we demand justice, let us be clear that it is not the justice of the courts and the government, but the justice that abolishes courts and government that is required. Our very demands should be a form of attack.”
Here’s a part of the quote from “Arresting Power” facebook, separated for emphasis: “Our efforts, then, should not be directed toward fixing this institution—but toward destroying it.” “When we demand justice, let us be clear that it is not the justice of the courts and the government, but the justice that abolishes courts and government that is required. Our very demands should be a form of attack.”
You might say that the people who produce such materials are instilling social unrest. You might think that they would be held responsible.
But it’s the opposite. Portland establishment, for years, has been presenting the producers of the “get up, stand up and fight” message as our leaders and “social advocates.” The producers of these materials are showered with support, connections, privileges, and ….some very strange backup.
I worked as a crisis response clinician for twelve years and I have seen the devastating effect of these materials on kids, youths and adults. For years, I’ve been trying to speak up about it, but was pressured into silence.Recently, I started making comments in Portland press.My most relevant comments get deleted. Let’s see if this comments stays.I’m being perseverant, because Portland parents, youths and kids need know what is being presented to them and what are the effects.
Media producers are not the ones to teach kids to “get up, stand up and fight.”Kids need to be taught by their parents, by well-intended teachers and elders. Kids need to be taught to enjoy their lives and to contribute to a balanced society.
Comment 2:
Recently, a teenager, nineteen years old, also bi-racial died in Portland an armed standoff with the police.
There should be an investigation if this young man, from an immigrant family, was influenced/inspired by these “get up, stand up and fight” media and activists.Some of the visuals featured in the film “Arresting Power” or on the internet appeared later in reality.
Impacting lives of other people, especially kids, is a moral and ethical issue. The commonly accepted value is to PROTECT the kids, obviously. The writer Stephen King, after learning that a kid engaged in a shooting after being inspired by one of his books, withdrew his book from the print, to a huge financial loss.
The Portland “get up, stand up” activists have taken the opposite approach.They use every venue possible to push their message.
After the nineteen years old kid’s death, the Portland media producers Jason Renaud , of “Compassion and Choices” and Jo Ann Hardesty (who actively promotes “Arresting Power”), held a discussion on the local radio KBOO about this teen’s death, policing, and suicide, including “suicide by cop”. The two discussed “suicide by cop” in terms of…… martyrdom.
Here’s the quote, verbatim.
Jason Renaud: “I do think that this case is an accurate representation of suicide by cop.”
Jo Ann Hardesty: “Say it again.”
Renaud: “This man said, I’m never gonna go to jail. They’re gonna have to kill me, and then, when presented with police force, ran out at them, and proceeded to pull a gun. He was trying to get himself killed by the police to prove the point, to become a martyr.”
Hardesty: “Yeah…”
LET US PRAY FOR GRACE TO PROTECT US AND SAVE OUR KIDS AND ALL OF US FROM FOLLOWING INTO THE PATH OF SUCH “martyrdom.”
Comment 3:
This is the picture from Portland mayoral debate, March 10, 2016.https://twitter.com/KBOO/status/708130952346734592
Present are the top mayoral candidates and those who have been presented to Portland as leading social activists and Experts on mental health, policing and social justice, Jason Renaud of “Compassion and Choices” and Jo Ann Hardesty, both of whom acrtively promote the films “Alien Boy” and “Arresting Power.”
Who chose them as our leaders and who pronounced them as Experts?
Certainly not I.I worked for twelve years (2002-2014) as a crisis response clinician for the team Project Respond Cascadia, responding to crisis calls with Portland Police.I went on probably around 5 thousand crisis calls.Over the twelve years, we saved many lives.I never saw anybody injured.I never saw police draw a gun. Over the twelve years, I saw police using the tazer twice.In 2006, together with two other Cascadia clinicians, my two colleagues both American-born, me an immigrant from Poland, we went to conduct a welfare check on a man whose health was declining, James Chasse.Seven years later, I went to see the film “Alien Boy, the Life and Death of James Chasse,” produced by Jason Renaud.To my shock, I saw that the film contained highly fictionalized and wildly distorted welfare check scene, where a crisis response worker lures James Chasse out of this apartment. This crisis response worker is given my name – Ela Howard.
Jason Renaud, or any other producers of this film didn’t contact me for the seven years of their movie-making, one of them being Cascadia BHC, my employer, to ask me for permission, or to do a reality check.BECAUSE REALITY DID NOT MATTER.Reality would stand in the way of making a visceral “killer cop”film is used to inflame tension between the community and the police. I saw James Chasse one time, for one minute. Out of the tree clinicians, Jason Renaud and my employer Cascadia picked me, a minority employee, an immigrant from Poland, to represent the “System” in the film that he uses for his presentations on “fighting the cops” and the “System.”The film inspires demonstrations. After one of such demonstrations, somebody put a swastika sign in my backyard. I’ve been severely harassed and intimidated. I contacted Renaud via email. Renaud stated that HE HAD A RIGHT to put me in his film. And that it was the end of the conversation.
The film “Alien Boy” should be some special category.Not a documentary, because it presents facts in the manner that is wildly distorted.Not fiction, because James Chasse died for real. But, how?Renaud keeps reusing the story of James Chasse.The death of James Chasse’s is featured in the film “Arresting Power.”Meanwhile, I, an immigrant from Poland, got fired from by my employer Cascadia amidst threats and pressure into silence not to make a peep about what really went on.
And all these years, Jason Renaud is presented to us as our leader of Portland social activism. His take on civil rights is that he has a right to use me, and immigrant, in his film, then use his film to inflame demonstrations and compromise my safety.
And compromise safety of whoever follows his advice and of the police.
GRACE SAVE US from more such films, presentations social actions and from such leadership.
The comments that I made but are not on Oregonian website any more:
Comment 4:
Here’s the link to the video of the demonstration where the uploaded uses the green/white/blue flag with the fir tree (at least as of today) that was said to have been used by Chris Harper-Mercer.
The description under the video reads, “Want to learn more about the case? Google Alien Boy!”
In the aftermath, somebody put a swastika sign in my backyard.
I have not been able to find anybody to help me in Portland. No lawyer, no social activist, no journalist. Instead, I’m advised to keep quiet or leave town, because otherwise, sooner or later “they” will get me and harm me.
GRACE SAVE US FROM HAVING TO LIVE UNDER the leadership of “them.”
My comments I posted under on the Willamette Week article on the mayoral debate lead by Jason Renaud and Jo Ann Hardesty:
Here’s the link to the article.
My comment 1.
Hi Beth Slovic.
I’m concerned about who Willamette Week presents to Portland as leaders and experts in mental health, crisis response and policing.
Recently a teen died in an armed standoff with the police. The question should be if he was influenced by media and the message produced by Jason Renaud and Jo Ann Hardesty. http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2016/02/teen_shot_by_clackamas_deputie.html#incart_2box And about Chris Harper-Mercer – same question.
http://connect.oregonlive.com/user/Ela%20Howard/index.html I hope that you are aware that Jason Renaud has been employed for years, including in leadership positions, by Oregon “Compassion and Choices,” formerly the “Hemlock Society,” whose funding father Derek Humphry is famous for reasons that are morbid. Having Jason Renaud, a Humphry enthusiast, imposed on Portland as a leader and an Expert on issues involving life and death, is not only morbid, but it puts us in danger. Please revise your perspective
Beth Slovic responded:
Ela, I’m confident that Jason Renaud and JoAnn Hardesty are qualified to speak on the issue of the 48-hour rule.
My comment 2:
Hi Beth again, Here’s a better link to what I wrote about Chris Harper-Mercer. http://www.oregonlive.com/roseburg-oregon-school-shooting/2016/03/umpqua_community_college_gunman_chris_harper_mercer_profile.html#incart_big-photo My comments are under the article. Unless somebody deletes them. If so, see https://digitalcage.wordpress.com/
The question is – did Harper-Mercer see the Portland-produced “Arresting Power” (Release date: January 24, 2015, in Ashland, Oregon, two hours drive from Roseburg)?This film calls for “building resistance.” A quote from the film’s trailer: “Effective resistance is resistance when you push all the way through the line and then you push over.” Shortly, the film shows a man holding a rifle with his finger on the trigger. The film’s FB page features… a blown-up police car https://www.facebook.com/arrestingpower/posts/709924142415535 Renaud & Hardesty are both involved in promotion/production of these materials. GRACE SAVES US from such leaders.
My comment 3:
Hi Beth, Is your confidence fact-based? A quote from “Arresting Power” facebook, promoted by Hardesty, ““Our efforts, then, should not be directed toward fixing this institution—but toward destroying it.” The picture is that of blown-up police car on fire. For years, Renaud and Hardesty have been producing media and presentations on “fighting the cops” and the “System.” Recently, a teen died in Oak Grove died in an armed stand-off with the police. Afterwards, Renaud and Hardesty went on the radio, congratulated each other for doing a good job and discussed “suicide by cop” as “martyrdom.” They mentioned a video footage from the standoff. The way things have been going , this footage probably will be presented soon publicly as a “public oversight,” and will show shocking material to the public that will inflame the build up tension even further. https://digitalcage.wordpress.com/ And this is what happens to an immigrant from Poland: https://elahowardmemoir.wordpress.com
My comment 4
Hi Beth. I’m stunned by WW’ lack of interest. Last year, I spoke with one of WW’s journalist. He also showed no interest. The death of this teen could have been avoided. The public, the kids included, is presented a fictionalized version of reality, including “fighting the cops” workshops and “killer cops” films. I worked for 12 years for Project Respond Cascadia as a minority clinician pairing up with police. I was part of the diversity team created in 2002 after the death of Jose Mejia Poot. Neither Renaud or Hardesty showed interest or reached out for a reality check. When I reached out to Hardesty, she was too busy & never met with me. Apparently, they are too busy making movies & talking about “blowing up” the “System.” I have a problem with it because the film “Alien Boy” my name, Ela Howard is used to represent the “System”. Under Renaud & Hardesty’s leadership the Meja Poot team got phased out, & me, an immigrant from Poland, was made into a target. Is WW interested?
My comment 5
Hi Beth. Jason Renaud teamed up with Cascadia BHC, the agency that provided mental health services to James Chasse, to produce the fillm “Alien Boy the Life and Death of James Chasse” In Renaud/Cascadia version of reality, Cascadia and it’s role is not mentioned in the film Cascadia is only in the credits! The only representative of the “System” is a crisis response worker “Ela Howard” who is shown as a wrongdoer. Cascadia provided services to Chasse, AND ran the crisis response team that pairs up with the police AND trained the police AND associate-produced the film that Renaud and Hardesty use to in their “fighting the cops” and “blow up the System” presentations. AND Cascadia kept scoring awards and lucrative contracts, with the help of Renaud. I was an employee of Cascadia for twelve years. For a number of these years, I was subjected to threats to be silent. Before Cascadia fired me, they hired a lawyer who held a death reference in front of me. STILL NOT INTERESTED?
My comment 6:
Hi Beth. Would WW be interested in a personal story? What it means to be an immigrant from Poland AND be threatened into silence AND be put in the “killer cop” movie that is a part of Renaud/Cascadia/Hardesty version of reality and their tool to “galvanize the community into action.” Since Cascadia fired me, I’ve been intimidated directly, by individuals hanging around my house, approaching me and saying stuff along the lines that I’m “finished” or becoming assaultive towards me. I’ve been under cyberharassment featuring graphic violence with my name on it. “X” signs and other stuff was put in my yard. On the anniversary of James Chasse’s death, Renaud emailed me, saying that Cascadia would offer me settlement money. Later that day, there was a Chasse “night of rage” demonstration. Afterwards, somebody put a swastika sign in my yard and the cyberharassment depicted graphic violence. This is what “direct action” looks in real life, inflicted on a human being. Is WW interested?
No reaction from WW. There’s a comment posted under the same article by a user Consult_Hardesty. The forum doesn’t give links to other comments of this user and it’s impossible to figure out if this is a comment by Jo Ann Hardesty or David Roger Hardesty, a partner in their consulting firm. One way or another, the comment reads:
Consult_Hardesty 6 days ago
I believe testamentary evidence exists that, after killing Kendra James in 2003, involved PPB officers (and those who were to investigate and then justify the homicide) met at an Applebees. Bailey’s position is likely untenable: the January 2016 report by city consultants – the OIR group – was at least the third time they’ve recommended elimination of this feature in the PPA contract. THIS TIME, Asst US Atty Jared Hager was in chambers. Not invited by Commissioners, for his testimony during presentation of the latest report, the Federal lawyer elbowed to the microphone to assert it’s an indefensible provision, and that the Feds expect it to be removed. Nick Fish responded that he felt he was in a Woody Allen movie. Amanda Fish directed clarifying questions to police, not the consultants, and they all feigned the same confusion City Council has in the past. In the previous OIR report, Saltzman woke up, and had to be reminded that yes, this rec had been made a year prior.
My comment 7:
Hi Beth. How about WW disclosing that Jason Renaud works for “Compassion and Choices”, formerly the Hemlock Society, whose funding father is Derek Humphry, famous for his work “Final Exit”? Renaud is putting out some very strange materials to followers on the Mental Health Association blog and Twitter. Including stuff pointing towards death, the occult and ritualistic. In one of the comments here, made by a user Consult_Hardesty, it is stated that, after the death of Kendra James, some officers met at an Applebees. How about WW pointing out where Jason Renaud and his group meet? WW must be well aware of the surrounding intricacies. In Portland media, for 13 years, Renaud’s connection with “Compassion and Choices” is not properly explored. I. E. Hardesty introduces Renaud on KBOO, as somebody who’s “wearing different hats.” The public needs to know that Renaud works for an organization that follows Derek Humphry and that the “hat” invented by Humphry is made of… plastic.
No reaction from the journalist. Willamette Week is a well established weekly paper in Portland. It mostly publishes local news about entertainment and what’s trendy. But also, it publishes exposure pieces that weigh a lot on the Oregon politics. Wilmette Weeks leading journalist, Nigel Jaquiss, received a Pulitzer prize for exposing one of the former Oregon governors. Last year Jaquiss wrote about influence peddling involving Oregon First Lady Cylvia Hayes, the fiancee of governor Kitzhaber. The developments lead to an investigation and to the resignation of the governor. Jaquiss also wrote about former Portland mayor Adams’ relationship with an intern, which lead to calls for resignation and pressure on Adams.
You’d think that Wilamette Week would be interested in expiring the the role of the leader of “Compassion and Choices” in creating Portland politics on policing, crisis response, mental health, and Renaud’s role in the current mayoral election. You’d think that WW would be interested in exploring why Hardesty, who, on video talks about “blowing up the system” and promotes materials that feature a blown up police car, is leading a mayoral debate. Right? Right? Nah.
Today Wilamette Week frontpage today shows and add for what to do in Portland this weekend. And an announcement that Portland has a new restaurant: a “British Colonial Cuisine.”
Say What? “Colonial Cuisine” as in… colonial…? Meaning, as in, like, a serfdom system?
And, what does the picture “15 Things to Do and See in Portland March 18-20” recommends? Drink cider and watch… Say What? An Olympic gymnast masturbate?
And no interest in our local Derek Humphrey enthusiast leading Portland mayoral debate?
March 28, 2016, resuscitation.
On Easter Sunday the Oregonian published an article about an elderly man, Mr. Bob Oswald, who at 83 enjoyed a full life. He had a cardiac arrest, but help arrived quickly, and he gor resuscitated. He’s going to enjoy more happy days! How wonderful!
At this point I have researched a LOT about “Compassion and Choices”, the work of Jason Renaud and his double role of a coordinator of volunteers who conduct the “aid in dying,” that is, help vulnerable people obtain lethal drugs. And while doing so, Jason Renaud also leads the Mental Health Association of Portland and has a huge say in the world of Portland politics, policing, directing funding etc. Reading about Mr Oswald successful resuscitation I couldn’t help but remember some of the videos Jason and his group posted. Especially the “medical entertainment” where entertainers dressed as doctors and medical staff dance around an unconscious person on a gurney while singing and “making fun” of resuscitation.
I wrote a comment in the Oregonian and provided a link to the video of the end of life volunteering Jason Renaud is coordinating.
Let’s rejoice Mr. Oswald’s rescue.May he enjoy many more happy days.
Hi, Lynne Terry (the journalist).I’m writing such a long comment hoping that the Oregonian will eventually provide disclosure to Portlanders and clarify the status of what is called the “aid in dying in Portland.” Mr. Oswald was lucky to be treated by doctors and nurses who valued and honored his life and did the best job to save it.
But, for years, a very different type of promotion has been taking place in Portland.
For the last 13 years, Portlander have been led to believe that we should accept the leadership of one of the top leaders of Oregon “Compassion and Choices,” formerly the “Hemlock Society,” the organization that aggressively promotes “aid in dying” aka “assisted suicide” or euthanasia. Ending one’s life, or entrusting a stranger to help with the “end of life choices” is the biggest decision of one’s life. A person or an organization that deals with people’s lives should be of impeccable integrity.
Jason Renaud, currently the Assistant to the President of Oregon “Compassion and Choices” has been in a double or, seemingly, multiple role for years. Jason Renaud has been employed by “Compassion and Choices” since 2003. While promoting “aid in dying” or assisted suicide, Jason Renaud also been presented to Portlanders as a leader in the area of social justice, mental health, policing, crisis response, directing financial resources but…. without telling Portlanders that he’s in a double role of the leader of “Compassion and Choices” and that he promotes the Oregon “Death with Dignity” act aka the “right to die.”
Recently (March 10) Jason Renaud led a mayoral debate with the top mayoral candidates Ted Wheeler, Jules Bailey and Sarah Iannanroe. Portland Skanner introduced him as being of “Mental Health Association of Portland” without a disclosure that, actually, Renaud’s job is to promote “end of life innovations.”
http://www.theskanner.com/news/northwest/23618-mayoral-candidates-sound-off-on-justice
Renaud has been in this double role for 13 years.
Renaud even ran for commissioner seat in 2010 without telling Portlanders that his job is to deliver “aid in dying.” Instead, he self-introduced himself to his prospective electorate as somebody who “spent the past 17 years helping people with insurmountable problems make a plan, stick to a plan, and be successful. As a barefoot social worker on Portland’s skid road, as a program manager for persons with addiction and mental illness, as a paid and unpaid spokesperson for the welfare of persons with mental illness and addiction.”
http://www.blueoregon.com/2010/01/jason-renaud-why-im-running/
By comparison, here’s an article in the same paper/website, BlueOregon, where Renaud writes about the film he promoted, “How to Die in Oregon.” http://www.blueoregon.com/2011/05/good-part-dying/
The film depicts the process of how the “aid in dying” is executed.Renaud recruits and coordinates the volunteers who provide the lethal drugs.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN3ObOK_ccs
Under the umbrella of MHA, Renaud has been making public appearances and producing massive amounts of media. He’s been providing wide-sweeping opinions on mental health policies, policing, police union, minority issues, mental health crisis response, suicidality and where the public money should go. But, I’m yet to see any information about a professional license, education or an actual direct professional experience (besides promoting “aid in dying”).
Renaud makes and promotes movies.”How to Die in Oregon” was made while he was the Executive director of “Compassion and Choices.” Subsequently, Renaud produced the film “Alien Boy, the Life and Death of James Chasse” while he teamed up with Cascadia Behavioral Health, the agency who provided mental health services to Chasse for years.But in Renaud/Cascadia movie, Cascadia’s real role is not mentioned. Cascadia only appears in the credits. Since the “Alien Boy” premiere in 2013, Renaud has been putting a lot of effort into promoting his film and the version of reality it depicted.The film and the way Renaud presented his version resulted in an enormous increase of tension between the community and the police. Recently, Renaud participated in the production of yet another film, “Arresting Power, Resisting Police Violence in Portland.” The film and the accompanying presentations suggest to the community members to stand up and fight the “System.”
There’s vast difference between life and death.We should expect that a “social activist” and an “advocate” is somebody who stands up for the lives of the persons he claims to represent. But, while leading the Mental Health Association of Portland, Renaud campaigned AGAIST the Oregon House bill proposing safety guards on the “Death of Dignity” Act. The House bill was asking to implement mental health evaluation before people were helped with the “aid in dying” that is, lethal drugs. The safety guards were to make sure that vulnerable persons were making an informed decisions and were not driven by depression or pressure. Renaud, the “mental health advocate” campaigned AGAINST such safeguards. https://www.thelundreport.org/content/changes-death-dignity-act-stalled-lack-support
In some internet materials, Renaud presents himself as somebody who’s been giving advice to physicians on the subject of “aid in dying.”
In one article in Street Roots, Renaud shared his personal tips on dealing with mental illness. http://news.streetroots.org/2015/12/12/advocacy-and-people-mental-illness-diy-guide
The content recommended by Renaud and his group is often extremely peculiar. Some recommendations lead to Youtube punk rock songs pointing towards death and suicide. Or to “entertainment” depicting medical staff “joking” about resuscitation.
Please let Portlanders know about the different roles and the inconsistencies of Jason Renaud.
Portlanders like Mr. Oswald deserve professional dignified medical care by a staff that is focus on saving lives and not on “resuscitation jokes.” Immigrant/minority members like myself deserve to live their lives in safety and not be made into a target by a movie maker/”aid in dying” promoter. Police deserve positive and balanced advocacy, rather than pressure from an Expert on “end of life innovations.”We, Portlanders, deserve a mayoral debate on social justice that is conducted in the spirit of honest disclosure and straight-forward, positive intent.
Here’s the link to the clip from “How to Die in Oregon” where a volunteer of “Compassion and Choices” supervises elderly man, identified as Roger taking lethal drugs and dying.
April 13, 2016 Oregonian publishes an articlePortland police still struggling to track mental health crisis calls, outside monitors say
Well… t’s been more than a decade of Cascadia running the police training and their collaboration with Jason Renaud of “Compassion and choices”….
By the way, Jason Renaud commented on the article first:
Get real. If you want the PPB to adequately deal with and document encounters with mentally ill people you need to double the entire police budget. The job is almost endless and nearly impossible to resolve. You want the police to do more, yet you cut the budget and officers on the street. Makes a lot of sense.
We need to reduce the acuity of illness in the community.
That diversion – of attention and funding toward law enforcement and away from public mental health care – is intentional and national. FBI data shows both property and violent crime has been diminishing for twenty years. Yet arrests and incarceration increased during the same period, caused largely by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. Further, smart sheriffs like Chicago’s Tom Dart note when an impartial clinical history is done of those arrested, almost all have untreated addiction and mental illness.
We can’t arrest our way out of this problem. It’s the wrong tool for the job.
End of Renaud’s comment. Of course, as always, Renaud didn’t clarify that he’s been working since 2003 delivering “aid in dying.” Renaud also didn’t clarify who is the royal “we” he uses – “WE, the SYSTEM”. Renaud’s been working together with Cascadia and with police and with the very powerful members of the “System” for years.
My comments #1:
Portland needs to deal with and heal from the wounding we have been subjected to for years. Those of us, who, like myself, devoted their lives and careers to saving people’s lives have been mistreated, misrepresented, or straightforward abused. I worked as a crisis response clinician for Project Respond Cascadia, the team that pairs up with Portland police to respond to crisis calls.Over my twelve years of work, we helped many people.I went on about five thousand of crisis calls. During these calls, nobody ever got injured.Nobody got hurt.I saw the police handcuffing people and sometimes tackling, but always expertly. Over the twelve years of my work, the police used the tazer twice.I saw ten times more police/citizen hugs. Mostly, we did the good, old school talking.
And there came in Jason Renaud with his “social activism” and his movie making and his pressure on Portland politics. Renaud made the film “Alien Boy” about the Portland 1980’s punk rock scene and about James Chasse, his high school mate who was getting beat up a lot in high school and who subsequently died after being injured by police in 2006. Renaud has taken his film to festivals and used it to tell Portlanders, including the kids, that they need to “fight the cops” and the “System.” While doing so, Renaud has presented himself to Portlanders an expert on policing, mental health, suicide, money and city politics.
Portlanders need to know that Jason Renaud, actually, works for Compassion and Choices, formerly the Hemlock Society, an organization that promotes assisted suicide. I’ve been watching Renaud’s activities, because I’m his victim. Jason Renaud used my name in his film “Alien Boy” without my permission and without approaching me for a reality check for seven years it took him to make the movie “Alien Boy.”Renaud created a fictionalized “Ela Howard” scene and put it under the tab “Deaths call for accountability.”In reality, I saw James Chasse one time, only for one minute, two days before his death.I was a part of a team of three Cascadia BHC clinicians, one of them being Chasse’s long term Cascadia Case manager. Cascadia was paid for delivering mental health services to Chasse, but this is not mentioned in Renaud’s movie. Out of the three,Renaud picked me, and only me, an immigrant from Poland, and used my name in his movie. By doing so, Renaud made me into a target of targeting and harassment, including intimidation in my private life. It should be and easy guess what kind of “social activism” involves targeting an immigrant from Poland.
“Compassion and Choices,” where Renaud works as a leader, uses quite unorthodox methods.Here, for example, is an article on NBC news about four individuals who called themselves “exit guides” and who were arrested in Georgia for assisting people with suicide, or, delivering what the organization calls “aid in dying.” http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29411514/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/assisted-suicide-group-members-are-arrested/
The same act is referred to by the authorities in Georgia as a crime. The “exit guides” were arrested. The President of the Oregon Compassion and Choices” is quoted in the NBC article as speaking in the defense. Jason Renaud is the assistant to the President.
“Compassion and Choices” also defended Barbara Mancini, a woman from Pennsylvania who gave her father a bottle with morphine to end his life.Mancini was persecuted in Pennsylvania. But Oregon “Compassion and Choices” helped her out her trouble and made into a public speaker and a hero.
About a month ago, mid-March, Oregon “Compassion and Choices” took down their website and their extensive blog. All these articles about the “aid in dying cause” are now not available. To my great regret. I wasn’t quite done reading.
Many of Renaud’s various activities are extremely concerning; his movie making, his political activities, him running the “Mental Health Association of Portland,” the toxic message he puts out to the vulnerable audience, (here’s an example http://news.streetroots.org/2015/12/12/advocacy-and-people-mental-illness-diy-guide) him giving opinions and advice about mental health services, crisis response etc….
But this one is the most relevant to the police work and to the lives of many people. For years, Renaud has been putting pressure at Portland Police. But… what TYPE of policing is Renaud pushing for as the leader of the organization that defends self-appointed “exit guides” and makes Barbara Mancini into a hero? A world where “exit guides” are defended instead of being questioned?
In a 2016 Street Roots article http://news.streetroots.org/2016/01/07/police-accountability-starts-new-police-union-contract where Renaud presents his “expert” input on the police contract.Renaud proudly announces how successful he’s been in putting pressure on Portland politics – since the death of James Chasse no mayor has tried to run for a second term. Indeed.
Perhaps somebody should remind Renaud that we live in a democratic country and ask him and his power group to refrain from running Portland politics from behind the scenes.
My comment # 2
For twelve years, we, that is, myself and other Project Respond clinicians and Portland Police officers delivered help to people in mental health crisis.We knocked at the doors not knowing who will answer the door; a person who is willing to talk to us, or somebody holding a weapon.We went to these doors and these residences because we were there to bring help. This was our job, our duty and our service. Saving lives.
At the same time, Jason Renaud, the Portland filmmaker and an “Expert” on mental health, crisis response and policing was working for “Compassion and Choices,” promoting “aid in dying.”Here’s a link for a pdf file with from the case Carter v. Canada https://bccla.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Carter-v-Canada-AG-2012-BCSC-886.pdfthat mentions Jason Renaud’s court testimony about his activities providing advice to a large number of persons and their physicians on the subject of “aid in dying.”
Apparently, Renaud’s expertise allows him to advise physicians. Renaud’s profile on Linked-in lists a BA in philosophy and two years studies at PSU with no degree from PSU and no mention of a professional license. With this background, Renaud not only advises physicians, puts pressure on Potland politics but also runs the Mental Health Association of Portland that collects tax-deductible donations, distributes information to the vulnerable mental health community and offers consultations charging $250 and hour with $3000 retainer. http://www.mentalhealthportland.org/about-2/
While being busy promoting “aid in dying” and running MHA without a disclosure about the actual nature of his work, Renaud finds time to criticize us, professional clinicians and police officers delivering direct service that saves people’s lives.
Renaud also finds time to make and promote films. Renaud’s “Alien Boy” premiered in 2013.Before that, in 2011 there was film “How to Die in Oregon.” https://www.ovguide.com/how-to-die-in-oregon-9202a8c04000641f800000001c4a750dThe film features the work of Oregon “Compassion and Choices” and of the volunteers Renaud recruits and coordinates – the ones who deliver “aid in dying.” The act of death is caught on film. The film features Derek Humphry, the funding father of the “Hemlock Society,” the organization that evolved into “Compassion and Choices.””How to Die in Oregon,” includes an explicit presentation in which Derek Humphry demonstrates how to commit suicide. Renaud promoted “How to Die in Oregon”. Oregon “Compassion and Choices” local website and blog disappeared in March and less info is available about that campaign. But, here’s an article http://www.blueoregon.com/2011/05/good-part-dying/ where Renaud, in his own words promotes what he calls a “good death” and “How to Die in Oregon.”
Renaud contributed to the newest Portland film production – “Arresting Power” released in 2015.In the film trailer where Renaud narrates in explicit details of the death of James Chasse. https://vimeo.com/112031200(minute 1.24) Reporting on demise of people seems to be Renaud’s strong area of interest.Constructive solutions aren’t.
“Arresting Power” is about racial inequality and resisting police violence in Portland, Oregon. Based on the trailer and the accompanying media, it’s a piece that encourages the community to “get up stand up and fight”against the police and the “System.” (an example from “Arresting Power” facebook – a picture of blown up police car and a call to “de-legitimize, demoralize, discredit, and disempower the police” https://www.facebook.com/arrestingpower/posts/709924142415535 )But…. who made the film?Please check out who are the three filmmakers. What might be their personal experience with diversity and their goals?What is the main focus of the film? Is it show-and-shock that focuses mainly on deaths? Or, does the film mention any of the constructive solutions, like the culturally-diverse sub-team of clinicians who joined Project Respond Cascadia after the death of a Jose Santos Mejia Poot. The team was created in 2002 to address racial/ethnic inequality and consisted of professional, diverse clinicians to pair up with Portland police on crisis calls.The Mejia Poot Team was gradually phased out of Cascadia. Did “Arresting Power” filmmakers explore the story of the Mejia Poot Team?
The focus of Jason Renaud’s work seems to have been narrowly focused for decades. On Youtube, as of today, https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jason+renaud+portland there are entries under “Jason Renaud Portland” showing videos from the series “Visible Culture.” Renaud was the host of programs aired on public TV in the 1980’s. Doom and death repeat as the theme. In one of the videos, Renaud introduces an art collective that called “Defenestration.”Another video, with an attribution to Jason Renaud as the editor shows people wearing odd covering over their heads (bags?) and burning objects.
All this it’s just a tip of an iceberg.There’s also the “Final Exit” organization and ERGO http://finalexit.org/ (Euthanasia Research and Guidance Organization) located in Junction City, 24829 Norris Lane • Junction City, OR • 97448-9559 USA, very close to the new psychiatric hospital in Junction City.The website, the ERGO organization, the associated store (that sells how to commit suicide books and videos), the message boards and the suicide blogs are attributed to Derek Humphry.Derek Humphry was born in 1930.For an 86 years old, he must be very busy and very internet savvy.Or, is he getting a lot of help?Here’s Jason Renaud’s contribution to Derek Humphry’s “right to die” message board http://lists.opn.org/pipermail/right-to-die_lists.opn.org/2011-March/004312.html This post by Renaud is about Oregon House bill 2016. The bill proposed putting safeguards on the delivery of “aid in dying”/ assisted suicide.https://www.thelundreport.org/content/changes-death-dignity-act-stalled-lack-support The bill proposed that mental health evaluations and counseling would be required first, before delivering “aid in dying.”Renaud campaigned AGAINST the bill and against mental health safeguards on “aid in dying.”
And here’s Renanud’s newest film project: According to the book Beyond The Music: How Punks are Saving the World, (seriously) http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Music-Saving-Ethics-Skills/dp/1621064727/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 Renaud is working on the film about the Oregon State Hospital. The question should be if the State Hospital is allowing Renaud access to inside the hospital.
There’s also a number of blogs, message boards and facebook pages published anonymously, featuring repetitive style and content -Just a couple of examples: http://targetingcops.blogspot.com/search?q=james+chasse
https://www.facebook.com/OregonCopBlockers/?fref=nf
All these years, as these disturbing media has been produced, us, the professional crisis responders, the Mejia Poot Team, well-meaning police officers who responded to crisis and saved lives have been misrepresented, mistreated and silenced.I started a blog https://aliengirlblue.wordpress.com/2016/03/23/reality-check/that is meant to be a collection of articles and materials presenting the real story of the crisis response in Portland for the last 16 years.It takes a lot of work and I’m doing it completely alone.But I believe it’s worth it. Oregon and Portland needs to heal and recover.Human life, crisis response, diversity work and policing should be handled by well-meaning professionals and activists who value life and treat each human life with dignity.
my comment #2
Hi Carli Brosseau (the Oregonian journalist).Please let the public know, at last, about Jason Renaud’s actvities.Renaud’s version of the story, his “Alien Boy,” James Chasse and Renaud’s views on policing have been in Portland press for years.The Oregonian has over a hindered entries mentioning Renaud.So far I haven’t found a single article clarifying that Renaud does his social activism while professionally promoting “aid in dying” and “end of life innovations” and coordinating volunteers who deliver “aid in dying”.There are are few articles in the Oregonian that mention Renaud in the context of his work:Janet Adkins, Jack Kevorkian and the end of an era. http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/06/janet_adkins_jack_kevorkian_an.htmlDoctor who campaigned for Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act uses law to end his life
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/03/doctor_who_campaigned_for_oreg.htmlTigard-area branch of American Association of University Women Nov. 9 program
http://blog.oregonlive.com/mytigard/2010/11/tigard_area_branch_aauw_november_9_2010_program.html
Here’s an article about the fence on the Vista bridge that was built to prevent people from committing suicide. http://koin.com/2013/07/25/vista-bridge-suicide-barrier-personal-complex/ Renaud is quoted saying that the fence was a “waste of money.”Renaud didn’t clarify what perspective he’s coming from as a professional promoter of “end of life innovations.”
Here Renaud is presented as an”Expert on how to respond to suicide calls” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_YLJB1nkZswithout the public being informed that, actually,his expertise is to promote assisted suicide and to recruit and coordinate workers who deliver “aid in dying” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN3ObOK_ccsas depicted in the film “How to Die in Oregon.”
Formore than a decade this misrepresentation has hurt Portland community deeply and it continues to hurt us.Those like myself, crisis workers who delivered directs service saving lives with the police have been criticized, judged and misrepresented and harassed.I continue to be subjected to severe harassment. Meanwhile, Renaud continues his lobbying activities, presents his version of the story, direction of public money, collects tax-deductible donations and presents himself as a “leader.”Portland needs to know what kind of leader he is.
Video 1: Jason Renaud: the “Expert on Suicide calls”
Video 2 Jason Renaud, as the Executive Director of Compassion and Choices and now the Assistant to the president – recruits and coordinates workers who provide aid in dying
No reaction and no response from the Oregonian Journalist.
May 10, 2016, the Oregonian posts and article,Portland honors 29 police officers killed on duty since 1867.
Let’s pay tribute to those who gave their lives to serve others.There’s a beautiful tribute on youtube set to the song “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.” Every time an officer or the crisis response team knocks at the door, they don’t know what is going to happen, if the person who answers the door will hold a weapon, or will be calm and friendly. Each time, it’s like knocking on Heaven’s door.
I’ve been trying to bring it to the attention of the Oregonian and Portland public for a while already, so far without any response or reaction, how horrendously the police, the community and the crisis response system has been abused, lied to and misled for more than a decade. Portland’s vocal critic of police and of crisis response system is Jason Renaud, who is presented to the public as a “mental health advocate” and an “expert” on policing, crisis response, mental health system and on public funding… without disclosing that his actual job is working as a leader of an organization that promotes “Death with Dignity,” and administers assisted suicide. Renaud made the enormously misleading film “Alien Boy, the Life and Death of James Chasse,” conducted public events, exuded political pressure and even ran for a commissioner seat (police commissioner) (“why I’m running”, http://www.blueoregon.com/2010/01/jason-renaud-why-im-running/) without telling the public about his quite unusual “day job”. It is horrific that the police officers and crisis responders who have risked their lives to save lives of others have been subjected to criticism, “leadership” and “expertise” delivered for years by a man who’s been working in the assisted suicide business for more than a decade and had “collectivelyadvised 1700 persons on aid in dying issues” without properly disclosing the nature of his preoccupation and his work to the public. (the number 1700 is based on Renaud’s testimony in the case Carter v Canada http://www.kcl.ac.uk/innovation/REF/UoA20/Lewis/2012BCSC886Carterv.pdf The document doesn’t specify how many assisted suicides Renaud administered directly).
It will take years, if not decades to undo the damage to the community/police relations that has been done by Renaud in his backers.
Let’s start now.
Honor those who knock on heaven’s door for a living.
May 15, 2016. The Oregonian posts an article about NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)
Thousands gather in Portland to support mental illness nonprofit NAMI My comment:
Let’s hope that NAMI will use the donations to the benefit of the population they serve. Let’s NAMI employees and leadership have clear priorities focusing on life and well-being.
This video ” Sharing Strength – NAMI of Multnomah County”
Jason Renaud who is presented as a mental health advocate. Renaud’s professional profile on Linked-in says that he served as NAMI’s Executive Director for Multnomah County chapter, and interim director of Oregon and Washington affiliates for six years, 1996 – 2002. And then he briefly worked for Cascadia BHC. In 2003, he started working for “Compassion and Choices,” formerly the “Hemlock Society,” the organization that administers assisted suicide and promotes “Death with Dignity.” Life and death are, obviously, reverse priorities, but, without a disclosure, Renaud has continued to present himself to the public as a mental health advocate. Part of his work Renaud is silent about when he presents himself to the public is that he’s been campaigning against legislative safeguards on “Death with Dignity,” a House bill that proposed protection of vulnerable individuals with mental health issues. https://www.thelundreport.org/content/changes-death-dignity-act-stalled-lack-supportQuote from the article, quoting Renaud: “This is in their portfolio of legal rights, and they’re not willing to go back to past times and let people dictate what you can and can’t do,”
The “portfolio of legal rights,” according to Renaud, is being administered assisted suicide without a prior mental health assessment/counseling.
Letting “people dictate what you can and can’t do” is crating a ballot measure and letting people vote.Because of Renaud’s campaign, American people didn’t get to exercise their Constitutional rights to vote on their right to live.
Here’s another article Renaud posted on a message board run by euthanasia promoter Derek Humphry. http://lists.opn.org/pipermail/right-to-die_lists.opn.org/2011-March/004312.html Renaud writes that a safeguards against “Death with Dignity”, that is, mental health counseling are “designed to burden patients and physicians with needless procedures and bureaucratic paperwork. It would force patients dying in rural areas to travel great distances and undergo redundant and needless mental evaluations.” This “action alert” against the safeguards on “Death with Dignity” is addressed to a message board filled with support for assisted suicide and for what seems like potential homicide – using a poisonous gas, helium, that is undetectable during autopsy to end lives of humans. To summarize: Renaud, the Portland “mental health advocate” works hard for the cause to giving people “aid in dying” without a prior counseling, support and protection against criminal abuse and/or coercion and/or a crime. Meanwhile, Renaud runs the “Mental Health Association of Oregon,” without making a peep about his death-focused work.Here’s a video that should raise extreme concerns. In this video, aired on public TV, volunteers with the Mental Health Association talk about their work with Renaud as a leader and about Cascadia closing drop-in centers for the mentally ill and passing running the support to Renaud.
(4 minutes into the program). Over the course of the 45 minutes program it becomes obvious that the volunteers of the Mental Health Association have not been told that their leader, Jason Renaud, works providing “aid in dying,” promoting assisted suicide and campaigning against safeguards.
Renaud calls his “Mental Health Association” a “political organization.” His work for years has been agitating the community to fight the police and the “System.” This sounds like a aid-in-dying project on a very large scale. Exploiting vulnerable individuals for political projects, especially a “revolution” that puts their lives at risk should extreme concerns, especially when is done by an individual who’s main line of work is death. But Renaud’s been doing his work for years and is only gaining power.
Renaud produced the highly misleading film “Alien Boy, the Life and Death of James Chasse,” that uses fabricated documentation, distorts facts and is made to build tension between the community and police. The film is produced in collaboration with Cascadia BHC, without disclosing that Cascadia was paid for providing services to Chasse for years, including the day of his death and was/is being paid for training the police. The Renaud/Cascadia film doesn’t disclose that Cascadia closed the drop-in centers for the mentally ill, depriving their clients, Chasse included, from support. And it doesn’t disclose that Cascadia passed running these drop-in centers to Renaud. And it doesn’t disclose Renaud’s extensive involvement in providing “aid in dying” and doesn’t explore how his death-oriented ideas are a part of him encouraging people to fight the police.
We need leadership that focuses on life and well being. And we need transparency.
Dear Tony Hernandez (the Oregonian journalist), please inform the public.
portlandsecret 
In their recent KBOO radio media piece, Portland’s proclaimed activists, Jason Renaud and Jo Ann Hardesty discussed deaths – the death of Christopher Kalonji and the death of LaVoy Finnicum.
Renaud: “I do think that this case is an accurate representation of suicide by cop.”
Hardesty: “Say it again.”
Renaud: “This man said, I’m never gonna go to jail. They’re gonna have to kill me, and then, when presented with police force, ran out at them, and proceeded to pull a gun. He was trying to get himself killed by the police to prove the point, to become a martyr.”
Hardesty: “Yeah…”
The “get up, stand up, and fight” the “System” message that has been produced in Portland for years. The question is -did these ideas influence Christopher Kalonji BEFORE he proceeded to pull a gun/rifle and engage in a stand-off? Did he see any of the films “Alien Boy, the Life and Death of James Chasse,” “How to Die in Oregon,” “Arresting Power, Resisting Police Violence in Portland, Oregon”? Did he listen to the “get up, stand up” radio programs? Did he go to “Arresting Power” events and parties? Did he see the websites? Had he been exposed to the idea that a man man getting himself shot on purpose is refereed to by the “get up, stand up” activists as a “martyr”? Did these ideas, materials reach and influence Christopher, a Portland teenager, when he was still alive?
Portland needs leaders and activists who will teach the kids to be constructive and to build their future by learning, growing and living.