"Time takes a cigarette, puts it in your mouth..."

I've been in a pretty grim mood lately, so I thought I'd drop by The Wikipedia list of Famous Suicides. It's a sobering collection of sad stories, a kind of monument to cruelty and misery.





There are plenty of names you might know, like Budd Dwyer, the politician who shot himself on national television (inspiration for the Filter song "Hey Man Nice Shot"), punk rocker Darby Crash, as well as a few incredibly tragic stories you might not know, like that of Ota Benga, a human being - an African tribesman - brought to America and put on display alongside monkeys, and Peg Entwhistle, who jumped to her death off the "Hollywood" sign.

Who knows how many creative voices have been silenced by suicide? As a person who comes from a long line of suicides, it's a subject that's close to my own heart.

Think about how many of your own fellow human beings might just very well be right on the edge of making that last drastic attempt to end their misery. Think about what you can do to help them. Think about being a little bit more humane, a little kinder. And if you're thinking of killing yourself, for God's sake get help.