The Fate of Wyoming
The state of Wyoming has enacted what it’s calling a State Suicide Day. Anyone inclined to commit suicide, can lawfully end their lives without repercussions from a failed attempt. Some states imprison people who fail to end their lives. The people are not imprisoned for not killing themselves but for attempting to end their lives. However, one could surmise that it's perceived as if those states are imprisoning people for not killing themselves since they would not be imprisoned had they succeeded in ending their lives. If that paradox makes sense?
The State of Wyoming argues that in santionong suicides for a specific day, the surprise factor will dissipate while lessening the worry on friends and family as it advocates for individual choice and the state motto, Equal Rights.
“If you've experienced the ups and downs of supporting a loved one who struggles with suicidal thoughts, you can at least choose to take solace in this day in knowing that your loved one ended their life on The State Suicide Day and with the solidarity of others on a day set aside for suicides and no surprises for this day is sanctioned for suicides. If you are suicidal we encourage you to wait until The State Suicide Day, perhaps you will find the support you need before this day comes around” stated the governor.
“While the suicidal death of a loved one on The State Suicide Day may not surprise many, we expect pain to overwhelm our citizens. We will be here to support grieving loved ones, to assist them in moving on from the heartbreak and agony of living life as if you’re walking on thin ice—waiting for it to crack and then learning that it actually cracked, To be fully transparent, in no way does the state of Wyoming advocates suicide; rather we support people to write conclusions to their autobiographies as they choose,” said Molly Dings, a representative for The State Suicide Day Initiative.
“Something like this is going to spark controversy” stated Daphne Mickels, a board certified psychiatrist. “Wyoming has routinely urned near or near top status in terms of suicides, recently ranking number one with 32.3 suicides per 1,000,000 people. Political pundits and politicians anticipate that in bringing attention to suicide and in affect, making it lawful, that the dialogue around the sensitive issue will heighten, thus decreasing suicides.”
Others aren’t so optimistic. “Word has it, if you on welfare with five plus kids, eaten up government money, you’ll be incentivized. Say, if one kid killed herself, your monthly rate for the other kids goes up—until they're eighteen of course, when it all stops like a dead man’s heartbeat. This sounds like some big ole plot, a plot with holes in it” voiced Ernest Franklin living Fort Washakie.
“There are assistances for those who lose loved one’s on The State Suicde Day as we want to secure the wellbeing of our citizens," stated Dings.
Still there is pessimism, “You damn right I’m skeptical. The ‘assistances are higher for black and brown folk and even the homeless. If you’re a a twenty year old Mexican female living below the poverty line and you commit suicide, your family will receive more money if you end your life than a twenty year old Caucasian female living a wealthy lifestyle. We already know that low income folk have higher death rates. Some low income people have to figure out who will and won’t eat each night. With this State Suicide Day, low income folk will decern who will live and who won’t ” said Michael Collins, an African American activist and lawyer.”
An unnamed man and lifelong resident of Wyoming noted, if they’re attempting to get rid of the Blacks and the Latinos then who gonna work at McDonald’s, clean the hotels, drive the trash trucks, clean the septic tanks, you know, do the menial work. There has to be a system in place to keep them alive and here to do that type of work
The data shows that in Wyoming, the Black and Brown population and low income residents have grown significantly during the last ten years.