ext_263231 ([identity profile] mysticengineer.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] taylweaver 2005-07-14 12:58 pm (UTC)

Suicide Bombers, & Suicide

> "Suicide is when a person kills themself. A suicide bomber is someone who wants to kill other people so badly that he is willing to kill himself along with them."

I think that's a really good answer. It's simple, but it explains a lot.

>Do I reassure her? Do I tell her these are very bad people?

Well, if it comes up again, make sure that you make the distinction - suicide bombers are always evil because they're killing other people. But people who commit suicide do so for a variety of reasons, by far the most common being mental illness, and I think it's important to emphasize that that's not evil, it's an illness. Because I know of elementary school teachers who spoke of suicide as evil, and really hurt a little girl in their class whose close relative died after a long battle with depression.

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