Shooting at 2A

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aviator41

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Unless you've been at the bottom with no where else to turn, no one to turn to or no one to listen, don't talk to me about selfishness.
Shear desperation with no positive end in sight.
I can understand it.
Problem is, people that are struglling don't see that the next day may be better or that thing usually improve.
The feeling of no where else to turn and that things will only get worse is a feeling of helplessnes and loss.

Edit; sorry if that seemed harsh, depression is very real and affect people in different ways

Couldn't have said any better. not harsh at all. When folks fail to understand what depression is they fail to be a part of the solution. Those that are clinically depress can't just "snap out of it" - or simply "be happy" or "get over it."

One of the things humanity seems to have lost is compassion for their fellow man(or woman) regardless of their own understanding of a disease or station in life.
 

KOPBET

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This kind of thing really bothers me in more ways than one. Besides the human tragedy that just unfolded, another thing that scares the bejesus out of me is what if this suicidal individual decided he needs to take out a few others at 2A with him? I know that could happen at ANY range, but there are just SO many people in that range that you can't possibly be aware of what's going on around you at all times. I will probably continue to go in there to shoot, but I'm not sure I ever want to go there alone. I'll have to think that one over.
 

OKCHunter

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I hope my post did not come across as one without compassion. I just simply have never hit a point in life where I thought the only way out was to end it. I’m an optimistic person by nature and look at life’s challenges as just another situation to overcome. I guess my thinking is does someone committing suicide consider the impact on those left behind. Aviator41 - sorry to hear about your loss.

By the way, I lost a 20 year old daughter, not to suicide but to an unknown manner / cause determined by the ME. That offers a special kind of Hell; especially for my wife. But, I’m raising two great kids as a result.
 
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Annie

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I hope my post did not come across as one without compassion. I just simply have never hit a point in life where I thought the only way out was to end it. I’m an optimistic person by nature and look at life’s challenges as just another situation to overcome. I guess my thinking is does someone committing suicide consider the impact on those left behind. Aviator41 - sorry to hear about your loss.

I was gonna let it go but given aviator's post I feel like I should explain something to you guys who think suicide is a selfish action. I have never been a suicidal person. I was the person who always figured tomorrow would be better, whether than was actually the case or not. Like you I'm an eternal optimist.

Several years I had a bad reaction to some medication the doctor put me on. One of the side effects was suicidal ideation.

I spent the better part of several weeks researching how to kill myself because I was absolutely completely convinced that everyone I cared about would be better off if I was gone. Thankfully, the old man picked up on me being "off" and after I stopped taking the medication I was back to my old self.

But let me stress I was completely convinced those I loved would be so much better off if they didn't have the burden of having me around. Everyone I have ever spoken to who has also felt like ending their life said the same thing -- that they felt they would be doing those they cared most about a favor and their family and friends would be better if they were gone.

And at the time it made perfect sense to me. My heart absolutely breaks for anyone who has ever felt that way -- or who has lost a loved one to suicide. It's not something you can make sense of. Because at the time, for the person contemplating it, it seems like the most logical thing in the world.
 
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mouthpiece

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I hope my post did not come across as one without compassion. I just simply have never hit a point in life where I thought the only way out was to end it. I’m an optimistic person by nature and look at life’s challenges as just another situation to overcome. I guess my thinking is does someone committing suicide consider the impact on those left behind.....

No hard feelings and that gives me another perspective that I appreciate.

I am a pessimistic person by nature and have had some very very low points in my life, how I did not end it, I have no idea. Suicide was not much of a thought for me but just understanding why I would want to live or go on in the curcumstances at the time, made living very hard. Knowing I had others to support made me go on and be there for them. As I've aged and looked back, I've come to understand that those situations were rarely what they seemed to be.

I've Been dealing with some close family situations recently and they seem much worse than anything I ever had to deal with as a young father with a family, and my past perspective of life has helped me counsel them and somewhat try to get them to see that things always seem to work themselves out.

For you guys that have lost children, I am truly sorry.
I have lived with the fear of my kids doing something like this for about 4 years now.
I wasn't a great father, I worked too much. Now I am paying for it.

Edit; as far as thinking of others, I think one gets so far down that there is no thought of others and how it will affect them, only that the pain is so great that they can't take it any longer.
 
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SABOT

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That sucks, one of my biggest fears when shooting at a public range is seeing something like the this happen. It's not the first time this has happened there.
 

gerhard1

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I was gonna let it go but given aviator's post I feel like I should explain something to you guys who think suicide is a selfish action. I have never been a suicidal person. I was the person who always figured tomorrow would be better, whether than was actually the case or not. Like you I'm an eternal optimist.

Several years I had a bad reaction to some medication the doctor put me on. One of the side effects was suicidal ideation.

I spent the better part of several weeks researching how to kill myself because I was absolutely completely convinced that everyone I cared about would be better off if I was gone. Thankfully, the old man picked up on me being "off" and after I stopped taking the medication I was back to my old self.

But let me stress I was completely convinced those I loved would be so much better off if they didn't have the burden of having me around. Everyone I have ever spoken to who has also felt like ending their life said the same thing -- that they felt they would be doing those they cared most about a favor and their family and friends would be better if they were gone.

And at the time it made perfect sense to me. My heart absolutely breaks for anyone who has ever felt that way -- or who has lost a loved one to suicide. It's not something you can make sense of. Because at the time, for the person contemplating it, it seems like the most logical thing in the world.
I'm glad you're still with us, hon.

FWIW, there was one time I was seriously thinking about doing myself in, but obviously I decided not to. The issue for me was the same thing that the Isla Vista killer, Elliot Rodgers was going through: a crushing loneliness. Thanks to some training I had, I felt that this was a mood, and I decided to tough it out.

There have been some tough times in my life since then, but I'm glad I did.
 

aviator41

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I hope my post did not come across as one without compassion. I just simply have never hit a point in life where I thought the only way out was to end it. I’m an optimistic person by nature and look at life’s challenges as just another situation to overcome. I guess my thinking is does someone committing suicide consider the impact on those left behind. Aviator41 - sorry to hear about your loss.

By the way, I lost a 20 year old daughter, not to suicide but to an unknown manner / cause determined by the ME. That offers a special kind of Hell; especially for my wife. But, I’m raising two great kids as a result.

My daughter was 22. she had just graduated college in May 2017. We lost her July 10, 2017. It was sensless and heatbreaking. I had never felt like a failure as a parent until that day. She is one of 4 kiddos ranging from 24 to 17. I am still dealing with feelings of being an inadequate parent, but I know it will get better some day.
 

MacFromOK

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For those of us that cannot comprehend the suicide state of mind, it is just that... incomprehensible.

Personally, I'm in the camp of my late brother. If it looks like I committed suicide, you should start looking for a murderer, because things cannot get so bad that I just can't move on down the road.

Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to everyone.

FWIW, that brother died of a massive heart attack the month he turned 41 (and the month I turned 30).

31 years ago (this month), and I still miss him. :/
 

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