2008 Woodie Awards
Readers urged to rethink recent student suicide
Letter to the Editor
Josh Johnson, East Ridge, Tenn., Senior
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Editorial
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There seems to be a growing debate surrounding the planting of a tree commemorating Cameron Patterson.
To those who knew Cameron, his friends, his relatives and his classmates, I wish to express my deepest sympathy. Your loss has been great, and I regret very much that the death of your loved one has become the center of this emotional debate.
Following the suicide of Cameron Patterson, the SGA proposed and passed two actions. The first was an increase in funds toward programs dealing with the emotional health of students. The second was the planting of a tree commemorating Cameron Patterson. It is the second of these actions that sparked the current debate.
The question has been raised "Does planting a tree to commemorate a person who committed suicide send the wrong message?" There have been many harsh words in this heated debate, but I think we missed the point somewhere.
Cameron Patterson committed suicide, but we're arguing about a tree.
Suicide is a charged taboo issue. In our culture we don't talk about it because it's depressing. However, since we don't talk about it, we don't understand it.
Most people look down on those who have committed suicide. They think something must have been wrong with that person. They think the same thing about those who attempt, or contemplate suicide. "They're not strong enough," or "they need to toughen up" or "They're just trying to get attention."
Those who think this way are grossly missing the point of the situation.
There is a human being, one of us, thinking that ending their life would be the best solution and we're not helping them. We're scrutinizing them.
I think people should try to understand that suicidal people are not really different from anyone else. They are people, who are overcome by life at a certain moment.
It could have built up over days, months or years, but at that moment, life overcame them. People who commit suicide are often misunderstood. It's not that they really want to die, it's that they want to really live, but think they can't. Are we really going to judge them for that?
To those who knew Cameron, his friends, his relatives and his classmates, I wish to express my deepest sympathy. Your loss has been great, and I regret very much that the death of your loved one has become the center of this emotional debate.
Following the suicide of Cameron Patterson, the SGA proposed and passed two actions. The first was an increase in funds toward programs dealing with the emotional health of students. The second was the planting of a tree commemorating Cameron Patterson. It is the second of these actions that sparked the current debate.
The question has been raised "Does planting a tree to commemorate a person who committed suicide send the wrong message?" There have been many harsh words in this heated debate, but I think we missed the point somewhere.
Cameron Patterson committed suicide, but we're arguing about a tree.
Suicide is a charged taboo issue. In our culture we don't talk about it because it's depressing. However, since we don't talk about it, we don't understand it.
Most people look down on those who have committed suicide. They think something must have been wrong with that person. They think the same thing about those who attempt, or contemplate suicide. "They're not strong enough," or "they need to toughen up" or "They're just trying to get attention."
Those who think this way are grossly missing the point of the situation.
There is a human being, one of us, thinking that ending their life would be the best solution and we're not helping them. We're scrutinizing them.
I think people should try to understand that suicidal people are not really different from anyone else. They are people, who are overcome by life at a certain moment.
It could have built up over days, months or years, but at that moment, life overcame them. People who commit suicide are often misunderstood. It's not that they really want to die, it's that they want to really live, but think they can't. Are we really going to judge them for that?
