Patricia A. Benkovich, 67, of Sandy Hook died December 22 at Danbury Hospital. She was the wife of Andrew Benkovich. She was born in Manchester, Conn., May 24, 1946, a daughter of Esther (Pitkin) and ...
Fritzi Walkey Klopfenstein, 98, died December 16, at Churchman Village retirement home in Newark, Del. The daughter of Mable Kintzley Walkey and Dr Fred L. Walkey, she was born on Groundhog Day, Febru...
Fritzi Walkey Klopfenstein, 98, died December 16, at Churchman Village retirement home in Newark, Del. The daughter of Mable Kintzley Walkey and Dr Fred L. Walkey, she was born on Groundhog Day, Febru...
Janet Michale Vitello, 73, of Newtown, died December 14. She was born in Bridgeport, November 7, 1940, to Julia (Sagarena) Vitello and Michael Vitello.
She received a master's degree in education from...
Janet Michale Vitello, 73, of Newtown, died December 14. She was born in Bridgeport, November 7, 1940, to Julia (Sagarena) Vitello and Michael Vitello.
She received a master's degree in education from...
John C. Doty, 57, of Bridgeport, beloved husband of 22 years to Doreen Valacka Doty, died peacefully December 14. Born in Plattsburgh, N.Y., he was the son of the late Shirley Annis and John Charles D...
Gladys Emma Phillips, 94, of Roseland, Fla., died December 7 at Sebastian River Medical Center. She was born in Waterbury, resided in New Haven, and then moved to the lakeside community of Shady Rest ...
John C. Doty, 57, of Bridgeport, beloved husband of 22 years to Doreen Valacka Doty, died peacefully December 14. Born in Plattsburgh, N.Y., he was the son of the late Shirley Annis and John Charles D...
Michelle I applaud and support you for focusing on the issues that impact everyone in the town. The next priority has to be on CT's out of control electricity rates. Your opponent and his supporters are quick to blame the other side of the aisle and have given up on trying to accomplish anything. You need to be the voice at the Capitol that the town needs and has missed for so long.
After your short sighted decisions on bussing, something parents are still feeling the repercussions of, I would not want you making any decisions on traffic.
With all due respect Lynn, while no one's property should be damaged, it is demonstrably false to suggest this issue only happens to Democrat signs. If these comments allowed for photos I could show you some pretty abhorrent examples of what has been done to Republican candidate's signs for years in the past few elections (including local races.) Just today we had a supporter message the RTC that their signs were stolen.
Indeed suicide awareness is important as is asking young people these tough questions. That said, saying that "every suicide is preventable" is not only incorrect, it is overly simplistic at best and downright harmful at worst.
The Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors - an online support resource with over 25,000 members worldwide writes frequently about the ramifications of such slogans. Many family members say that prevention messages leave them feeling guilty, upset and fearful of being judged – as if they “dropped the ball.". A few of the many sentiments on their webpage from bereaved family members include:
-“I believe suicide is preventable ONLY if someone shows a sign. …My daughter did not show any signs."
-“As a newly bereaved mother, I find the campaign offensive & repulsive. It places the responsibility on family members and those who are about to take their lives. We obviously would have done something if our loved ones expressed their intentions." -"Awareness yes. Preventable no. There was nothing to prevent what happened to my son. Nothing. And I am so sick of the saying it is preventable."
-"I lost my husband to suicide four months ago. It makes me feel cold and sick in the pit of my stomach when I read ‘suicide is preventable’ because I think: ‘It’s my fault, I let him down.'"
Suicide - especially youth suicide - is a complex problem with no easy answers. It’s possible to prevent sometimes — but not always.