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Loneliness is an emotion best shared. Try it, you'll find those thoughts of wandering through torrential rain on a cold dark night go seemingly out the window; or at least, out of ones mind for a few moments. Loneliness is a dangerous emotion, and it can become even more dangerous were it allowed to envelop the mind of a young person. This sad fact is reflected in the numbers of depressed youth in today’s world. Perhaps even sadder, are those cruel and heartless figures which symbolize those that couldn’t make it through the struggle - the suicide rates.
The object here is not to assume all those young people who killed themselves at some stage were lonely. Some may have been overwhelmed by peer pressures, others by being caught up in an environment that is either violent or otherwise just as destructive, and sought an end to their suffering. But ultimately, their last moments were probably alone. And there lies the tragedy.
All conflicts can be resolved, but always only through dialogue.
Dialogue ends the loneliness and isolation two people can feel between them. A loneliness that, though clouded in rage or anger or hurt or pain or despair, feels as real as the physical isolation they experiencing. While at first it seems unrealistic to apply the same theory to nations, the answer to the question of 'why not?' seems as elusive as that of the question of 'how?'
How: Apply the process of dialogue as the first and only line of defense. While I’m not one to appreciate hearing the words 'in the interest of national security' this moment isn’t the place to debate the importance of having a national interest or not. But here, right now, is the time to debate the principal of peace - that the smartest thing to do is to take the bullets out of the gun.
Taking the bullets out of the gun doesn't mean you are now defenseless. Instead it opens quite a number of channels for conflict resolution. What kind of nation would it be who would take advantage of another’s pacifism? Not a very nice one! Such an action would however, inevitably create an opportunity for an isolated (and lonely!) nation - like today’s Iraq - and give them the prerogative when it comes to negotiation.
Do not get me wrong, Hussein is no person to be in charge of a country, weapons of mass destruction or not. But he is one who will gain the upper hand should he allow weapons inspectors in (which he has) and free political prisoners (which he has) and alleviate the oppressive policies restricting the Kurds in the north (which he has). The point is, Hussein is buying his time through doing what we want him to do.
And what does all this have to do with Youth Suicide and loneliness and peace in the middle-east?
Simple: along the lines somewhere there was a breakdown in communication. At some point in time the west turned its back on Iraq, then George Bush the first was forced to deal with it. Then the world turned its back on Iraq again, and now his son is left to deal with a despot who has essentially become caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
At some point in time there was a breakdown in communication with those lonely young people who were either overwhelmed, or scared, or angry at the world they lived in. They were souls caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. At some point we as a society failed to acknowledge them and their problems. And now here we are, dealing with a problem that should have been avoided completely in the beginning but in all our worry about ourselves and where we were going. We forgot to look up around us and ask if our fellow person was alright.
Taking the bullets out of the gun is one thing, but ensuring that there never needs to be a gun in the first place is an even more guaranteed method of ensuring peace and friendship. The moral of this story is that a friend is only a friend when cared after and welcomed, and never taken for granted.
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Mike
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Comments
Powerful Lauren B | Jan 26th, 2003
A wonderful article on not only the dangerous emotions we feel but also on how to improve our socities.
Lonliness... many in my community have felt it. So many students I knew resorted to suicide. I am sure that other communities have felt it too. I used to be one of those troubled young people. I still have trouble like anyone else but I would never take my own life or anyone else's. What scares me is that really, not long ago I would have taken my own. I know the internal struggle that reaches everyone at some point in their lives.
Applying the concept of communication to international relationships is a brilliant idea. Sure, one cane say that we communicate but whether we are doing it effectively is a completely different issue. By giving our support to others who are desperate we can begin the mending proccess.
You're too smart, Mike! :)
GOD'S LOVE TANYA YVONNE HUDSON | Jul 2nd, 2004
I HAVE A STORY THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH THE YOUNG. I AM A YOUNG WOMAN THAT WAS SAVED FROM SUICIDE 20HRS AGO. I, TOO, WAS VERY ANGRY AND LONELY MY WHOLE LIFE. THOSE TWO WORDS MADE MY WEB. AS A LITTLE CHILD, I WAS ALWAYS TEASED ABOUT BEING CROSS-EYED, AND I WAS NEVER EVER ACCEPTED. THIS CAUSE ALOT OF MENTAL DAMAGE. IT HURT ME SO BAD THAT I BEGAN TO HAVE IMAGNIARY FREINDS AS A COMFORT ZONE AWAY FROM WHAT WAS GOING ON IN REAL LIFE. LITTLE DID I KNOW WHAT I WAS IN FOR. AS I BEGAN TO GROW INTO MY TEENS, THE LAUGHTER ABOUT ME CONTINUED. BY THEN, I HAD LOST HOPE, WAS LONLEY, ANGRY, VERY DISTANT, AND HAD LOST SELF WORTHINESS. I REMAINED IN A TRANCE MY WHOLE LIFE.THAT TRANCE WAS WITH ME EVERYWHERE I WENT, EVEN IN CHURCH. I WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH MYSELF, ARGUE WITH MYSELF, I TELL YOU IT WAS A DEMON THAT HAD DEVELOPED IN ME. THIS DEAMON CAUSED ME TO LOSE IN EVERYTHING I WAS TRYING TO DO IN LIFE. I COULDN'T KEEP A JOB, COULDN'T STAY IN COLLEGE, AND COULDN'T GAIN ANYTHING BUT MORE LOSS OF HOPE AND MORE LONELINESS. MY MENTAL PROBLEM GOT EVEN WORSE. IT BEGAN TO CREEP UPON ME IN THE WHEE HOURS OF THE NIGHT. I WOULD WAKE UP AT TWO AND THREE AM WITHOUT FAIL, ARGUING WITH MYSELF, CURSING, THREATING TO KILL PEOPLE THAT WERE NOT EVEN THERE, THIS DESTROYED MY MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT. I WAS GOING ON MY SEVENTH MONTH WITHOUT ANOTHER JOB. I KNEW THAT I HAD BEEN APPLING LEFT AND RIGHT BUT NOBODY WAS CALLING ME BACK. I FIGURED HTAT NOBODY WANTED ME AND THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT FOR ME TO DO BUT DIE. DRUGS AND ALCHOHOL WERE CALLING ME TO DO THEM, BUT INSTEAD, I WENT TO A GUN SHOP WITH MY DEBT CARD AND WAS GETTING READY TO PURCHASE A "32" WITH BULLETS, WHEN THE LORD SPOKE TO ME AND SAID, CALL YOUR MOTHER. MY MOTHER ON THE PHONE, TOLD ME TO PUT THE GUN DOWN AND GET OUT OF THE STORE RIGHT THEN. I WAS CRYING TERRIBLIY BECAUSE I KNEW THAT MY EARLY MORING RANTINGS AND RAVINS WERE KEEPING HER UPSET AND I FELT AS THOUGH I JUST NEEDED TO GET OUTOF EVERYONES LIFE. I KNEW SATAN HAD ME, BUT THANK GOD THAT MY MOTHER TAUGHT US ABOUT THE LORD. I SAY TO ALL YOUNG PEOPLE, SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS LOVE WILL BE RESTORED UPON YOU. RIGHT NOW, I AM PRASING GOD AS I AM TELLING YOU THIS. I LOVE YOU AND GOD LOVES YOU TOO. YOU CAN OVERCOME THIS. IF I DID IT, YOU CAN TOO. GOD LOVES YOU AND HE HAS SO MUCH MORE FOR YOU THAN WHAT THE DEVIL IS TRYING TO DO. TAKE YOUR PEACE AND SANITY BACK. PLEASE, I AM BEGGING YOU.
GOD BLESS YOU,
TANYA YVONNE HUDSON
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