While reading my morning paper this morning I discovered that very early yesterday morning our police shot a man dead. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/man-shot-dead-by-police/2074772.aspx
And as I read further I discovered that the same man had been shot by police in September of last year in very similar circumstances. And had apparently told police at the time of the first shooting that he wished they had shot him in the head.
While my heart goes out to the poor man's family and friends I am, if anything, more sorry for the police and their family and friends. I don't as it happens have a problem with suicide and to open a new can of worms given our current laws about euthenasia sometimes it is people's only option BUT I don't think you should get other people be they police, train drivers or your family to do the deed for you.
Yes, it's a good argument for euthenasia, isn't it? I felt the same way with that poor teenager last year or the year before who taunted the cops until they finally shot him. I'd hate to be the cop/s who just knew they were being used.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I hear about a level crossing smash, I wonder if it was an accident or suicide. We have one crossing near us that is notorious for suicide.
ReplyDeleteI'm in favour of euthanasia too.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been here since your first post, and now it's bedtime for me, so tomorrow, you'll be first on my "to read" list.
I once met (and found myself immediately in very deep conversation with) someone with schizophrenia. At one point in his past he had believed he was the reincarnation of Hitler. He had been desperate to kill himself (i.e., to kill Hitler, to rid himself of the demon) and had thrown himself in front of a tram. He survived, but lost both his feet, so at the time I met him he walked around on prostheses. I guess there was so much horror in his life that he hadn't had the space to think about how what he was doing would impact on the tram driver. And I imagine that's often the case for people who are trying to kill themselves: they're in no fit state to think through all the consequences.
ReplyDeleteSo I agree with you, that people trying to kill themselves shouldn't coerce other people to be party to their death, but also I wouldn't want to blame unimaginably distressed people for their moral failure.
Thank you Alexis. I love that you talked with someone with schizophrenia not with a schizophrenic - a bandwaggon of mine. And yes, you are right it is both unfair and wrong to blame the distressed for their moral failure. So, for those people in the circumstances you mentioned - that is in no state to think it through I have only sympathy. For our truly woeful mental health system on the other hand ...
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