Suicide is not a laughing matter

Aaron Josef Hernandez is dead. It appears that it happened at his own hand, just as the deaths of others appear to have been. He was found guilty of one of those murders and was serving time. I understand all of that. Still, I am not in agreement at all with the folks who are applauding his suicide or make what I consider inappropriate "jokes." I am not here to praise Hernandez - far from it, but he was a human being and I am saddened when anyone loses their way. It is possible to loathe and to denounce the things he did and feel some sympathy for him and for his family. 

Two days after a murder that another killer recorded on video and posted to Facebook, that alleged killer apparently took his own life. During the abc-tv program The View yesterday, Whoppi Goldberg announced that they had just heard of the apparent suicide.  The audience applauded, until Whoppi held up her hands and asked for quiet. We know little about this man, but I know one thing. Like Hernandez, he was a human being. Please don't misunderstand. Randomly killing that 74-year-old was a horrible thing, but then taking his own life was not something to be cheered or joked about either.

I'm sure a good many of you will disagree with me today, and that is fine. I just don't understand cheering the demise of anyone. I don't understand that at all. Suicide is not a laughing matter and should not warrant applause. I have heard attacks on many famous people who have taken their own lives, and I think that is wrong. Suicidal tendencies need to be dealt with, and when we miss them and someone's life ends, we need to mourn, because we have lost - one death is too many. We need to learn and go forward, not with joy over the passing of a human being, but with determination to stop all killing,