Who could of thought that the day would come when Bahamians start killing themselves? Just a few decades ago it was shocking to hear that a Bahamian killed another human being. The times have certainly change.
The country’s recent suicide victim Nikita Brennen a 42 year old man who ended his life last week. He was discovered hanging in his home. What a sight that must have been for his young children to come home and discover their daddy dead.
Brennen had two sons and a wife. He was a once successful plumber whose business had fallen on hard times. It was just three weeks ago that we caught up with Brennen walking in the Water & Sewerage Corporation building. Lord, we hope the government did not owe him any money nor declined him business, for as we know he was a skillful plumber having some rough times. And how could that be happening when Ingraham talked about all these relief packages particularly in the construction sector now underway by his government?
Perhaps Brennen like many others suffered from Ingraham’s WICKED STOP, CANCEL AND REVIEW POLICY! The same policy S&P suggested has devastated the economic life of the country!
Brennen told friends many times he would retire before the age 50, this was prophetic. He was also once deep into a internet marketing business (SOMETHING LIKE A PYRAMID PROGRAMME) where he often tried to persuade friends to join. We believe that too had failed, for we often told him those schemers will one day leave him with the bag. Well, this is all so sad!
Brennen was a genuine fella, HARD WORKING! One who believed in the spirit of doing HONEST HARD WORK FOR AN HONEST PAY. But what could have caused this deeply bible believing man to have committed suicide is just beyond us.
Family and friend could not walk out of the BFM centre on Carmichael Road fast enough where Brennen was eulogized, before the news rocked the city that a young girl had taken her life that same day.
And hours after her discovery, news again came that the son-in-law of former MP Mike Smith decided to hang himself in his home. He was found hanging from his stairway.
The series of suicide now in the capital must be a sign that we must do more to know what is happening around us. Friends and family members needs to begin calling and reaching out to one another. PEOPLE ARE HURTING! And WE MUST NOT ALLOW this cold hand of recession or failed relationships deliver this sentence of death on the venerable. LET US BEGIN SHOWING SOME LOVE IN THIS CITY!
BP, Mike Smith’s son-in-law suicide was actually announced during the funeral by Pastor Munroe.
Thank you BP for sharing this. In this day and time of recession and layoffs we have to be ‘our brother’s keeper’. This is happening all over. Last week a man took his life, his wife and his children’s lives. This gentleman and his wife were both laid off from the same company. Sadness. Suicide is not the answer to any problem. I truly believe that. I feel it is a very selfish act. It is selfish as it is all about that one person, and the family who is left behind always feel guilty.
Oftentimes these people suffer from clinical depression and loosing a job, a relationship, and or status simply pushes them over the edge. Some people consider depression as a sign of weakness and are ashamed to seek help. We have to remove that stigma and reach out to loved ones when we see them slipping in this dark hole.
As a healthcare worker I would like to see more provisions made to descreetly help people who feel they need that help but are too ashamed to sought out family, clergy and or medical interventions. Sometimes they might just need to share, to vent. There are very good medications tailored to suit certain needs in regards to depression if that route is chosen.
We are all ‘going through’. We need to take a little time out to check on that love one, that neighbor, that family. I find the society in which we live in today is indeed very selfish as compared to ‘back in the day’ when there was less ways to communicate with each other.
Someone needs to look into this.
The Government must lead and stop acting so childish when speaking about the many public servants who they have forced from their jobs.Each time they speak of the forced layoffs of civil servants the Govt makes disparaging remarks as if these fine civil servants did something wrong.These callous remarks are hurting the persons affected and their families.If anyone from the Govt side cannot say anything encouraging then I would advise them to keep their mouths shut.They provided no theraphy for the former civil servants but now seem to delight in the fact that they forced them out.Doesnt this sound political to all?
BP, Mike Smith’s son-in-law suicide was actually announced during the funeral by Pastor Munroe. People are having a hard time dealing with the current economic climate. It will be getting worse shortly a my sources have told me that Kerzner is set to begin another round of lay offs. They also tell me that I was not far off in an earlier post, these lay offs are not really about the slow tourism numbers, but more to do with the sale of Atlantis. Time will tell.
We often make light or get our juices running when we read things here but BP, this is a sad time in our country and a scary one too. We don’t discuss depression in this country in any real serious way and for these people to end their lives is the smoking gun that we have to do more. We have to take mental health seriously and we have to start fighting the shameful practice of stigmatizing people who have issues.
I work in the medical profession, not in the mental care side, but I can point to a thousand instances where all the signs of clinical depression are there in our people and still, its something we are shunned for speaking about. Our national attitude has to evolve to the point where we take our mental health as seriously as we take our politics and we have to help each other. Kim, you are right. We have to check on each other, call each other, ask how we’re doing and keep reassuring and offering kind words to each other. We can pool our resources to help those who don’t have and we can create family plans for dealing with potential crisis.
The leaders of this country need to show a lot more empathy and concern and they have to recognize when we have a serious problem. No offense to the religious set but we need to do more than just pray and we can’t leave it all up to God and scripture. Jesus admonished us to be our brother’s keeper so let’s do that. Thank you BP for your editorial. I just had to put on my professional hat and add my two cents.
THE SUN WILL COME OUT
The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There’ll be sun!
Just thinkin’ about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
‘Til there’s none!
When I’m stuck a day
That’s gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And Grin,
And Say,
Oh
The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
‘Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow!
Tomorrow!
I love ya
Tomorrow!
You’re always
A day
A way!
Let’s never give up, even when the going gets rough. We need to realize that no matter what challenges we are face with, it will not last forever. Things may look dark and gray today, but like little Annie once said, “The sun will come out tomorrow, so ya gotta hang on til tomorrow, come what may”. Once we believe in God, there is nothing we cannot get through. Life is a most precious gift from God, let’s treasure it. I love all of you.
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