With the focus once again on another teenager that has committed suicide because of bullying, the focus is once again on prevention. While I find that this is very important, I think that we need to start focusing on putting some actual pressure on these bullies. I think we need to come up with a plan that says "look, if you do this shit, you're gonna get X as punishment." I have no idea what that would be, but I think we need to start looking into it.
The reason for my big push to actually punish bullies, is the fact that they actually use suicide as a bullying technique. They tell kids to kill themselves. They think that it shows that they are weak. You think that these bullies feel bad for what they did? Do you think that kids killing themselves actually shows the bullies anything? It doesn't. It doesn't show them that what they did isn't acceptable, it doesn't do anything.
I'm not against suicide. More than a lot of people I am all too aware of how much pain you need to be in to be at that point where you know that ending it is the only thing that will make it better. People talk about people that commit suicide as being selfish, and weak. It's the opposite in their minds. They think they are helping people by not being around, and it takes a lot more than most people have in them to take your own life. It's programmed into us to be afraid to die. To take it upon yourself to go against that is very difficult. No matter what people think.
I personally think that these bullies need to pay. I think that it's time we start throwing them in jail, or making them part of chain gang, or charging them a fine that they can't pay, so they have to spend the rest of their teen years working it off. That's my personal thought.
Bullies never go away. I know this to be true, even as an adult. That doesn't mean we have to sit here and let them get away with the disgusting behaviour that they have decided is okay.
Showing posts with label suicide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suicide. Show all posts
Monday, October 15, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Right To Decide...
So, I browsed through my twitter feed today (@mellyboredom if anyone is interested), and I found this interesting little article on the Huffington Post: Right To Assisted Suicide. The article is actually taken from CBC and goes on to say that Gloria Taylor, who has ALS has won the right to have help ending her life should she chose to do so. This is a wonderful ruling.
I know that there are many many people who disagree with suicide and disagree especially with assisted suicide, and I am okay with that. To them I say: then you don't do it. It's pretty simple. I realize that for whatever reason automatically linking assisted suicide to murder is the way to go, but murder is when someone doesn't have the choice. And I also realize that when people have a medical POA do they get the right to then decide when that person has "suffered enough"? Those are all good questions, and I will not deny that there are some grey areas that we still need to look at (or not since grey areas are what make life, life), but for right now, I think allowing someone the right to end their own life, and the right to have someone help her do that if she chooses to do that is good.
In cases like ALS and end stage illnesses, people who are suffering pain that we don't even let our animals go through, should be allowed to ask for help, or state ahead of time that if they wish to die or not. (Dr's also, should have the right to say no, but I really don't think that this is something that will come up too much to be honest.) As a society we hold life as the most precious thing, and it might be, I don't have all those answers, but when you are in unbearable pain 25/24 hours of the day, why should anyone have to live through that if they do not wish to? Is that really living? What pain is appropriate when it comes to helping someone end their life? Again, I don't have the answers.
I like that we're talking about it. I like that the courts agree that it needs to be looked at again. I like that we're are having serious thoughts to what "quality of life" really means.
I know that there are many many people who disagree with suicide and disagree especially with assisted suicide, and I am okay with that. To them I say: then you don't do it. It's pretty simple. I realize that for whatever reason automatically linking assisted suicide to murder is the way to go, but murder is when someone doesn't have the choice. And I also realize that when people have a medical POA do they get the right to then decide when that person has "suffered enough"? Those are all good questions, and I will not deny that there are some grey areas that we still need to look at (or not since grey areas are what make life, life), but for right now, I think allowing someone the right to end their own life, and the right to have someone help her do that if she chooses to do that is good.
In cases like ALS and end stage illnesses, people who are suffering pain that we don't even let our animals go through, should be allowed to ask for help, or state ahead of time that if they wish to die or not. (Dr's also, should have the right to say no, but I really don't think that this is something that will come up too much to be honest.) As a society we hold life as the most precious thing, and it might be, I don't have all those answers, but when you are in unbearable pain 25/24 hours of the day, why should anyone have to live through that if they do not wish to? Is that really living? What pain is appropriate when it comes to helping someone end their life? Again, I don't have the answers.
I like that we're talking about it. I like that the courts agree that it needs to be looked at again. I like that we're are having serious thoughts to what "quality of life" really means.
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