Holy cripes, I got a response.
First, my letter:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
Ms. Mitchard,
I've read your article on handguns and suicide, and I'd like to ask you something:
Have you been there? Have you had friends who killed themselves?
I have. Of the ones who were successful, one hanged herself, two swallowed pills, and another cut his wrists. None of these were impulsive acts, as you claim most suicides are. These people were determined to end their lives, regardless of the method.
I find it interesting that you attribute the use of handguns in suicides to their concealability and "macho" image (macho to whom?). Do you really believe that my ability to carry a defensive sidearm without alarming others is a contributing factor? What does concealability have to do with lethality? If anything, a small pistol will likely be a less capable tool than the same gun with a longer barrel, because kinetic energy in a bullet falls with decrease in barrel length.
Long guns are *far* more likely to result in a successful suicide than a comparatively weak handgun, simply because long guns are far more powerful.
I would direct your attention to Japan, where, despite a complete ban on civilian gun ownership, their suicide rate has increased steadily every year.
The bottom line, Ms. Mitchard, is that your article is nothing but shrill emotionalism, seeking to blame objects for the actions of their users. A ban on handguns will not have an effect on the overall suicide rate; someone who really wants to end his life will find a way.
Sincerely,
Coinneach Fitzpatrick
Colorado Springs, CO
[/quote]
And the response:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
I'm so sorry for your losses. But indeed, no matter how planned, psychiatrists agree that suicide ITSELF is always an impulsive act.
Jacquelyn Mitchard
P.O. Box 259064
Madison, WI 53725-9064
mitch@mailbag.com
[/quote]
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"If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance."
-- Samuel Johnson