by Nautica Mourey

Created on: June 28, 2008

A few years ago my answer to this question would have been a resounding "no." Many things have changed since then. After seeing several friends and family members' commit suicide, I realize now that it can be justified. In fact, I now believe that it should go without argument if that is what the person truly wanted.

Years ago, when I was young, a friend of mine had an uncle who committed suicide. He had grown tired of his life and finally decided that he had enough. He pulled his car into the garage and closed the door behind him. He suffocated himself with carbon monoxide from the exhaust. When I heard about this, as a teenager, I thought that he was a coward. He left a family behind. I often thought what his wife and children would do. Then again, maybe they were better off without him. Sure, they loved him and they would miss him but could it be that he was causing them pain by staying alive. I wonder how it would have been living with him in such a depressed state and if his wife wished for a way out. For that family, could his death have been justified?

Last year around this time a very dear friend of mine committed suicide two weeks after telling me that he would visit. This friend was diagnosed with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis almost seven years ago. For those of you not familiar with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, it is a disease that affects the spinal chord and nervous system. Basically, it eats tiny holes in your brain which take away your motor skills such as the ability to walk and talk. Well, this friend was far past being okay with the idea that someone would have to take care of him for the rest of his life. He vowed to take his life almost two months after he was diagnosed. Luckily, he gave his family, friends, and me seven wonderful years with him before he finally ended it all. My friend was heavily medicated every day and still he could not see past the pain in his limbs and other parts of his body. In an instance such as this, should the person really have to suffer through life? This event, this suicide, changed my outlook on the way we live our lives as well as the way that we chose to end them. I can not say that suicide is a brave way to die, but I can say that for my friend, it was the dignified way and it was most certainly justified.

If someone is in pain or causing others to be in pain, I don't think that we have the right to deny them an out. I also believe that judgement upon those people is wrong. You cant be angry at someone for choosing to die. That is like shunning someone who has had an abortion because you don't believe in it. Everyone has a choice. If you do not believe that suicide is justifiable, then don't commit suicide.

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