Choice of End
I am saddened to note the incidences of suicides among those in the military service of the Yankee republic last year. [Link] I regret the loss of any individual who could have contributed to the betterment of the species. Indeed, the regret is stronger for the loss of those who have already done such sacrifice and duty.
Beyond this, I am dismayed at the absence of meaningful discussion and reportage. I am unsure whether this is due to a profound abhorrence that we exhibit as a society about such thing, in the process giving the lie to our commitment to what democracy is and what human rights are, or some ulterior motive of the traditional media or the military itself. Certainly the military is loathe to discuss such, cloaking their own insecurities of their failure as leaders and humans and the just embarrassment this brings on the organization in the stultified dignity of consideration. The aethical commerciality of the traditional media on the other hand needs no comment other than to note it also serves as a cloaking factor as well.
The fact remains that suicide is a matter of individual human choice, as fundamental in its way as abortion is, and as much a matter of individual decision. Society may offer information and discussion fora for the matter but any coercion is inherently more repugnant and socially debilitating than the action itself. That such exists at all is an indictment of mankind’s addiction to religious superstition and perversions of social control.
Suicide is historically not uncommon in the military. Most are hidden by the actor or his associates as accident or false bravery. The environment of individual suppression and mission obsession is repressive and often devoid of hope. While this does not excuse either the organization or the individual, it does demonstrate that this type of captivity is alien to our basic nature.
