Men carry a tremendous burden in our society

EDITOR: Before I begin let me say thanks to BRAGSA for doing some work on the Murrays Village road where the terrible holes were filled. It does make life easier for the vehicles traversing there.

Other thanks must be extended the honorable Prime Minister for giving the residents of the Lewis Punnett home a nice and better place. Although it is a temporary residence it is indeed much more comfortable and better than where they were at Glen. I trust that when the current structure at Glen which will be renovated is completed that it will be even better than the present location.

Editor, a closer look at suicide will show that it is mostly committed by males and also teenagers. Several reasons can be advanced as causes for suicide and in particular in males and teens. However, I simply mention two of the main reasons: males carry lots of weight and are many times burdened with issues that they face. Some are even abused. But as society puts it, if a man complains about abuse he is seen as weak and a ‘sissy’ so in his mind his reaction is to either kill the abuser or take his own life. Coupled with it is the fact that even the police sometimes look down on a man who makes a report of abuse and so they refuse to take action. This leaves the victim to act on his own.

We know that more attention

is given to the female and so the male is seen as the one who should take charge, but without proper leadership and guidance at home and support from society a male resorts to his own action of either killing or committing suicide.

There is also a lack of trust and rejection. It is indeed hard to find someone trustworthy. We have become a society of commess that we are glad to publish someone’s problem, be it domestic or otherwise. Even sometimes we become judgmental and condemning. When we do that the victim sees himself in a world all by himself where he feels no one cares and no one loves him.

Therefore he resorts to suicide for he sees no hope. He may try his best to put things under control, but in the case of abuse, he can walk away but many times there is the rejection and perception of society if a man walks away from an abusive relationship.

It all boils down to support, trust and understanding of the victim. We have to become less condemning, judgmental and more understanding, supportive and loving. We have to cast aside the scorn and ridicule that are given to males who are suffering emotionally and even mentally. This topic will be developed at another time.

Kennard King