Accidents are defined as an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty. (Dictionary. com) Accidents can occur in different types, some include workplace accidents, traffic while on the road, at home, while engaged in sports, some due to negligence or carelessness by an individual. The worst type of accidents can result in serious bodily injury and even death. Drowning for example, kills almost five thousand people in the United States each year, and alcohol is involved in 40 percent of the time (how we die).
It’s tragic to hear about children who come up missing and get discovered at the bottom of a swimming pool. Most times the parents left them unattended or the children just wandered off. Car accidents can be the also be a leading cause of injuries. In the United States in 2012 alone, over 5. 6 million car accidents were reported. Of these, over 30,000 of were fatal and another 1. 6 million involved other injuries. http://injury. findlaw. com/car-accidents/types-of-car-accident-injuries. html.
Drunk driving has always been a major issue with adults as well as teenagers, alcohol is a factor in approximately 50 percent of motor vehicle deaths in the United States (How we die). Despite the rise in alternative modes of transportation, people still choose to get behind the wheel after being intoxicated. Companies like UBER and LYFT have become so popular and convenient offering services by simply requesting their services on your smart phone. Many establishments encourage and cater to designated drivers to try and help the situation.
Law enforcement enforces a 0 tolerance approach to try and educate the public, violators receive fines, probation sentences, DUI classes, trips to the county morgue, some go to jail depending on the severity of the incident. Checkpoints are common especially after large events or long popular holiday weekends, all in an effort to try and stop drunk driving in order to save lives. With the evolution in technology and smart phones, distracted driving has also become a big problem. Talking or texting on your phone has become such a big problem that the courts have imposed hefty fines for those who violate this law.
Many states have adopted the hands free driving law; this not only applies to texting or talking on your phone but also doing other things such as eating or putting make up on while driving. Often we see graphic photos of totaled cars where the driver was texting or talking on the phone. One particular add tells how the young driver’s last sent text was, “I’ll be home soon” before slamming into an eighteen wheeler. Movies like The Fast and the Furious glorify fast erratic driving in modified race-like cars driven mostly by young teenagers with the need for speed.
Tragic deaths like that of Paul Walker, the star of the Fast and the Furious in 2013 was an example of such a problem. Paul Walker was passenger in a fast sports car which was said to be traveling in excess speed of 100 MPH. Hollywood mourned his death and paid their respects, but as it’s said, “The show must go on” A sequel is more than likely in the works and show businesses probably benefited from this tragedy. This however does not deter young drivers from driving erratically without due regards for their own lives as well as the lives of others.
Some 35 percent of major injuries are sustained by automobile occupants and another 7 percent by motorcyclists, Pedestrian accidents make up to 7 to 8 percent, an additional 17 percent result from falls, which so often involve the very old and the very young. (How we die) Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s death, this act is caused by a number of different reasons. Each year, some thirty thousand Americans commit suicide, and most of them are young adults (how we die) Suicide is now the third-leading cause of death in those young age groups.
More than half a million young Americans are known to try suicide each year, plus an undiscoverable other huge group of those whose attempts are never discovered. It is very unfortunate but too common in all walks of life, it does not discriminate and affects people of all genders, ages, and ethnicities. What doesn’t normally change are the reasons why people choose to end their own lives. Some of these characteristics include depression, mental disorders, substance abuse or any combination of these. Family history of suicide or prior attempts also play a big role; family violence or sexual abuse can also be factors.
The way people choose to end their lives vary in several ways, having access to guns, combined with substance abuse and any of the above mentioned characteristics is a recipe for disaster. People will sometimes take a lethal dose of medication mixed with a drug or alcohol, others will lay on tracks at an on- coming train, an old but effective way is to simply hang themselves using a rope or any long object and stand on a chair. Most of these victims have in their minds concluded that there is no hope, will to live, and that is their solution.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the tenth leading cause in the United States, each year, 42,773 Americans die of suicide and on average, there are approximately 117 suicides per day (https://afsp. org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics) Suicides among teenagers is also growing rapidly, many teenagers commit suicide because of bullying at school, others because of social and personality issues, they feel they cannot take the pressure of being a teenager and live up to what their friends or society expects from them.
What’s also become too common in our country are school shootings, Columbine is a perfect example of this tragedy. Sadly, enough that was just the beginning, more and more have happened since, not to mention the number of threats schools receive each year. Some plots get uncovered before they occur, most times the reasons for these teenagers to commit these acts are just unreasonable. I interviewed a Los Angeles Police officer by the name of Peter who has been on the job for twenty-one years and worked the streets most of his career.
Peter said he has responded to a large number of suicides throughout his career. In his opinion, all of these suicides could have been prevented and did not need to happen. Some of them include financial problems where the person has hit a dead end and cannot provide for their family, terminally illness is another reason for suicides as well as relationship problems. Many are a combination of one of these problems combined with the use of alcohol or drugs which led that person to complete the act. Peter recalls going to a suicide scene where the person was playing around with a . 5 caliber revolver and was taunting his wife that he was playing Russian roulette.
The gun went off killing him instantly, his wife said he had been distraught over bills. It was hard to determine if this had been a suicide or a negligent accident on his part. Suicide is accepted in some parts of the world; in others it is considered as bad as killing another. In some countries suicide is viewed as an honorable way to end a bad or unfortunate situation. In the Hinduism religion for example, one of the ways in which suicide is acceptable is by fasting.
This process is called “Prayopavesha” and requires much thought and time to prepare that the individual is certain this is his or her wish, rather than making an irrational decision. It also allows the individual plenty of time to prepare others and make his or her final wishes known. Islam does not condone suicide, although we hear the term “Suicide bomber” often, some do view this act as a form of Martyrdom, but not as a suicide rather than just a bombing. It is said that some “suicide bombers” take up to months to prepare for this act, most will completely isolate themselves from society before committing the act.
Some will handcuff themselves to the steering wheel of the car in the event they have second thoughts about following through. These types of acts are not only committed by men, women and sometimes young children are taught that dying for religious and political beliefs is martyrdom. Euthanasia, also called “mercy killing,” is the act of taking someone’s life who no longer wishes to live, mainly because these people have a terminal illness or some other debilitating condition and have been given very little time to live.
In many occasions, these patients cannot endure the pain and they and their families find it better to just pull the plug to end the pain and suffering. Euthanasia is not legal in all states, California being one of the states where it is legal, has seen its share of controversy with patients or their family members trying to end loved ones lives due to painful terminally ill diseases. A new term has been introduced to refer to death under circumstances of “euthanasia”: Zelfdoing, which might be translated as “self-deathing. (How we die)
In California, the California Natural Death Act was passed in 1976 and took effect in 1977. This act allowed patients with terminally ill conditions to refuse treatment and were allowed to make their wishes known in regards to their decisions to end their lives. Other states followed and now many have similar laws in effect http://www. modernhealthcare. com/article/. Dr. Jack Kevorkian was a medical pathologist who made national controversy for willfully helping dozens of terminally ill patients end their lives.
An article published in 2011 by the NY Times, it was published that he died on June 3, 2011 at the age of eighty- three. Dr Kevorkian’s first assisted suicide was a school teacher in Oregon in 1997. Dr. Kevorkian ultimately spent eight years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder in the deaths of at least 130 terminally ill patients. On a video clip of CNN Live, John Roberts got a chance to interview Dr. Kevorkian also referred to as “Dr. Death. ” Dr. Kevorkian talks about his time spent in jail and he describes it as “boring” and complained about the snoring of other inmates.
He tells CNN he has no regrets about assisting people commit suicides, he states if he could, he would have done it earlier in his career and calls it his “duty. ” http://youtu. be/YxuTMH7b1VU. Dr. Kevorkian believed that Euthanasia was needed for people who were in a comma and unable to push a button due to their immobility. He believed that if you don’t have liberty and self-determination, you’ve got nothing, that’s what this is what this country is built on. Final gifts is a book which talks about understanding the special needs and communications of people who are near dying.
It helps family members, friends and even care givers understand some of the signs. In the final hours, days or weeks before dying, people may make statements, gestures, facial expressions that may not make any sense. It is possible that they are trying to send a message in order to die peacefully. Sometimes not understanding these messages may lead to frustration on both ends, recognition of these signs is important to try and meet their last wishes and needs. (Final gifts, Maggie Callahan and Patricia Kelley).
In conclusion, death is imminent, whether accidental, intentional or natural, it is something we can at least prolong. Some accidents we can avoid by not being careless or negligent, other accidents are just unavoidable. Others negligence can cause others death by simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Life is precious, no one should have to commit suicide. For different reasons, some may hold society responsible for their suicidal acts or thoughts, mentally illness or substance abuse may be the true reason. It is not decent for society to make a man do this to himself.
Probably this is the last time I will be able to do it to myself. ” (How we die) Different people have different views on allowing someone to end their own lives due to a terminal illness where the person has been given little time to live. In my opinion, no one should have to go through pain and suffering when death is expected. If a person wishes to end their lives, has come to peace with his or her loved ones and they also agree, I think that person’s wishes should be respected and taken into consideration.
