By James Boniface Ohepo
SUICIDE ABUSE!
....is suicide heroic or 'zeroic? "If you do not know the value and worth of living, go back and ask those over 40million sperm cells you defeated in the womb".... Anonymous
Since I was born till now that I am getting old, I have never seen a thing that escaped abuse by Nigerians. Health we abuse, ill health we abuse, wealth we abuse, poverty we abuse, fame we abuse, food we abuse, drugs we abuse, sex we abuse, God we abuse, Devil we abuse, child (children) we abuse, and now suicide, we are abusing. But, while I know that we abuse all these variables, I do not know WHY we do them. Let's Just say is in our nature for now!
For a period of aeon now, the debate has been on, as whether suicide is an act of cowardice or heroic. You definitely have your perspective and justified sentiment on this too, enjoy it. To begin with, let us take a critical look at this phenomenon. By definition, suicide means the act of taking one's life. Or killing oneself to discontinue living(Merriam Webster Dictionary). And many are the factors that push and or pull a one to commit this 'heinously inglorious' crime against the self. According to most religions, offenders of suicide are automatic candidates of hell fire, irrespective of WHATEVER and or WHOEVER leads them to; because God has said, "thou shall not kill" And as such, when you do this, you violate a 'divine' commandment and as such, must be punished and roasted in hell fire. Well, how true this is, is not the primary focus in this piece, but to look at suicide from another dimension; bravery or cowardice?
From popular debates, there are two sides to suicide. They first side argues that suicide is a means to an end. To them, Suicide is not a coward act. That "these people are brave enough to embrace what lies beyond this realm(bad or good); the very thing we that could not are afraid to face" (Richard Akubiananwata 2019). However, as seemingly true and appealing as this sounds, fact still remains that these persons are running away from what(life) the generality of us are bold enough to face. Why the need to rush to go meet what you would eventually meet when you die naturally? A Yoruba adage was not stupid when it says that a groom needs not stretch his neck at the sight of his veiled bride, "las las, na him get am!" Moreover, how are we sure that when these "brave" people eventually get to that unknown destination, and things get sour again, they won't yet attempt another run away(second suicide mission), because, once a runner always a runner! Rather than run, why not channel that same strength you would use and run to face, challenge and kill that or those you want to kill yourself for or because of? Is that thing really worth your precious and invaluable blood? I beg to doubt sir!
To further their points, they argue that nothing in this life is absolutely compulsory. It is a free world, where anything goes. And that because nobody created you, you therefore owe no one any obligation to stay alive nor apology for any personal decision you make. "That should rather be between your Creator and you", they said! But, how true is this? Is anything really free in this life? I doubt, not even in Freetown. Somebody paid, is paying or would pay for it. Furthermore, I am convinced that you owe some people your existence; your parents, who decided to bring you to the world, without your choice; the community you found yourself without your choice; those over 40million potentially 'greater' sperm cells you defeated in the womb, denying them the living ticket (in fact, these ones go curse your generation die!); and you without your choice! They all combined to give you a second reason to exist aside the first reason from your Creator. But, this is rather getting too religious, it is not my topic!
Now, the opponents of this motion have a contrasting sharp view. To them, suicide is nothing but undiluted cowardice. As there is no difference between it and running away from challenges and or battle fronts. An equation that looks like cutting off the head completely because of headache (of whatever magnitude), when there are options of drugs. Can a soldier who runs away from the battle front ever be celebrated? No, not by his friends not by his enemies, not even by his wife at home or children, let alone his kits and kins. It is always a shameful scenacrio.
To buttress their points, they as well label suicide as being an act of a failed mind. According to them, the first estate a man was given to manage is himself. As such, no man can lead and or manage others without first leading and managing himself. If suicide becomes the last option as you face hard times, you have simply failed yourself as a leader and manager. Logically, if you are to lead people, and you reach that zone where the battle is fiercest, you would either run away and leave them or give everybody up to the adversary. You, thus become a sheep leading an army of helpless lions.
Well, as a faithfull and practicing sociologist, nobody here is absolutely right or wrong. If you are to the right you are right and if you are to the left you are still right, depending on how you view it. However, in this case, I am to the right; SUICIDE IS COWARDICE! I leave the aspect of it being a sin or not to religious people. As a matter of fact, if suicide were compulsory, and attendance is to be taken for, surely, I would be penalized for late coming. Because I would have exhausted my apportioned life span and died a natural death before I commit suicide. I for one, would prefer to pack my loads and go live with animals in the jungle, separating from every human and being than commit suicide. ONLY ONE THING CAN MAKE ME TO COMMIT SUICIDE, AND THAT IS NOTHING!
Dearly beloved, I beseech you to be an emulator of me, "where suicide is considered an option,
Why not give living a better notion" (SPIC AFRIKA 2019). And if life gives you a thousand and one reason to end it all, give life just ONE reason to start it all. No, this is going motivational, it's not my topic!
As I close this window, as much as I would have loved to join the crowd in praying that God should take away from us and prevent unpleasant rains that would make us to commit suicide from falling "patapata", I would rather pray that God should always provide us with resilient umbrellas and thick raincoats when it does fall, because, surely, it will...Amen!
©Bonifresh Pen
The Village Writer✍🏼
08108135589
bonifreshpen@gmail.com
Tags:
Opinion