Real Anger Management
It is the ultimate act of anger.
Not murdering another. Murdering yourself, more commonly referred to as suicide. There are many panaceas, some used by suicide-prevention hotlines. "You won't be around to regret your decision." "It's a permanent solution to a temporary situation." They don't mean much. Someone determined to take their own life will find a way.
I remember a story my father told me to discourage me from ever contemplating the taking of my own life. He told me about a man who survived a nuclear war and became convinced he was the last person on the planet. Everywhere he looked, all he saw was dead bodies. Finally, he decided he could not live out his life all alone. So he went to the top of the Empire State Building, climbed up the fence on the roof and jumped. But as he passed the 44th floor, he heard a phone ringing. Now this was in the days long before anyone imagined robo-calling, so it had to be a person on the other end of that phone.
Often, I think back on what that poor man must have thought during those few brief seconds as he fell below the 44th floor before impacting and dying. Regret most probably topping that list.
37 year old Mindy McReady killed herself this weekend. Her two sons will suffer her death for the rest of their lives. Suicide isn't just about anger, it's a very cruel thing to do to those who will have to live with what the self-murderer has done. Imagine growing up, knowing that your mother was so unhappy, she killed herself. How does a child who experiences that not engage in self-blame?
We can't prevent every suicide. We've outlawed it, but a successful attempt ensures there will be no one prosecuted for the crime. If someone can't bring themself to pull the trigger, there's always SBC (suicide by cop). Point your unloaded gun at cops and they'll take care of it. It's wrong and the poor police officers who end up being the instrument of a suicide's death have horrible guilt to live with afterward.
I feel badly for Mindy McReady. Clearly she had her demons. However, we should feel more for those who will be damaged by her selfish choice. Suicide is anger. Suicide is cruel. Suicide is selfish.
Suicide is wrong.
Not murdering another. Murdering yourself, more commonly referred to as suicide. There are many panaceas, some used by suicide-prevention hotlines. "You won't be around to regret your decision." "It's a permanent solution to a temporary situation." They don't mean much. Someone determined to take their own life will find a way.
I remember a story my father told me to discourage me from ever contemplating the taking of my own life. He told me about a man who survived a nuclear war and became convinced he was the last person on the planet. Everywhere he looked, all he saw was dead bodies. Finally, he decided he could not live out his life all alone. So he went to the top of the Empire State Building, climbed up the fence on the roof and jumped. But as he passed the 44th floor, he heard a phone ringing. Now this was in the days long before anyone imagined robo-calling, so it had to be a person on the other end of that phone.
Often, I think back on what that poor man must have thought during those few brief seconds as he fell below the 44th floor before impacting and dying. Regret most probably topping that list.
37 year old Mindy McReady killed herself this weekend. Her two sons will suffer her death for the rest of their lives. Suicide isn't just about anger, it's a very cruel thing to do to those who will have to live with what the self-murderer has done. Imagine growing up, knowing that your mother was so unhappy, she killed herself. How does a child who experiences that not engage in self-blame?
We can't prevent every suicide. We've outlawed it, but a successful attempt ensures there will be no one prosecuted for the crime. If someone can't bring themself to pull the trigger, there's always SBC (suicide by cop). Point your unloaded gun at cops and they'll take care of it. It's wrong and the poor police officers who end up being the instrument of a suicide's death have horrible guilt to live with afterward.
I feel badly for Mindy McReady. Clearly she had her demons. However, we should feel more for those who will be damaged by her selfish choice. Suicide is anger. Suicide is cruel. Suicide is selfish.
Suicide is wrong.
posted by me at 9:42 PM
<< Home