Suicide note response #13, slightly edited just to clean it up:

Date: 2003-09-25, 11:49AM

I lost someone to suicide recently, and it is one of the most shaking experiences one can endure. He was frustrated and thought his life worthless, deciding that suicide was the best call. He didn't listen to the people around him offering help. The emotions it leaves behind are overwhelming, and I always wonder what I could have done different, or what would he do if he was here. I can only tell you that those who you think don't give a shit will be hurting for a long time. Your life means something to them.

Death is inevitable, why choose it at 32?

This is a good response. The writer gives some insight into the person she knew, but doesn’t project any of that onto the Craig’s List suicide. She tells her personal experience and what it looked and felt like afterwards. No judgments or accusations, just telling him from experience that the survivors will be hurting. This is the kind of response I imagine from someone who was hurt, may be still hurting, but has taken the responsibility and effort to heal.

Ironically for me, she presents the suicide in a way that I pity him. I don’t think his reasons were good enough, and I don’t think he should have done it. If she’s right about what she wrote, this is a selfish suicide and a slap in the face of people around him.

He thought his life was worthless and that was a reason for leaving it. He made that decision for everyone else, he projected it on them, and he was wrong. If he didn’t listen to people, that’s selfish. And if people are around you offering help and you still go and do it, even I can’t support that.

For me, life feeling worthless is not a good reason to go. If you're frustrated with life, I don't think that's a good enough reason to go. Everyone has to go some time, so if you're gonna choose when yourself, you might as well go with some peace of mind. The catch, of course, is that if you have some peace of mind, you'll often choose not to go.

With all my responses to these responses, I should clarify that I don't condone or support suicide for anyone. I also don't condone or support condemning them or prospective suicides. I just wish our society had a healthier acceptance of death and understanding of suicide.