Unfettered Letters

Caring for our troops

As a veteran of W.W.II and Korea, I have been trying to get people to send letters or boxes so the troops know that somebody cares.

The reason they are committing suicide is because no one cares. I have been there.

Henry Weaver
Kansas City

Suicide prevention

More needs to be done to prevent suicide, a public health problem that claims a life every 16 minutes in the United States. However, stigma and misconceptions about mental illnesses and suicide continue to be barriers.

Because National Suicide Prevention Week begins today, I would like to use this time to encourage the public to learn more about suicide. For example, research shows that more than 90 percent of people who die by suicide have an underlying, although not always diagnosed, psychiatric illness at the time of their deaths.

On Sept. 30, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will conduct one of their Out of the Darkness Community Walks at Shawnee Mission Park, 7900 Renner Road, Shawnee. Funds will support suicide prevention research and education as well as local programs.

Walk with us and help bring suicide “out of the darkness.” Together we can help save lives. For more information and to register for the walk visit www.outofthedarkness.org.

Jackie Keitel
Kansas City

Questions about ending life

I was watching the media with interest after Dr. Jack Kevorkian was released from prison. I expected to see a lot of coverage and debate on this controversial figure, but interestingly, not very much was said.
Ever since I have become aware of Dr. Kevorkian and what he was doing with doctor-assisted suicide, I have thought about the topic quite a bit and wondered why more people do not see the similarities between assisted suicide and abortion.
If a woman can unilaterally decide to end the life of a fetus growing inside of her, simply because our society’s laws say it is legal for her to do so, then why do our society and its laws not allow a terminally ill, conscious adult to take his or her own life with the help of a medical doctor?
I am not saying I do not respect a woman’s right to choose, but if that’s the case, shouldn’t a seriously ill adult be allowed to choose as well? Or for that matter, using the current logic regarding abortion, the adult should not even have to be terminally ill to have a medical professional assist him or her in suicide.
Terry Mire
Kansas City