I was reading Alan Turing: The Enigma, by Andrew Hodges.

I was struck by The Author’s Note, on page 667:

One person was not satisfied with this assessment, and sensed that some other kind of recognition was due. This was Mrs. Turing, who in 1956 embarked upon writing a biography of her son – an extraordinary development by any standards, in which a seventy five year old Guildford lady, hitherto not notable for literary or social confidence, and knowing almost nothing about science, was left to piece together some of the debris from the wreck of the modern world’s dream. Her Victorian values still unshaken, she retained a strong belief that Alan’s work had been and would turn out to be of benefit to humanity.

This mother of an apparent suicide, shook off the crushing feelings that surround such a cruel and stigmatising event and did her utmost to make the best possible out of this painful predicament.

At first I thought she was the only one, but 15 minutes recollection brought back the following similar examples:

CASPER Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education & Research

MHF Suicide Prevention Losing Someone To Suicide – With Judy Bailey (The lady sharing her experience is not Judy Bailey.)

Welcome to Skylight

There is also (or was?) an Auckland father Rick, who advocated for support for teenagers, after the suicide of his son.

So, although being bereaved by suicide can be a pretty soul destroying experience, some do rise with passion, energy, creativity and skill, to help others to not be in their own situation. I commend them greatly.

I am not advocating that family should take up guns and shoot the people who might have caused the deaths. This would be far too fast.

However, accountability is clearly required.

Human psychology is such, that what goes around, comes around, but only in a rough sense. Those who drive to suicide, often end up paying eventually, through their personal guilt and its downstream effects on their lives.

NZ isn’t strong on working accountability through institutions, on the contrary. Thus the responsibility lies on the families to carve out accountability, in the flesh.

I hope I have put this in the positive?

MurrayBacon – axe murderer.