Not the Coward's Way Out

"These degenerate molesters are cowards," Timothy J. McGinty said. "... This man couldn't take, for even a month, a small portion of what he had dished out for more than a decade." http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/05/justice/ariel-castro-cleveland-kidnapper-death/

Today I was on Tumblr and happened to scroll past a link to the above article from CNN. I was shocked. I had followed the case closely. Today I wan't to talk about the crimes that Castro was convicted for. Instead I want to talk about the deeply seated belief in our society that those who commit suicide are cowards.  Today I want to talk about the negative views of mental health that exist in our society. 

While this article is sparked by the comments about Castro's death, I recalled another similar event in which the term "coward" was used to describe someone who had committed suicide as a coward. A few days after the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting I was at church when I heard someone describe Adam Lanza as a coward. They then went on to say that anyone who commits suicide is a coward. I call bullshit on this notion for so many reasons all of which are deeply personal. 

When I was 16 I came very close to committing suicide. You can read more of my story here http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?fcid=249245. 

What many people do not know, is that last May, my big sister committed suicide. While I do not have memories of my sister (we did not grow up together) no part of me believes that she was a coward. 

Mental health is not a joke. For many people is a part of their daily life. Yet, for many in our society it is a joke. 

Below is the think for a list of crisis centers around the world:
http://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

You are not alone. You are loved. You are a child of God. You are "fearfully and wonderfully made."