Letter to the editor: Heart wrenching and infuriating that teen suicide is on the rampant rise
This letter was written in response to a Sun Newspapers editorial column located here: Our kids need everyone’s support:
“Bone chilling” about two teens committing suicide is correct. Heart wrenching and infuriating that teen suicide is on the rampant rise. Reading your article has brought me to sobbing tears before bed.
Many of us can’t understand their reasons for taking their own lives not that we won’t. If we as parents and “the village” community elders actually listen and pay attention perhaps we can really help our children to become happy productive and responsible participants in our villages.
I have no knowledge of these two incidents in Burlington County and truly my heart hurts for their families. So I am not placing any kind of blame or accusing anyone of anything.
Yet let’s look at generalities among our children, in Voorhees specifically. Voorhees however, I feel is reflective of many communities around the country.
We live in an affluent community with a fairly diverse people. We have million dollar homes and double-digit homes. We have four grade schools that are equal, but let’s be honest, ask any parent and they can tell you which they think are the preferred schools and why.
We have parents living vicariously through their children. We have sports stars and beauty queens. We have kids playing multiple travel sports with trainers. We have children wearing designer cloths to school, using designer handbags to tote books. We even have children drinking designer lattes after school and children driving designer cars to school. Honestly, doesn’t this all seem too much?
Are these material items what our children crave? Or are they just seeking acceptance for who they are? Do they think they need these things to be accepted? Do they feel that they are lacking and aren’t worthy of being accepted “as is?”
I’m a daughter of a blue-collar worker who never had a designer item until I was able to buy it for myself. I gave my parents 20 percent of my income whenever I earned a buck because they told me to. I lived in their house well after the age of being legal, but their rules were what governed me. Being legal meant nothing to them as long as they were paying my car insurance, my college tuition and my room and board.
So as for me, I can’t understand what my children face daily, but I want to. I ask questions of my children and we discuss school and their friends constantly. We talk about what’s really important and what makes us happy. We pray and seek our religion often. I stay involved and discuss with other parents to find the village elders I want closest to my children.
I think I am open-minded and fair. My network is a large, financially and culturally diverse mix. There is no clear-cut answer and sadly in my heart I know that to be true. Yet perhaps when we give our young ones hugs tonight we can all tell them how special and unique they are. Maybe we can see into their hearts and have them see ours. We can validate them and tell them how much we accept and appreciate their unique gift to each of our lives.
Dominique Danielle
