Suicide

A discussion of suicide ensued on Facebook.  The number of suicides in this nation is rising.  A few in this debate believed that suicide is not painless; that it hurts.

I know some close to me who have had a family member end their life and those family members and friends who had to see that are not okay. Those affected by a loved one's suicide hurt and are often, if they cannot get help, devastated for life. The person committing suicide, I suspect, does not or did not realize the devastating impact that their death had or will have on those who love them.  Perhaps, they do realize that but are in such physical or mental anguish they simply do not care or they feel that they are so alone, have no family or even friends to whom they can turn that the psychic pain, as they perceive it, make them feel they have no choice but to end their life themselves.

Life, I believe, is not meant to be lived in such anguish either physically or mentally. It cannot be about what life should be. Yet there are others like a relative of mine who was in such torment from a prolonged painful tragic disease said in a way that he could "I love life!" It is amazing the hardship some can take while others cannot and succumb to the vicissitudes of life.

Today where national situations brought on at the behest of Congressional Republicans and a Republican corrupt president trying their damnedest this time, unless some Republicans find a conscience, to tragically pull health care, yes, their constituents' right to life, from millions who cannot financially afford the astronomical costs of it.  Add to that sickening fact is the international situation is so fearfully bad that nuclear war hangs like the the angel of death over the world's head because Trump cannot negotiate nor are there many left in the State Department to do so. Add to this are the devastating effects of climate change some will end their life because a zero ethics utterly corrupt president and a Republican controlled Congress has made life or soon will make it so unbearable for those who do not have enough money to bear it and Trump pulls out of the world's Climate Change Agreement.  The only peace some people can imagine is a life not here to bear those crushing realities. 

There are many contributing factors to suicide. If Trump and Republicans get what they have always wanted you will be able to watch the suicide rate rise significantly. This does not have to be so.

This draconian Republican death care bill must propel each and every one who sees what has been threatened by Republicans to do to scream, shout, protest, write letters and occupy if one can Republican offices asking the Congress persons in them -- no demanding -- they take pity on those who through no fault of their own will be besieged even killed by this presidential and Republican health care bill just so Republicans and Trump can have a "win."  I ask you what have they won?  

Schopenhauer, the 18th century philosopher, said the driving most important force of man is his "will to live"; Victor Frankel, the author of "Man's Search for Meaning" and a survivor of the WWII concentration camps marveled at how few suicides there were in the camp in the face of an intolerable and painful existence.  These are points to ponder but our job now is to ensure through government policy that no one is forced to die or to end his/her life and that the will to live is, for most of us, our eternal mandate.

Jam the phones of the White House and Congress, write letters, send emails, or occupy Republican offices if you can.  The time is short because Republicans want to ram the death care bill through before September 30th.  The life you lose may, in fact, be your own!

RESIST!