Suicide is not painless

The recently reported suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain have caused me to pause and think about suicides that have happened close to me.

The theme song of M*A*S*H is a sad song that states, in part, that "suicide is painless". No, it is not. The one who leaves has apparently had much pain, and those left behind experience tremendous pain for a long time.

I have had two co-workers opt-out. Also, my wife lost a friend as a teenager, and we had a schoolmate who checked out in middle age.

Three of those were some of the biggest surprises ever, though one had spoken of it beforehand. I do remember being dumbfounded upon hearing about them.

Why do people do this? Others with much more education in this have not (to my mind) figured it completely out yet. I will not attempt it here.

Source: World Health Organization

I will tell you what I know, though:

Suicides cross all national and cultural lines. Look at this chart. One area with the highest rate is the former Soviet Union, which, for a lifetime asserted there is no God. (a clue?)

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...and I will tell you what I think:

Gun-grabbers in the United States will use these suicides (Spade and Bourdain) as a springboard to demand more bans of firearms. Note that these two celebrities were reported to have hanged themselves. Sad, but no firearm involved.

A couple of years ago, I had a back-and-forth dialogue with a lady on the other side about guns, published at Ammoland. As I wrote there concerning suicide,

The CDC reports for 2013 that there were a total of 41,149 suicides, of which 21,175 were listed as firearm suicides. So, about 58 of 113 suicides (51%) per day were committed with a firearm. 

While suicides are certainly tragic, if you were able to totally eliminate firearms from the civilian populace, the other 49% would still be there, and I suppose some of those who would have used a firearm will resort to some other method as they do in other countries where firearms are not readily available...

Societies with very low private gun ownership, such as India have a much higher suicide rate than the United States, so they can't blame guns there. Hanging, poisoning, and jumping are used more internationally. So, it seems that those who are serious about it will find a method/tool to accomplish it.

Well, suicide is not painless; nor is it the fault of the necktie, bridge, insecticide, or gun.

....and peaceable gun owners need not feel guilty....

Join a "community conversation on gun violence"

I know this is short notice, but if you are close enough, please sign up an attend tomorow evening, Tuesday, in Wake Forest. 

Grass Roots North Carolina,  P.O. Box 10665, Raleigh, NC  27605  877-282-0939, www.GRNC.org, Fax: 919-573-0354 GRNC NEEDS YOU to attend what's laughably billed as a "Community Conversation on Gun Violence."  Our Home Page   |   About Us   |   Join GRNC   |   Contact Us In This Issue 2nd Amend. Resources Quick Links Alert Details Immediate Action RWI 2nd Amend. Resource Library J. Lott's Crime Prevention Research Ctr. Support RWI:You Shop. Amazon Gives. More On Us  Update Your Information  Facebook Twitter GRNC NEEDS YOU to attend what's laughably billed as a "Community Conversation on Gun Violence." Do we really believe that they intend to have "Balancing Perspectives and Responsible Solutions" like they say? Not with panelists such as Anti-gun Senator Floyd McKissick, Anti-Gun House Minority Leader Darren Jackson, NC Council of Churches (Part of the National Council of Churches, an anti-gun group) NC Executive Director Jennifer Copeland, the Chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners (and registered Democrat) Jessica Holmes, and as "Moderator," Rick Glazier, the Executive Director of the extreme Leftist NC Justice Center. Far from the "balanced perspectives" that this event's organizers espouse, this is a left-wing gun-grabber's dream panel. They billed it as a "Community Conversation," but did they invite Grass Roots North Carolina, our state's premier gun rights organization? Of course they didn't. But they're inviting YOU. Registrations still seem to be open, so we need you to sign up HERE and attend this event. If gun owners are to have a say in our communities, our voice must be heard and that means YOUR voice needs to be heard at this event. The Community Conversation will be Tuesday, 15 May 2017 from 6:30PM until 8PM at Wake Forest Presbyterian Church, 12605 Capital Blvd, Wake Forest, NC 27587. We need you to clear your schedule and meet us there so that it's actually a conversation and not just unchallenged anti-gun propaganda. Because this event will take place in a church, please wear appropriate clothing. No camo or ragged jeans, no t-shirts with slogans. Business casual is preferred, but any clean clothing appropriate to a house of worship is acceptable. Afterwards, join us at across the street at East Coast Wings and Grill for a little food and pro-2A camaraderie. IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED! Sign up for the "conversation" at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-community-conversation-on-gun-violence-tickets-45555177763 Email Sean at SeanS@grnc.org and let him know that you'll be in attendance. MORE ABOUT GRNC