I happened upon an article from the Oregonian regarding officials concerned about the high rates of suicide in Oregon. Here’s a selection:
Oregon officials, anticipating the wave of baby boomers approaching their vulnerable years, on Monday responded with an effort to hold down the suicide rate. Their plan, two years in the making, outlines ways groups can work together to promote awareness of suicide’s danger to older citizens.
Dr. Mel Kohn, Oregon state epidemiologist, said a key element of the plan is to educate doctors and nurses to recognize symptoms of depression and explore patients’ risk for suicide. Right now, for example, less than half of doctors polled say they ask their depressed and suicidal elderly patients whether they have access to a gun, the dominant means of suicide in Oregon, according to Mark Kaplan, professor of community health at Portland State University and an expert in late-life suicide.
Is it possible that these people are so dense? Could they be possibly be so blind? Isn’t Oregon one of the states that has pushed doctor-assisted suicide as a rational, “compassionate” means of dealing with those serious (and not so serious) illnesses?
“Sir, you seem depressed about your cancer. Do you have a gun in your house? Oh, by the way, here’s a prescription for a lethal dose of barbiturates.”
Read the article. It never dawns on them that the state and doctors send an insidious message that suicide IS THE ANSWER to their despair.
Again, I say, this must make sense in the liberal parallel universe.
Comment if you care to do so.
