Victimless??

I read a story this morning about a 65-year old man who rented a pistol at a shooting range and then fatally shot himself. It brings to mind my own experience with a gun-wielding man who, in his attempt to rob the bank I worked at, held a gun to my head and threatened to shoot me, but ended up shooting himself, literally blowing his own head completely off. It left me with a lifetime of memories of the decimation of a sawed off shotgun used at close range, took away some fragment of my ability to feel totally free and safe and will be a permanent part of my own history.

"No one else was injured" is a common statement in these stories, but I have to disagree as it does not take into account anything other than physical injuries. OK, so no one else was shot with a gun by the 65-year old man, but someone had to find his body, call the authorities and deal with the clean up of the mess left by his chosen method to end his life. His family and friends will forever have the emotional trauma of knowing that he made the choice to end his life in such a violent, public manner. The employee(s) who found him will have to go to their place of business every day and find little reminders of this man's angst, and, as was the case for me, probably even find parts of the mess that didn't get totally cleaned up. They will wonder each time they rent out a gun, sign in a customer, "Will s/he do this too?" It's a life-changing experience, and while they weren't shot, or stabbed or maimed physically, they have been wounded psychologically. Their wounds will take a very long time to heal and they will leave permanent scars. I think that qualifies as "injured" and these people are victims, just as if they had been shot.

So what is the message? I am an avid fan of gun control. Once you've had one stuck in your face, you begin to appreciate just how scary they truly are. I am also an advocate for assisted suicide. If you decide you want out, there should be a way to go, without leaving a mess for someone who didn't ask to be part of your personal drama- someone who might like to continue to feel safe and free. We call this euthanization for the pets that we bring into our lives. It's the "humane" thing to do, but somehow it's not humane enough for people.

I am left without a snappy punchline for this rant. Fitting, I suppose, since there really isn't any solution to either the issue of allowing people to leave this earth in their own time or finding ways to help the victims of these so-called victimless crimes.