November 29, 2008 - One of the most terrible stories in the last few days is about a young man who was suicidal, and discussed it on line. Not only did few people try to talk him out of it, some ridiculed him and goaded him on; but over 100 watched him take an overdose and die, yet did not call the police or take steps to save his life...

Some of those commenting on the story have pointed out that many thought it was fake; but others essentially said: so what? Not my business...and legally, one doubts a "crime" was committed.

But where is the discussion of the morality of those watching?

Another internet suicide story is of a young girl who committed suicide after an older lady taunted her repeatedly. Again, the jury had few good options to punish the one who taunted the depressed girl into suicide (she was convicted on three misdemeanor charges).

But this again is a moral, not legal question.

Are we our brother's keeper?

Finally, with all the talk of "assisted suicide" as a "right", one notorious case a couple years ago in New York shows how this too can be the result of taunting.

New York writer George Delury had a disable wife, and she was in his way. So he carefully nagged her and reminded her of the "Assisted suicide" option, and carefully gave her the pills.

He became a hero to the pro death groups when he was arrested and eventually convicted of "attempted manslaughter" for giving her pills that ended her life...Delury played the "death with dignity" card to a lapdog press..."I regret that my wife's spirit has been impugned and her courage dishonored because society and the government have provided no way to deal with these situations openly with due respect for individual freedom of conscience and individual dignity," he read from a statement.

But Delury's computer diary shows a different person: Mr. Delury wrote, "You are sucking my life out of me like a vampire and nobody cares."

He claimed he was only writing a diary to show the frustrations of caring for a disabled spouse (caretaker burnout is a common problem for those caring for diabeled family members) but her family saw it otherwise: As a supreme act of selfishness.

After all, the writer was rich: Unlike the poor, he could afford in house nurses to help care for her, or even a good nursing home for his wife. Instead, he killed her.

The coercion of suicide is one of the worst forms of evil, since it combines the two hallmarks of the demonic, death and lies.

The outsider knows someone is in despair, and needs help. Often the person involved is depressed---but depression is a mental illness that can be treated, with medicines and with counselling.

One thing all three victims had in common however was the feeling that their lives were useless and meaningless. If they were merely wanting to die as a logical decision, they could have done it on their own.

Instead, all three reached out, and got the message: your life is meaningless, you are no good, and you are better off dead. No body cares for you, nobody loves you.

And the only answer for this is: God Loves you. And I love you...

And, as a doctor, I'd suggest a more involved answer: God loves you. You have biochemical depression. Let's arrange family counselling, and start medication...

But for the enablers, who didn't care, or who encouraged the person to end their life: one prays they find repentance for this horrible sin.



Nancy Reyes is a retired doctor living in the Phillipines. She is the author of a number of blogs including Finest Kind Clinic and Fishmarket.

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