Whether suicide should be legal or not is often an issue because it’s difficult to punish the deceased. In Hungary, India, North Korea and Singapore, consequences are in place for attempting suicide. Imprisonment and fines are in line for failed suicide attempts, and property of the deceased may be seized in some cases.
In the United States, suicide is a common law crime, but suicide is a right granted to the individual, and repercussions should not involve the law.
The Declaration of Independence states individuals “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” If an individual has a right to life, he should do with it as he or she pleases, including taking it.
People have a right to their own lives, and it is not the place of the government to tell us what we can and can’t do with it. Killing oneself is a monumental decision requiring an incredible amount of time and thought.
People don’t decide to kill themselves without complete certainty.
With suicide prevention week recently ending, the topic is still fresh in everyone’s mind. However, suicide’s prominence will eventually fade and suicide prevention will not be as strongly promoted in a couple of weeks. Suicide is often taboo within the media, as it is typically a grim subject to discuss in excess.
According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 41,149 individuals committed suicide in 2013. Shockingly, there were only 14,196 homicide cases. The suicide rate was more than double the murder rate, but which received more attention?
Due to the morose nature of the subject, suicide does not receive much attention, except for the one week in September. Suicide must be more widely accepted as a fact of life. As of 2013, the National Alliance on Mental Illness claims about 6.7 percent of the American population suffers from severe depression, making it an unavoidable subject.
There are a lot of depressed people in the world, and many turn to suicide as a solution. According to usnews.com, suicide was higher last year than in the last 25 years. Suicide is a lot more prevalent today than many years past. If a loved one commits suicide, an incredible amount of psychological distress remains in their wake. Potential suit and public judgement are no way to react to the issue.
Suicide’s increased popularity calls for a different reaction. In a world where suicide will always exist, we may as well learn to cope with and accept it.
People condemning suicide don’t understand every experience with depression is unique. People contemplating suicide undergo tremendous amounts of pain in their everyday lives. This concept is not understood by most people, which amplifies depressive feelings of isolation.
Considering suicide selfish is incredibly ignorant. Living in blissful ignorance, the common man typically does not understand the pains of living in constant agony. Judging their situation holds little weight. Wanting the constant pain to stop is a human-like reaction, and is in no way selfish. About 90 percent of those who commit suicide are suffering from a mental illness, according to multiple sources, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
If suicide is not so frowned upon, people will be more open with their thoughts and feelings. Suicide’s acceptance will lead to an easier preventative process, as depression will not remain as hidden. Suicide is the result of depression, and human empathy is the solution.

Kain Hingle is a 19-year-old psychology sophomore from Mandeville, Louisiana. You can follow him on Twitter @kain_hingle.