I read a news story in our local newspaper last night that upset me greatly. It was in the local, Boulder, Colorado, newspaper; this afternoon, I saw it in the Denver Post, three other local newspapers, and in the London Daily News. Boulder is supposed to be extremely liberal and open minded. Because of this, I was shocked at what I read.
A teen-aged high school student committed suicide on 21 September of this year. His final letter to his parents and friends stated that he was taking his own life "to show his allegiance to the Nazi party and the killing of Jewish people." This young man was the group leader of 15 other members on a Facebook page titled "4th Reich's Official Group Chat." He was known, on the Facebook page, as "the Fuhrer."
This was a group of sixteen students attending schools in Boulder County, Colorado. At least five students have been expelled from schools for their participation in this "chat group." The young man who killed himself was a student at Boulder Preparatory Charter School; other students were from Boulder High School, Centaurus High in Lafayette, Monarch High in Louisville, Pomona High in Arvada, and Colorado Mountain College.
Most of the comments on the page were about killing, hanging, and torturing Jewish people and African-Americans, whom they referred to with the n-word. One of the posts stated that others should "hang them in the trees, and shoot them in the knees; take your time and kill them as you please."
When investigators spoke with the young man who claimed to be the second-in-command, behind the Fuhrer, on the Facebook page, he said that they were all "misunderstood. It was all meant as a joke." Police and investigators released the report on this "happening" yesterday, 11 October. As all of the members on the Facebook page are aged 17 and younger, none of their names were released.
I suppose that with the emergence of Donald Trump as the Republican Presidential candidate, I should not be totally surprised to find a young nest of Neo-Nazis in Boulder.
I am growing more afraid, day by day, about the direction my country is moving in.
Showing posts with label suicide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suicide. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Still Reeling
I have been treated for suicidal depression since I was in high school - that's forty years of counseling and medication. I am still reeling from the suicide of Robin Williams. I have been as deeply affected by despair as he apparently was. And I have to admit that it was never a person who kept me from killing myself. It was my animals that stopped me. Animals. Cats, dogs, horses, rabbits. Not one single person, except myself,could stop me. But I always had a fur-covered child that I found I could not abandon. I write, I draw, I paint, and I sew for my creative release. I read books avidly for learning, and as a type of escape. I have decided many times to take my own life - but them I've met the eyes of my furry family and realize that I need to be here, alive, to take care of them.
I am devastated that Robin Williams, a truly great actor and comedian, reached such depths of despair himself. I know that he had both an alcohol and drug problems; I know that a few years ago, he suffered a heart attack. Perhaps he felt over-whelmed - perhaps he felt that the public wanted him to give more and more of himself - perhaps he felt that his ensemble comedy show's failure was his, personally - there are so many reasons that a gifted entertainer might do away with himself…. I am just very sad that a man who had such a gift for giving laughter ended his life, alone, and by his own hands.
The Mork & Mindy house here in Boulder, at 1619 Pine Street, became a memorial to the genius of Robin Williams as soon as his death was announced. I was in school while the show was on, and my parents and I enjoyed it immensely - especially since my sister was living in Boulder at the same time. I have seen photos of all the gifts left at his gate in Tiburon, California, and at his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Depression and mental health will probably be "buzz words" for the next few months, and then will be hidden away in the closet or swept under the carpet again. I have had so many people - including family - tell me, to "just shake it off," "go out and do something," or "it's all in your mind…" Hell, yes, it is all in my mind. You can't just shake it off like a dirty dust mop; you are so depressed that it's a great accomplishment just to get dressed - go out and do something? - you don't have the energy to even feed yourself… I was usually identified as the quiet one, or the shy one, or the one who didn't want to participate; few realized that it was all I could do just to be in a room full of people - let alone go in front of a class and deliver a speech.
There are so many kinds of mental illness in the world. Please don't judge others harshly; they are probably doing the very best that they can.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And, then, Lauren Bacall passed away at the age of 89 yesterday. It's reported she died from a stroke, at home. She lived so much longer than Bogey - and I dearly loved her in Key West.
Rest in peace, Robin and Betty.
I am devastated that Robin Williams, a truly great actor and comedian, reached such depths of despair himself. I know that he had both an alcohol and drug problems; I know that a few years ago, he suffered a heart attack. Perhaps he felt over-whelmed - perhaps he felt that the public wanted him to give more and more of himself - perhaps he felt that his ensemble comedy show's failure was his, personally - there are so many reasons that a gifted entertainer might do away with himself…. I am just very sad that a man who had such a gift for giving laughter ended his life, alone, and by his own hands.
The Mork & Mindy house here in Boulder, at 1619 Pine Street, became a memorial to the genius of Robin Williams as soon as his death was announced. I was in school while the show was on, and my parents and I enjoyed it immensely - especially since my sister was living in Boulder at the same time. I have seen photos of all the gifts left at his gate in Tiburon, California, and at his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Depression and mental health will probably be "buzz words" for the next few months, and then will be hidden away in the closet or swept under the carpet again. I have had so many people - including family - tell me, to "just shake it off," "go out and do something," or "it's all in your mind…" Hell, yes, it is all in my mind. You can't just shake it off like a dirty dust mop; you are so depressed that it's a great accomplishment just to get dressed - go out and do something? - you don't have the energy to even feed yourself… I was usually identified as the quiet one, or the shy one, or the one who didn't want to participate; few realized that it was all I could do just to be in a room full of people - let alone go in front of a class and deliver a speech.
There are so many kinds of mental illness in the world. Please don't judge others harshly; they are probably doing the very best that they can.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And, then, Lauren Bacall passed away at the age of 89 yesterday. It's reported she died from a stroke, at home. She lived so much longer than Bogey - and I dearly loved her in Key West.
Rest in peace, Robin and Betty.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)