Sir, – The tragic issue of suicide has received widespread media coverage in recent times. John Waters (Opinion, May 17th) contends that “the dilution of transcendent hope in our culture” is a factor in the high rate of male suicide. If he is referring to the reduction in religious belief and practice his point may be valid, but that situation is unlikely to change at any time in the future.
Another theory which has gained widespread acceptance is that men don’t talk about their problems or seek help. Those who subscribe to this theory tell us that there is always help available.
I can think of eight male acquaintances who died by suicide in the past decade. All of them talked openly about their problems and sought help. There was one common factor in all of these cases. Each had been through the family law system and had his life and fatherhood severely diminished or even destroyed in a variety of ways. Can those who tell us that there is always help available now tell us how we can save innocent, law-abiding male citizens from the anti-man, anti-father practices of the family courts which are undoubtedly a contributory factor in the high rate of male suicides? – Yours, etc,
MATT HARPER,
Clones Road,
Monaghan.