I knew you'd all jump on that first paragraph, but I felt it would have been disingenuous of me to have left it out and then go on to describe the situation here.
I don't mean to denigrate anyone but it's relatively easy to end your life if you want to. Living is the hard part. I think anyone who contemplates suicide should genuinely speak to people about it, and think about what they're doing and what happens when they're gone. It angers me that people do this and then their loved ones are left with feelings of guilt -- was it me? Could I have saved them if etc? --- which to me seems selfish. To condemn your loved ones to a life of wondering, guilt and loss is certainly what I would describe the coward's way out. I'm sorry if nobody agrees but that's how I feel and I would be hypocritical were I to say otherwise.
I know things get on top of people and many feel they can't go on, and being I guess a fairly privileged white guy (or girl, if you listen to CN!
) I probably don't have a clue what it's all about really. But put that to one side: if they're my views they're my views. It sickens me, for instance, that LiL hates and reviles and curses the idea of children and people having children every time she has a chance, but I don't remark upon that because they are her views. I've known people who have had loved ones commit suicide and while it sorted out the problem for the person involved, whatever your beliefs are, all they left behind was hurt, bitterness, guilt and a void. I don't think that's right. But let that go; most of you don't agree but don't try to sway me because I have very strong feelings about it.
As to Monkey's "not this again", well I already signposted why mate: It's not coming out of the blue. It's an issue now, today, in Ireland and I wanted to know if anyone else goes through this in their country. So far, with the exception of Isbjorn nobody has bothered to answer that question, more concerned with jumping on me for the first paragraph. So, does anyone else experience this in their country? Roxy says it should be allowed, legal, and I obviously agree. What do the rest of you think? Please look beyond the first paragraph and give me your considered opinion. Or don't. But stop focussing on my views
vis a vis suicide; they're mine and they're not going to change.
I should also say, anyone who has experienced a suicide I apologise for my insensitive remarks, but I'm nothing if not honest.