TO
TO HONOR
TO HONOR ANOTHER OREGON LAWMAKER FOR A CAUSE HE IS
PASSIONATE ABOUT.
PASSIONATE ABOUT. TODAY WE GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK
WITH THE SENATOR ABOUT HIS
DEDICATION TO MENTAL HEALTH,
THE STATE OF POLITICS TODAY AND
HIS LIFE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
FROM KGW NEWS THIS IS STRAIGHT
TALK WITH LAURA PORTER.
>> HELLO AND WELCOME TO
STRAIGHT TALK I'M LAURA PORTER
. WARMER SENATOR GORDON SMITH
REPRESENTED OREGON 426 YEAR
TERMS IN THE SENATE BEFORE HE
LOST IN A DEMOCRATIC WAVE IN
2008.
2008.
2008. DURING HIS TIME IN THE SENATE
HE AND SENATOR FORMED A STRONG
RELATIONSHIP EVEN HOLDING JOINT
TOWN HALLS ACROSS THE STATE.
AND MYSTIFIED MANY IN POLITICS
IN THE NEW YORK TIMES REFERRED
TO THEM AS A POLITICAL ODD
COUPLE.
COUPLE.
COUPLE. SENATOR SMITH ALSO BECAME A
CHAMPION FOR MENTAL HEALTH
AWARENESS AND SUICIDE
PREVENTION AFTER HIS SON DIED
BY SUICIDE IN 2003.
A YEAR AFTER GARRETT STEPPED
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH SIGNED
THE GARRETT LEE SMITH MEMORIAL
ACT AUTHORIZING MILLIONS TO
HELP PREVENT SUICIDE.
IT IS A COMMITMENT SMITH AND
HIS WIFE SHARON REMAINED
DEDICATED TO AND PASSIONATE
ABOUT.
ABOUT.
ABOUT. SMITH IS CURRENTLY THE CEO OF
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
BROADCASTERS A POSITION HE HAS
HELD FOR A DECADE.
WHILE THE SMITH HAVE A HOME IN
MARYLAND THEY STILL HAVE A HOME
IN PENDLETON OREGON WHERE THEIR
CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN LIVE
AND THEY STILL OWN A BUSINESS
THERE SMITH FROZEN FOODS.
WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE AS OUR
GUEST FORMER REPUBLICAN SENATOR
GORDON SMITH.
GORDON SMITH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THE PLEASURE IS MINE.
>> THANK YOU.
I KNOW YOU ARE IN TOWN THIS
WEEK FOR A SPECIAL AWARDS
PRESENTATION FOR CONGRESSMAN
BLUMENAUER WHO IS BEING HONORED
AS LEGAL CITIZEN OF THE YEAR BY
THE CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT, AN
AWARD YOU AND SENATOR WYDEN WON
IN 2004.
IN 2004.
IN 2004. TELL ME THE SIGNIFICANCE ABOUT
THE AWARD.
THE AWARD. >> IT IS SUCH A GREAT
ORGANIZATION.
ORGANIZATION. IT IS GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO
DEDICATE THEIR LIVES TO PUBLIC
SERVICE AND TRY TO MAKE THE
WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
EARL CERTAINLY QUALIFIES IN
THAT REGARD.
THAT REGARD. I SERVED WITH EARL FOR 12 YEARS
BACK THERE AND SEARCHING MY
MIND I CAN'T EVER THINK OF AN
UNPLEASANT WORD OR UNCIVIL
BEING EITHER OF US HAVE DONE TO
EACH OTHER.
EACH OTHER. WE WERE FRIENDS.
WE WERE DIFFERENT PARTIES BUT
WE ALWAYS SEEMED TO FIND A
COMMON GROUND AND COMMON SENSE.
HE IS A FRIEND AND A GREAT
PUBLIC SERVANT IN OREGON.
>> I'M SURE HE IS GLAD YOU WILL
BE THERE.
BE THERE.
BE THERE. YOU HAVE BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AFTER
YOUR SON DIED BY SUICIDE IN
2003.
2003.
2003. KGW
2003. KGW HAS BEEN PART OF THE
STATEWIDE EFFORT CALLED
BREAKING THE SILENCE WITH
DOZENS OF MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS
TRYING TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT
SUICIDE PREVENTION.
SUICIDE PREVENTION. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT
PROJECT?
PROJECT?
PROJECT? >> I HAVE NOT ENOUGH WORDS OF
PRAISE FOR IT.
IT MIRRORS SOMETHING WE HAVE
DONE AT THE NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION THAT IT IS OKAY TO
TALK BECAUSE WE NEED TO TALK.
WHETHER IT IS GUN VIOLENCE,
SUICIDE OR ALL OF THE THINGS
THAT SEEM TO BE SPIKING IN OUR
CIVILIZATION THIS DAY AND TIME
WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO
MENTAL HEALTH AND PREVENTING
SUICIDE IS THE WORK OF ANGELS
IS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
I COMMEND THE MEDIA HERE IN
OREGON.
OREGON.
OREGON. I
OREGON. I AM VERY PROUD OF THIS PROJECT
THEY HAVE DONE.
I HOPE WE CAN MODEL IT MORE
NATIONALLY.
NATIONALLY. >> DO YOU SEE THIS BECOMING A
NATIONWIDE PROJECT ACROSS THE
COUNTRY?
COUNTRY?
COUNTRY? >> I DO AND I THINK IT IS
SOMETHING WE CAN'T GIVE UP ON.
WE HAD OUR BIG ROLLOUT AFTER
THE SANDY HOOK TRAGEDY AND THE
VICE PRESIDENT ASKED WHAT CAN
BROADCASTERS DO AND I SAID WE
CAN RUN A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AND
WE DID AND TENS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS OF EXPENSE THAT WE
COMMITTED TO THAT GENERATED A
TREMENDOUS RESPONSE ON THE
INTERNET AND GOT A LOT OF
PEOPLE HELP.
PEOPLE HELP. WHO KNOWS HOW MANY TRAGEDIES
WERE PREVENTED BECAUSE OF THAT
OR MASS SHOOTINGS THESE KINDS
OF THINGS.
OF THINGS. WE DON'T HAVE A STAKE IN MENTAL
HEALTH AND I SUPPOSE HAVING
GONE TO WASHINGTON KNOWING
LITTLE MORE THAN WHAT I LEARNED
IN MY PSYCH 111 CLASS AT BYU, I
CAME BACK WITH A LEGACY AND
THIS IS THE BIGGEST PART AND
THE PART I AM MOST PROUD OF.
THE JOB ISN'T DONE BECAUSE
SUICIDE RATES CONTINUE TO GO
UP.
UP.
UP. >>
UP. >> I
UP. >> I WANT TO TALK MORE ABOUT
YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND
YOU WILL SEE WE DO HAVE THE
PHONE NUMBER UP ON THE SCREEN
KYTE IS A 24 HOUR LIFELINE IF
YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW YOU CAN
CALL THAT NUMBER ANY TIME.
LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTANDABLY
IT WAS DEVASTATING FOR YOU AND
AT ONE POINT YOU DID THINK
ABOUT RESIGNING.
ABOUT RESIGNING. WHAT KEPT YOU GOING?
>> JUST A LOT OF ENCOURAGEMENT
OF LOVED ONES , FRIENDS, FAMILY
AND CERTAINLY MY STAFF.
THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL,
COMPASSIONATE AND GAVE ME SPACE
FOR GRIEVING.
FOR GRIEVING. ULTIMATELY I FOUND THAT I COULD
RECUPERATE AS A SURVIVOR OF THE
SUICIDE OF MY SON BY DOING
SOMETHING ABOUT IT RATHER THAN
JUST GOING HOME AND FEELING
SORRY FOR MYSELF.
WE PASSED LEGISLATION THAT MY
COLLEAGUES NAMED AFTER MY SON
AND THAT LED TO A BREAKING IN
TERMS OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION ON
INSURANCE PARITY AT THE VA --
>> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT
GEORGE BUSH SIGNED?
>> YES AND THAT LED TO MORE
MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION
PASSING WHICH HAD NOT HAPPENED
IN A LONG TIME PRECEDING THAT
HERE I ONCE SAID THAT PRESIDENT
OBAMA AND THE WHITE HOUSE
COUNSEL ON MENTAL HEALTH , I
SAID, WE WERE COLLEAGUES AND WE
SERVED TOGETHER AND I SAID WHAT
ARE THE FLAWS OF OBAMACARE?
THERE ARE FLAWS IN IT.
I WILL LAY ON THE TRACKS WITH
YOU TO DEFEND THE FEATURE THAT
YOU PUT IN THERE MAKING MENTAL
HEALTH AN EQUAL PHYSICAL HEALTH
BECAUSE IT IS.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE MENTAL HEALTH
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU HAVE
PHYSICAL HEALTH..
PHYSICAL HEALTH.. >> YOU WROTE A BOOK AFTER YOUR
SON STEPH REMEMBERING GARRETT
ONE FAMILIES BATTLE WITH A
CHILD'S DEPRESSION AND IT IT
YOU TALK ABOUT WARNING SIGNS
AND THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND
STIGMA STILL SURROUNDING MENTAL
ILLNESS AND OUR FORMER REPORTER
MET WITH YOU AND DID AN
INTERVIEW WITH YOU AND THE
WONDERFUL STORY IN 2006.
I WANT TO PLAY A CLIP OF THAT
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. >>
NOW. >> TO SAY TO A CHILD LIKE
GARRETT A NUMBER OF TIMES COME
ON GARRETT GET TO WORK SNAP OUT
OF IT.
OF IT.
OF IT. THAT IS LIKE SAYING TO SOMEONE
YOU HAVE DIABETES MAKE SOME
INSULIN.
INSULIN.
INSULIN. >> IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANT
TO SAY TO PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE
WATCHING AND FAMILIES THAT
MIGHT BE STRUGGLING?
>> I WOULD TELL THEM IN OUR DAY
TODAY THE POST BACK THEN SO
MANY YEARS AGO MENTAL HEALTH IS
NOW MORE ACCESSIBLE AND
AFFORDABLE AND IF YOU HAVE A
FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER WHO IS
DOING OR MANIFESTING BEHAVIORS
THAT ARE WARNING SIGNS THE BEST
WAY YOU CAN BE A FRIEND IS TO
TALK ABOUT IT AND GO GET THEM
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. YOU'RE NOT MAKING A FRIEND BY
KEEPING THE CONFIDENCE OF
SOMEONE ON THE VERGE OF
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE. HOPE IS AVAILABLE AND IT IS
ACCESSIBLE AND I BELIEVE MORE
AFFORDABLE THAN EVER BEFORE.
WE ALL HAVE A STAKE IN IT AND
THE WORST THING THAT A PERSON
WILL END UP REGRETTING IS THAT
THEY DIDN'T DO SOMETHING.
SPEAK UP AND DON'T BE SILENT.
>> I HAVE ANOTHER CLIP FROM
THAT INTERVIEW WITH YOU WHEN
YOU READ THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF
THE PROLOGUE TO THE BOOK IT WAS
VERY POWERFUL.
VERY POWERFUL. LET'S LISTEN.
LET'S LISTEN. >> WRITING THIS BOOK AND
BECOMING A SOLDIER IN THE
BATTLE OF SUICIDE ON VIOLATING
THE LAST THING THAT GARRETT
ASKED OF ME.
HE WROTE IN HIS NOTE PUT ME IN
THE GROUND AND FORGET ABOUT ME.
FORGIVE ME SON BUT I CANNOT
FORGET ABOUT YOU.
THIS IS OUR STORY.
>> AFTER 16 1/2 YEARS THE DOES
THE PAIN EVER GET LESS SEVERE?
>> AND NEVER FULLY GOES AWAY
AND I DON'T THINK IT EVER WILL
BECAUSE WE LOVE SOMEONE THE WAY
I LOVE THAT BOY YOU FEEL IT AND
YOU HAVE REMORSE BUT I CAN SAY
TIME DOES HELP.
WHEN I THINK OF GARRETT THESE
DAYS CHOOSING TO SMILE, HE WAS
A WONDERFUL BOY.
HANDSOME, THOUGHTFUL AND
COMPASSIONATE.
COMPASSIONATE. SOMEHOW MENTAL ILLNESS DIDN'T
ALLOW HIM TO LOVE HIMSELF OR
VALUE HIMSELF THE WAY OTHERS
DID.
DID.
DID. IT
DID. IT IS NOT RATIONAL, IT IS NOT
REASONABLE BUT IT IS REAL TO
THEM THAT THEY HAVE THIS BLACK
DOG AS CHURCHILL CALLED IT OR
MELANCHOLY AS LINCOLN CALLED IT
OVER TODAY MAYBE POSTTRAUMATIC
STRESS SYNDROME OR SOMETHING.
THERE IS ALL KINDS OF NAMES FOR
IT BUT IT IS POTENTIALLY BOTH
VERY LETHAL DISEASE BUT IT IS
ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE
ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE >> YOU HAVE CONTINUED TO BE A
SOLDIER IN THAT BATTLE AS YOU
MENTIONED IN THAT PIECE.
MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO YOU WERE
HONORED AND SHARED THE FIRST
EVER NEW FREEDOM AWARD FOR YOUR
ADVOCACY.
ADVOCACY.
ADVOCACY. EVERY YEAR SINCE YOU HAVE
PRESENTED AN AWARD TO AN
INDIVIDUAL OR INDIVIDUALS FOR
THEIR LEADERSHIP ON MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES.
HEALTH ISSUES. THIS FALL YOU WILL PRESENT THAT
AWARD TO SOMEONE I THINK THIS
IS THE FIRST TIME TO SOMEONE
OREGONIANS WILL BE FAMILIAR
WITH.
WITH.
WITH. >>
WITH. >> IT WILL BE RON WHITE.
HE AND I WERE SOLDIERS IN THIS
FIGHT AND RON EVEN HAD A
BROTHER THAT SUFFERED FROM
SCHIZOPHRENIA.
SCHIZOPHRENIA. RUN WAS MY PARTNER NOT JUST IN
THE SENATE FOR OREGON WHERE WE
GOT A LOT OF STUFF DONE ACROSS
THE AISLE BUT I THINK WE LEFT
OREGON BETTER.
OREGON BETTER. HE WAS THERE FOR ME WHEN I LOST
MY SON SO I AM REALLY PLEASED
HE WILL BE GETTING THAT AWARD.
>> IT WILL BE AN HONOR HAVING
YOU BOTH THERE.
AFTER THE SENATE YOU ARE NOW
THE CEO OF THE NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS
SINCE 2009 AND YOU OPEN THE NAB
CONVENTION EVERY YEAR WITH A
KEYNOTE SPEECH.
KEYNOTE SPEECH. THIS YEAR DURING YOUR SPEECH
YOU SAID LOCAL BROADCASTERS ARE
MORE RELEVANT, MORE VITAL AND
MORE TRUSTED THAN EVER, WHY DO
YOU THINK THAT IS?
>> BECAUSE SURVEY AFTER SURVEY
SHOWS IN THIS ERA OF FAKE NEWS
CHARGES THAT THE MOST TRUSTED
SOURCE OF NEWS IS LOCAL NEWS,
LOCAL BROADCASTERS.
LOCAL BROADCASTERS. I WILL QUOTE SENATE MINORITY
LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER, WITH WHOM
I DIDN'T AGREE A LOT BUT HE
RECENTLY SPOKE TO THE
BROADCASTERS AT MY INVITATION
AND HE SAID IN THIS AGE OF
SOCIAL MEDIA AND PARTISAN SHOWS
ON CABLE HE SAID THE ONE PLACE
I KNOW I CAN GO THE ONE I AM
MOST CONCERNED TO PRESERVE IS
LOCAL BROADCASTING.
LOCAL BROADCASTING. THEY WANT THE FACTS AND THEY
WILL REPORT IT WITHOUT A SPIN,
YOU HAVE TO TRUST THE PEOPLE TO
DECIDE WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG
AS TO THEIR VIEW ON POLITICS.
I LOVE MY LIFE AFTER POLITICS
AND I AM SO PRIVILEGED TO
REPRESENT BROADCASTING RADIO
AND TELEVISION.
AND TELEVISION. WE PROVIDE SOMETHING FOR ALL
AMERICANS AND I RESPECT YOUR
ABILITY TO PAY FOR A RADIO
SUBSCRIPTION OR A CABLE
SUBSCRIPTION.
SUBSCRIPTION. WE ARE THERE FOR EVERYBODY AND
WE COME WITH AN FCC LICENSE
THAT REQUIRES US TO BE
CYNICALLY INVOLVED TO PROVOKE
LOCALISM THAT IS SORT OF AN
ELECTRONIC THREAD RUNNING
THROUGH EVERY COMMUNITY IN
AMERICA AND CERTAINLY HERE IN
OREGON THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF
HOW PEOPLE RELY ON IT EVERY
DAY, WHAT IS HAPPENED HERE IN
OUR COMMUNITY AND NATIONALLY.
WHAT IS THE WEATHER?
HOW IS THE TRAFFIC?
YOU CAN COUNT ON US WHICH IS
WHY I LOVE IT --
>> I CAN TELL YOU ARE
PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
>> I LOVE MY MANY YEARS IN
POLITICS STAYING IN FEDERAL AND
I LOVE IT BECAUSE MY MOTHER'S
MAIDEN NAME IS UDALL.
MY DAD WHEN I WAS TWO YEARS OLD
-- WHAT I LOVE ABOUT
BROADCASTERS IS THAT THEY ARE
PUBLIC SERVANTS AT THEIR HEART
AND SOUL.
AND SOUL.
AND SOUL. >> THAT IS GOOD TO HEAR.
I WANT TO CONTINUE ON THAT
THEME A LITTLE BIT.
YOU ALSO SAID WHY YOU DON'T
OFTEN AGREE WITH SENATOR
ELIZABETH WARREN BUT THERE IS
ONE THING YOU DO AGREE ON.
>> I DON'T OFTEN AGREE WITH
SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN BUT I
WAS INTRIGUED BY A RECENT
COMMENT SHE MADE ABOUT BIG TECH
COMPANIES.
COMPANIES. SHE SAID QUOTE, THEY BULLDOZED
COMPETITION, USE OUR PRIVATE
INFORMATION FOR-PROFIT AND
TILTED THE PLAYING FIELD
AGAINST ANYONE ELSE AND IN THE
PROCESS THEY HAVE HURT SMALL
BUSINESSES AND STIFLED
INNOVATION.
INNOVATION. >> YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE
FUTURE POSSIBILITY OF BROADCAST
RECEPTION AND MOBILE DEVICES
AND TECH COMPANIES LIKE APPLE
REFUSING TO ENABLE BROADCAST
CHIPS AND YOU SAID THEY
REPRESENT THE THREAT TO LOCAL
JOURNALISM HOW?
JOURNALISM HOW? >> IF I HAD MY iPHONE HERE I
CAN'T GET RADIO STREAMED BUT
THAT IS SOMETHING I WOULD HAVE
TO PAY FOR WITH A SUBSCRIPTION
FOR THE RADIO STATION PUTS IT
UP AS A LOSS.
IF IT HAD A CHIP AND I COULD
GET FREE BROADCAST CONTENT,
VIDEO FOR FREE, THAT IS A REAL
PUBLIC SERVICE BECAUSE WHEN WE
HAVE DISASTERS IN OUR MODERN
WORLD WHETHER IT IS A NATURAL
DISASTER, EARTHQUAKE HURRICANE,
VOLCANO, TORNADO, BROADCASTERS
ARE ON THE SCENE.
THEY ARE THE FIRST INFORMERS
NOT THE SECURITY PEOPLE BUT
FIRST INFORMERS OF THE PUBLIC
WHAT IS THE RISK, WHERE CAN YOU
GET RELIEF, WORK AND YOU COULD
HELP, WORK AND YOU GET
RECOVERY, THAT IS WHAT
BROADCASTERS DO.
BROADCASTERS DO. YET THEY WON'T LET BROADCASTERS
ONTO THEIR DEVICES BECAUSE THEY
WOULD RATHER BE SENDING YOU A
BILL.
BILL.
BILL. THERE IS A GREATER REASON WE
NEED TO INCLUDE SOMETHING THAT
IS FREE FOR EVERYBODY, NOT JUST
THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD IT.
AND I WOULD MAKE ONE OTHER
OBSERVATION ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA.
I SAW THIS AT THE END OF MY OWN
PUBLIC SERVICE, WHEN I HAD MY
FIRST iPHONE BLACKBERRY I THINK
AROUND 2005 2006 SOCIAL MEDIA
WAS BEGINNING TO GO CRAZY.
WE ALL USE THOSE THINGS BUT I
ALSO NOTICED THE LEVELS OF
CIVILITY OF PUBLIC LIFE BEGAN
TO COLLAPSE AND TODAY WINNERS
AND LOSERS IN POLITICS ARE NOT
IDENTIFIED ON A SUNDAY
TALKSHOW, THEY ARE IDENTIFIED
BY THE MINUTES IN THE MOST
PROFANE AND UNCIVIL KINDS OF
WAYS.
WAYS.
WAYS. ASK
WAYS. ASK YOURSELF WHY ARE POLITICS
SO UNCIVIL TODAY?
I THINK IT IS TETHERED RIGHT TO
SOCIAL MEDIA.
SOCIAL MEDIA. WHEN THE PRESIDENT SAYS IT IS
FAKE NEWS I WILL TELL YOU WHERE
GROUND ZERO FAKE NEWS IS, IT IS
ON THE INTERNET.
>> SENATOR WE NEED TO TAKE A
BREAK ON THAT I WANT TO TALK TO
YOU MORE ABOUT POLITICS AFTER
THE BREAK.
THE BREAK. WE WILL HAVE