Comments on: Rural Communities Look to Recognize, Battle Elderly Suicide - Part 2 of an Occasional Series

By: dennis hammond

dennis hammond — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:18:34 +0000

Yeah life does suck. By the way
here are my seats I bought for the World
Series Sec U330, Row 12 seats 6 thru 8
(I’m going with two friends) putting in
my credit card info.. Wait.

OH! I ran out of time. “Sorry try again”

Anyone (including Mike Rosen ) who DOESN”T
think this ROCKIES TICKET thing is rigged
DID just fall off the turnip truck.

You really think the Rockies are going to
let ME buy a ticket to the game.

THIS is called organized crime.

I’ll get back to you on Jim’s article

By: dennis hammond

dennis hammond — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:55:09 +0000

I don’t think 90% of elderly people who
commite suicide have some kind of mental
problems. It’s like the movie catch 22
If you don’t want to fly more missions
you’re not crazy therefore you have to
keep flying. If you want to fly more
missions they’ll let you and you probably
are crazy. Quality of life is EVERYTHING.
I’m of the belief people shouldn’t have
to blow their brains out or risk
permanente injury by a drug overdose if
they chose to end their life. They should
be provided the means to end their life
painlessly and quickly with dignity at
THEIR wishing.

The problem is the Medical industrial
complex WANTS THEM ALIVE!!!!! so that
THEY CAN SEPARATE THEM FROM THEIR MONEY
and collect their MEDICARE BENES.

IT”S A SICK, CORRUPT SOCIETY WE LIVE IN.
WHETHER IT BE CHOSING WHEN YOU DIE OR
BUYING ROCKIES TICKETS!!

By: Grady Coker

Grady Coker — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:06:53 +0000

I’m an 83 year old white male so I guess I can speak for the “old folks.” I am very lucky as when my father was my age he had been in a nursing home for 7 years and didn’t know who he was or where he was! Society is youth minded, but as long as I can think clearly I have no intentions of blowing the horn and getting out of the way. You will just have to put up with me.
Good article!

By: urthpigg

urthpigg — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:20:32 +0000

Our whole society, in fact, the whole world full of people is committing suicide. I don’t like it, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Maybe some of the elderly want to spare themselves the extra pain they will be forced to endure.

By: Paula49

Paula49 — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:57:45 +0000

This is the first time I have ever agreed with Dennis Hammond on this site. Does that mean he is getting more reasonable? NAAAAA.

By: dennis hammond

dennis hammond — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:05:26 +0000

While I’m digressing I just want to say
one more thing. The biggest phoney
“Financial Icon” in World pop culture
history is Donald Trump. The guy is
not a financial genious or anything close.
His Atlantic city holdings have (as far
as I know ) never made a dime and the
stock has never sold for more than a few
cents. Trump and Trumps family own NYC
real estate and that’s where their wealth
comes from. As anyone know an untrained
Chimp would have made money on NYC real
estate over the last 25 years. In the
mid eighties when creditors were
converging on Trump and his Atlantic city
holdings his FATHER bailed him out, by
arranging the refinancing of his
holdings. Nobody else would have
survived. Yet our pop culture constantly
holds him up as some kind of financial
guru. HE AIN”T. Sorry, I digress

By: dennis hammond

dennis hammond — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:08:26 +0000

Paula49,

About the Rockies or Elderly suicide?
I’m keeping track

By: noidea

noidea — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:19:43 +0000

You keep on truckin’ Grady…

By: noidea

noidea — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:02:35 +0000

Dennis,

At what point/age/state of well being (or lack thereof) does a person have the right to commit suicide and who will administer it?. Ultimately, if somebody wants to off themselves there are plenty (limitless, actually) of methods available to them.. Why would the medical industry need to become involved in the practice?

There is absolutely no reason for the medical industry to get involved with euthanasia.

It is very sad that the elderly end their lives in suicide in such high numbers.

By: emamond

emamond — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:43:09 +0000

I agree that there could come a time for any of us when we might want to “throw off this mortal coil”. But, how tragically sad when many older folks who could live out their years with dignity and joy, instead see suicide as their only option. Our society and our economy have changed drastically in the last 60 years; families and communities used to be available to assist our elders. This is no longer true. We have an administration that gives lip service to family values but instead allocates billions to killing and imperialist conquest. Why don’t you ask a Norwegian about how their elderly are taken care of? Ask a Norwegian about health care, mental health coverage, prescription assistance, public transportation, and quality housing and nursing care for the elderly in their country? Yes, if a senior citizen needs the assitance, 85% of their income goes for nursing care, etc, but it’s the same for rich and poor and they ALL get it.
Additionally, the elderly do not need to spend down the nest egg that they were going to leave to their children, the way you must do in this country. Their government actually does care about its citizens. But then again “Policy really is the best honesty”, isn’t it? If you’re broke and trapped and sick and everything you’ve ever worked for is being wiped out to pay for the greed of pharmaceutical, nursing home or insurance company scam artists, then I suppose I could understand it. No, 90% are not mentally ill: I am a mental health therapist and a social worker and I KNOW that we must look at the sickness of our system and how we treat “the least of these our brethren”.

By: dennis hammond

dennis hammond — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:49:31 +0000

There you have it. A mental health
therapist says no to 90% of elderly
who commit suicide are mentally ill.
I didn’t believe that anyway. Doesn’t
make sense. But emamond compares the
United States with Norway. Comon’
Norway has only five million people.
The U.S. has over 300 million. Plus,
it’s a bureacratic nightmare with way
too much overhead. And a lot of greed
in it’s pharmecutical and health care
industries, all bottom line oriented
for sure. Plus, we treat our old
people like warn out shoes, throw
aways. It’s scandelous. I’ve seen
it. We live in a phoney pop culture.
Unfortunately, were due for a real
reality check, a comeupance. Things
go in cycles. Most people don’t know
how good they have it and things can
change very quickly. They will.
Then there will be a lot of wimpering
They thought Hurricane Katrina was bad
just wait.

By: dennis hammond

dennis hammond — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:56:07 +0000

Noidea,

In a perfect world everyone would grow old
in the company of their loved ones.
Welcome to planet Earth where people are
selfish and slimey. I don’t see that there
are many viable suicide methods. The
thought that people are forced to blow their
brains out (what a mess) sounds absolutely
barbaric to me. Perhaps you can enlighten
me. As I stated I think everyone should
be given a hydrogen cyininde pill just in
case they need to or decide they feel like
checking out. As for the requirements, it’s
YOURE LIFE isn’t up to you. You have a
bad day at work, boss naggs you wife naggs
you. You just put on Coltrane and slip
slide away. You could even wear you Nikes!
Whose life is it anyway?

By: dennis hammond

dennis hammond — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:07:52 +0000

noidea,

Under my plan it would become common
place for a spouse to say to their mate
for instance in an argument over
taking out the trash or mowing the
lawn “Stop nagging me or
I’ll take my pill!” That would work.

By: Paula49

Paula49 — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:44:37 +0000

Mr. Hammond:
The Rockies.

By: Wildflower

Wildflower — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:21:53 +0000

Emamond hss such good insight. I wish he or she were in charge of our plans for the elderly so that we could help them live out their days in peace. The system in Norway sounds very good, in that they are cared for with dignity, WITHOUT having to use up all the resources they have worked their whole life for, and had hoped to leave to their children and grandchildren. As it is now, these resources must be used up for an inhumane nursing facility and pharmaceuticals, stripping their last shred of dignity.
When they die, they have nothing left, they might as well have lived on welfare all their life and not put in all that hard work and frugal living. It’s like their life was for naught. They end up broke,the same as someone who lived a shiftless life. Sure we have more people than Norway, but we also have more tax payers.
Many elderly might also be able to stay in their homes longer,where they are comfortable ,with a bit of help and encouragement.
But sadly, our country seems to prefer engaging in war and killing people instead of helping people live.

By: dennis hammond

dennis hammond — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:11:10 +0000

Oh brother, again, it’s Bush’s fault