Although I did not know the young man personally, I felt a
certain sadness about his suicide. Why had someone presumably in the
prime of his life feel compelled to end his own life? It was a mystery,
the answer to which may never be known. There will be speculation, and
some clues will be available. The desperation and despair he felt was
not evident to those around him, but he must have felt overwhelmed so
much that he could take it no longer. The pain must have been unbearable
for him.
This particular young adult male was married with seemingly a loving wife and healthy young children. He had a job and appeared to have a good life. He seemed to have faith and actively practiced his religion. His life had looked relatively easy and pleasant to others. Yet there were obviously big problems. His health and fitness were at stake without others knowing it.
The sadness of suicide affects many lives. The warning signs may be undetectable to loved ones who see the person everyday. Sometimes people do not talk about their problems and concerns, but they suffer in silence until they perform the unthinkable act of ending their life.
After the start of World War II when the United States was at war with Japan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. This order gave authority to the military commander to remove any persons from designated areas. Japanese Americans and immigrants of Japanese descent who were guilty of no crime were forcibly removed from their West Coast homes. Most were incarcerated for several years in what are now known as "American concentration camps" where life was difficult. It was clearly a racist move against people who were ethnic Japanese.
Most of these people suffered the embarrassment, shame, and hardship of incarceration in the camps as best they could. Their lives had been disrupted. They had lost their homes and livelihood. They were treated as criminals. Their physical health and mental state were affected.
After the war ended, those incarcerated were sent on their way. Some tried to return to their old lives, but most people had lost everything. Those who took it hardest seemed to be the first generation immigrants from Japan who were the husbands and fathers of families. Although these men were not that old after the end of the war with most being in their fifties or forties, they felt discouraged and depressed with no means of providing for their families. Suicide became the way out for some men, which caused more devastation for those who remained.
The sadness of suicide was another of the casualties which resulted from the unjust incarceration of innocent people when the Constitution did not protect even citizens and legal resident immigrants of the United States.
This particular young adult male was married with seemingly a loving wife and healthy young children. He had a job and appeared to have a good life. He seemed to have faith and actively practiced his religion. His life had looked relatively easy and pleasant to others. Yet there were obviously big problems. His health and fitness were at stake without others knowing it.
The sadness of suicide affects many lives. The warning signs may be undetectable to loved ones who see the person everyday. Sometimes people do not talk about their problems and concerns, but they suffer in silence until they perform the unthinkable act of ending their life.
After the start of World War II when the United States was at war with Japan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. This order gave authority to the military commander to remove any persons from designated areas. Japanese Americans and immigrants of Japanese descent who were guilty of no crime were forcibly removed from their West Coast homes. Most were incarcerated for several years in what are now known as "American concentration camps" where life was difficult. It was clearly a racist move against people who were ethnic Japanese.
Most of these people suffered the embarrassment, shame, and hardship of incarceration in the camps as best they could. Their lives had been disrupted. They had lost their homes and livelihood. They were treated as criminals. Their physical health and mental state were affected.
After the war ended, those incarcerated were sent on their way. Some tried to return to their old lives, but most people had lost everything. Those who took it hardest seemed to be the first generation immigrants from Japan who were the husbands and fathers of families. Although these men were not that old after the end of the war with most being in their fifties or forties, they felt discouraged and depressed with no means of providing for their families. Suicide became the way out for some men, which caused more devastation for those who remained.
The sadness of suicide was another of the casualties which resulted from the unjust incarceration of innocent people when the Constitution did not protect even citizens and legal resident immigrants of the United States.
