DIED BY SUICIDE
They did not commit a crime.
They died.
They died by suicide.
Not in shame.
Not in disgrace.
Not as a scandal to be whispered about.
They died from an invisible illness.
From pain that hid behind smiles.
From battles no one could see.
And their lives mattered.
We will not let their names be erased.
We will not let their families be shamed.
We will not allow silence to swallow their memory.
This ends now.
Suicide is a Disease, NOT a Crime!
Words Matter
When we say “committed suicide,” we imply guilt.
When we say “died by suicide,” we restore dignity.
No one says someone “committed cancer.”
No one says someone “committed heart disease.”
They say, "They lost their battle with."
and...
They died.
And so did our children.
They lost their battle with whatever whispered to them,
that this was the only way to stop the pain they lived with
everyday and they would better off.
Stop the criminalization!
They Did Nothing Wrong
Your child did nothing wrong.
You did nothing wrong.
Suicide is not a character flaw.
It is not weak faith.
It is not bad parenting.
It is not something to hide.
It is a devastating loss to invisible pain.
We reject the shaming.
We reject the whispering.
We reject the erasure.
We will speak their names.
We will honor their lives.
We will stand with their families.
NO MORE BLAME.
STOP!
Stop blaming the dead.
Stop blaming their parents.
Stop blaming families for something you should thank God, you know nothing about and pray you never will.
Suicide is not a scandal.
It is not gossip.
It is not a disgrace.
It is not a moral failure.
It is a human being who died!
And the cruelty that follows families after that loss
is it's own injustice.
It is unacceptable.
WE CAN NOT PREVENT WHAT WE CAN NOT PREDICT!
Neither can you.
We are done carrying your discomfort.
We are done absorbing your judgment.
We are done being silent so you can feel comfortable.
We are done living in shame.
NO MORE BLAME.