Robin Williams Did Not End The Pain

‘Cause suicide is painless
it brings on many changes
and I can take or leave it if I please.
…and you can do the same thing if you please.

~Song from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)

Actor and comedian Robin Williams took his own life yesterday and a lot of people are talking about how tragic it was and how tortured he must have been. There are tributes from many who see the result as a given since he struggled with addiction and depression.

Robin Williams is like many others who took the decision to end their lives. He thought it would end the pain and suffering. Well it might have ended Williams’ pain and suffering but it inflicted pain and suffering on the loved ones he left behind.

It gave those loved ones grief they did not want and grief they did not need. Williams’ act burdened people not only with the sadness that comes from the loss of a loved one it burdened them with feelings of guilt, feelings of helplessness and feelings of confusion.

Contrary to the refrain of the Theme from MASH, suicide is NOT painless. It causes untold amounts of pain to those left behind.

“It brings on many changes”

While it is difficult to understand the thought process of those who are driven to consider, attempt or succeed in suicide one thing is undeniable, it is a selfish act. No doubt that it is an act of desperation but it is selfish nonetheless. It might relieve the pain of the person who successfully takes his own life but that solution disregards the feelings of those left behind. It disregards how the act will affect them. The person who commits suicide is only concerned with how he will be relived of pain and thinks little of how much pain it will cause.

This is not to minimize the turmoil that goes on in the minds of those who contemplate such a final act. Those folks are in a lot of pain and need help but their solution is one of their own choosing. They decide to act on suicidal ideations and they can decide not to act as well.

As the songs states; “I can take or leave it if I please.”

[note]Matt Walsh has an excellent post up describing how Williams did not die from a disease but from a choice and how those saying he is now at peace or in a better place might be encouraging others to carry out suicide plans.[/note]

Williams’ suicide is getting a lot of attention because he was a celebrity but everyday members of our armed forces (or veterans) commit suicide and little mention of it occurs. Every day people around the world commit suicide and while they cause as much pain for their loved ones as Williams caused for his they are not the focus of attention. They are just another statistic.

I hope that Williams’ death will bring attention to suicide and prevention strategies and I hope that those who think it is the final answer will see how awful the impact is on those left behind to search for answers.

If you are considering suicide I ask that you call the suicide Lifeline and get help. Talk to your loved ones, your therapist or clergy. Talk to anyone but talk and get help.

[tip]National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)[/tip]

Remember, suicide is not painless. It causes pain for those left behind.

And you CAN LEAVE it if you please.

The key is to find a reason to live rather than a reason to die…

Cave canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
Big Dog

Gunline

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6 Responses to “Robin Williams Did Not End The Pain”

  1. todd says:

    “It is tragic that the young man lost his life. It is also tragic that people feel the only way to solve the issue is to riot. Keep in mind; cops shoot people of all colors all over the country. For some reason only certain communities resort to rioting.”

    HMMM YEAH it’s such a shame when THOSE PEOPLE riot, the law abiding community contributing, Jesus fearing white folk sit around at the table polishing there gun ready for “civil war 2: the food stamp crusade” praying god smite those purposefully unemployed UNSCRUPULOUS FERALS WHO RESENT MY PERFECT CHARACTER AND WELL DESERVED MATERIAL WELL BEING THAT SAID CHARATER AND ONLY SAID CHARACTER ENABLED, BUT THOSE GENETICALLY INFERIOR BABOONS KNOW ONLY THEFT AND VIOLENCE, SO THEY GO OUT AND TAKE ACTION IN THEIR FILTHY WARRENS OF SIN!!! whereas I only fantasize about killing everyone left of me. Don’t you just hate those people?”

    You said none of these things, of course, but admit it or not they all ran across your mind and rang loudly in your words, dripping with tribalism and tempered vitriol.

    DAMN RIOTING BLACKS! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_riots_and_civil_unrest_in_Calgary

      • Big Dog says:

        It would be helpful if you commented on the right post. The words you wrote are not anywhere close to what I said. I do not think blacks should lie down and die and I don’t think they (or anyone else) should be shot down by the police absent a life or death reason. These folks are venting their frustration on the people who had nothing to do with it. They are not destroying the police station or police cars. No, they are going after the people who are just trying to run businesses and they are stealing property from them after damaging other property. This is wrong no matter what happened. If the shop owner had murdered the kid they might be able to rationalize their actions but what does vandalism and theft have to do with being upset at the way the young man died? You justify actions of people who are attacking other innocent people to protest the murder of someone they think was innocent of any wrong doing.

        You are correct, I said none of the other things and you are incorrect that I thought them. I do not think that damaging the property of people who did nothing to you is the right thing to do regardless of color. I feel the same way when predominently white college kids burn stuff and overturn cars after a basketball or football game. I feel the same way about the mostly white occupy Wall Street morons. Civil disobedience is fine as is exercising the Constitutional right to PEACEABLY assemble. They lose that right when they start vandalizing regardless of who the they are.

        But your post says a lot about you. You made up things out of whole cloth and indicated that I said or meant things I did not. You then spewed racial hatred and while you displayed it as a way to cast doubt on e it appears as if you are projecting your true inner thoughts.

        The folks rioting are lucky that they did not get shot by people protecting their property. Then again, they avoided the police who have guns and they avoided any business where people displayed guns. They did steal lots of nice stuff. Nice way to honor the memory of a person that those who knew him describe as a decent young man. How do you think he would feel about the rioting?

        I do not fantasize about killing anyone. That is the realm of the left. They resort to violence and killing. No, I have no desire to ever shoot anyone but I will if I have to in order to protect my family or my property. And I don’t care what color the person who tries is…

        Now take your racist rants to the Kos kids where they can all masturbate to your diatribe.

  2. todd says:

    That song was written by a 17 year old boy, it doesn’t add any substantial point to your post.

    “It might relieve the pain of the person who successfully takes his own life but that solution disregards the feelings of those left behind. It disregards how the act will affect them. The person who commits suicide is only concerned with how he will be relived of pain and thinks little of how much pain it will cause.”

    It’s also selfish to insist someone live an agonizing existence- without having experienced their pain- for the benefit of others.

    “They decide to act on suicidal ideations and they can decide not to act as well.” As in almost all questions of behavior, choices are not in this case weighted 50/50. Suicide is a brave action, and the duty falls on the affected to bear the pain.

    • Big Dog says:

      He was 14 and the song was supposed to be senseless, you know, like suicide. It adds if you read the words, it is not painless, it brings on many changes (to those left behind) and you can take or leave it (do it or not because it is a choice) if you please. Makes sense.

      Suicide is not a brave act. It is cowardly based on running away from problems. No I do not understand what anyone in that frame of mind goes through but that does not negate the point that it is not painless because it causes pain to those left behind, a fact to which I can attest after dealing with many families of suicide victims) and that it is a choice.

  3. Blake says:

    I am so pissed at Robin Williams- he was depressed??? Someone call a whambulance- this is a person who had all the power to change his circumstances, whether depression, money troubles, or whatever-
    Think of the poor in this world who cannot buy a therapist, or fiind food, or a place to sleep.
    He gave unneeded grief to his loved ones and his fans around the world with this act, and he committed the ultimate sin, suicide- the one sin you cant ask God for forgiveness for, and that is perhaps the saddest of all.