opinions...
It seems like a long time since I've written anything. And in actual fact it has.
Anyway, here is an opinion on the recent debate on whether criminalizing suicide attempts are effective. And the answer obviously is no. Formally charging someone for attempting to take their lives just seems counter intuitive to how they need help and not someone to tell them it what they have done is "just another bad decision" in their already crumbling life.
The "crime" of suicide probably stemmed from the fact that it is a deterrent. Knowing if you don't complete the task, you would end up in jail somewhere would probably stop SOME people. Perhaps, it might even be a greater motivation to ensure that the attemptees do a thorough enough job to ensure their own demise. Not ensuring this would then lead to jail time. Seems like a very pragmatic, Singaporean thing to encourage everyone to do everything with 110% effort. Failure is not an option.
But I digress. Failed suicidees should be instead given some form of support. Isn't that what they really need? Perhaps what they should do is to institutionalize them at a support facility instead of merely locking them up with others more worthy of jail time. Sure it might mean that a certain amount of money will be needed to be pumped in to help run this, but isn't this what we should expect of society? To extend a helping hand?
People never think they need help till they have fallen through the cracks of society. And when they have fallen through the cracks, they need someone to reach in to pull them out. If they can find the strength to climb out of the deep dark hole on their own strength, they would probably not have fallen in in the first place.
Think about it. When you have fallen into the deepest, darkest place in your mind, would it really help that your physical surrounding is just as dark and cold?
Anyway, here is an opinion on the recent debate on whether criminalizing suicide attempts are effective. And the answer obviously is no. Formally charging someone for attempting to take their lives just seems counter intuitive to how they need help and not someone to tell them it what they have done is "just another bad decision" in their already crumbling life.
The "crime" of suicide probably stemmed from the fact that it is a deterrent. Knowing if you don't complete the task, you would end up in jail somewhere would probably stop SOME people. Perhaps, it might even be a greater motivation to ensure that the attemptees do a thorough enough job to ensure their own demise. Not ensuring this would then lead to jail time. Seems like a very pragmatic, Singaporean thing to encourage everyone to do everything with 110% effort. Failure is not an option.
But I digress. Failed suicidees should be instead given some form of support. Isn't that what they really need? Perhaps what they should do is to institutionalize them at a support facility instead of merely locking them up with others more worthy of jail time. Sure it might mean that a certain amount of money will be needed to be pumped in to help run this, but isn't this what we should expect of society? To extend a helping hand?
People never think they need help till they have fallen through the cracks of society. And when they have fallen through the cracks, they need someone to reach in to pull them out. If they can find the strength to climb out of the deep dark hole on their own strength, they would probably not have fallen in in the first place.
Think about it. When you have fallen into the deepest, darkest place in your mind, would it really help that your physical surrounding is just as dark and cold?
posted by alvin_c at 12:24 pm
9 comments
