October 17, 2011
I had to post something about the suicide of Jamie Hubley, a 15-year-old Ottawa student who killed himself on Saturday after battling depression and being constantly taunted for being openly gay.
This isn't the first time it's happened and reading about it has always bothered me. But there's something about this story that just fills me with a rage down to my very core. Apparently Jamie kept an account of his feelings on Tumblr, where he spoke of his depression and how his medications weren't working.
It bothers me more than words describe that people out there reach a point that they feel the only solution is to take their own lives. It fills me with anger to think that there are people out there who can't accept a 15-year-old boy for who he is: an openly gay teenager, who (as mentioned in the article above) made life so much more bearable for his friends, but couldn't find the strength within himself to carry on. He wrote about his pain for a month. I don't doubt that his friends and family reached out to him numerous times during that month to try and help him, but it was clearly not resonating.
Hatred and unnecessary viciousness has taken another life this weekend and it hurts me to think about it. I don't think it's going to do any help to judge school authorities and whether they did their job or not in stopping the bullying. Nor am I going to question whether the school had the appropriate support means for Jamie to turn to when his thoughts turned to suicide. But clearly, Canada and the world needs to wake up and realize that more can - and must - be done.
I know this post isn't the most well-thought out or articulate, but it's my gut reaction to the awful events. I cannot express how sad I feel for Jamie's family and friends, despite never knowing any of them. Nor can I express adequately how angry I am that there are people in this world, in the year 2011, who cannot accept people who are "different" and judge them based on who they love. It's shameful and somehow we need to collectively come together and stop it.
Thanks for adding a voice to this sad and urgent cause. I don't know if you've been following it at all but Lady Gaga's work and voice in the field is pretty impressive and well worth a look. We should all be champions of this cause, voices for the voiceless.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I agree Josh. No matter what the reason, it's awfully to think that anyone could get so sad, so frustrated with life that they just don't want to live it anymore. It does hurt. I like to believe maybe people will hear this story and change the way they are around people, reach out positively more often... but then you just keep hearing stories like this. It's so sad :(
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