that suicide (and attempted suicide)
are crimes in the nasty feudal and stinking rich
United Arab Dictatorships.
Irish woman charged by Dubai courtwith ‘attempting suicide’.
Failed suicide is also an offence in many other countries
including Kenya, Bangladesh, Malawi - and
in France* within living memory.
But the more 'tolerant' (I would say ignorant, condescending)
attitude that suicide is the result of mental illness
is just as odious, and flies in the face of several
ancient and modern (non-Abrahamic) cultures.
The cosmic view
is that there are several billion humans
on this earth, and even if half of us
bravely killed ourselves tomorrow
global heating and its consequences
will cascade inexorably on.
is that there are several billion humans
on this earth, and even if half of us
bravely killed ourselves tomorrow
global heating and its consequences
will cascade inexorably on.
Also in today's Guardian
ReplyDeleteFor years, Vanessa had said to me: “If I ever get Alzheimer’s, you have to help me end it.”
“Well, darling, technically that’s illegal in this country. But shall we cross that bridge if we ever get to it?”
Here, finally, we were. I waited anxiously for her to bring the subject up, but I’m pleased to say she never did. Her mortal fear shifted at that point from Alzheimer’s to nursing homes.
But her ability to think coherently was so elusive by then that I think she was safe from the thought processes required for suicide. It must take a great effort of will to end a life, just as it must to fight a terminal illness. Dementia takes that away from you in time.