Number of Suicides less than 30,000 - Should Suicide be Legislated in Japan?

In Japan, the number of suicides in 2012 has come down to less than 30,000 for the first time in the past 15 years. However, Japan is still one of the countries with high number of suicides. Should suicides be prohibited by law? In my opinion, the answer to this question is yes for the following reasons. Firstly, countries where suicide is legislated have lower rates of killing themselves compared to other countries. In the United States where suicide is prohibited, for example, number of suicides is 22.2 per 100,000 people. This is less than a half of Japan’s suicide rate, 49.4. The fact that suicide is counted as a mortal sin in many religious countries may have effects on these results. However, legislation of suicide would surely provoke people’s awareness that they must not decide to kill themselves too easily. This is my second reason to agree to suicide being prohibited by law. Lastly, if suicide is legislated, attempted suicide would be punished. This means that people who have succeeded in committing suicide cannot be punished, but from another point of view, it means that people who failed to kill themselves would be given time to rethink about their lives while they are in jail, and restart a new life after being released. For these reasons, I believe suicide legislation would decrease the number of suicides and has the possibility to act as a relief measure to those who attempt to commit suicides.

 

Link: Japan Times “Suicides fall under 30,000 for first time in 15 years”

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20130118a4.html

My Christmas Abroad

                   My Christmas in Madagascar was something different from what I knew of. Because Madagascar is located in the southern hemisphere near the equator, snow never falls and December is in the middle of the rainy season in Madagascar. No snow and no coldness. Even as I was decorating my Christmas tree, I could not have the feeling that Christmas was approaching. However, my second Christmas in Madagascar became the most exciting Christmas of all Christmas I have ever had abroad.

                   That year, my friend’s family and my family decided to go to Ampefy, a tourist site famous for its hot spring and geyser. We used cars to go there, and the trip seemed to be going smoothly, until we reached to the end of the suburbs of Antananarivo, the capital city. Unfortunately, it was raining heavily on the day before and the unpaved road was sloppy. Even my family’s car, which was a 4WD, lost against the muddy road and became unable to move. All of us excluding the drivers got off the car for the time being and made some effort trying to push the car, but there was nothing we could do as the car stubbornly refused to move.

We were all completely at our wits’ end, but a miracle happened. All of a sudden about 15 people came out from nowhere and gathered around our cars. Our family’s driver said something to them in Malagasy and one man stepped forward and exchanged some words with him. At once, the crowd started to push our car. Dynamically splashing the mud, our cars finally started to move. I was quite moved by those altruistic people, who helped a strange foreigner in a trouble. However the crowd’s real intention was revealed when they gathered around the car for the second time. This time, they were sticking their hands towards the passenger’s seat, demanding some tips of money for their work. I learnt that act of kindness is not always offered for free.

My friend and I had a lot of fun at Ampefy, where we happened to meet our friend and his family. The geyser was sulfuric, and everyone’s hair became extremely stiff. I never had my hair that stiff since that day. I struggled for over 10 minutes in the shower to get rid of the stiffness by reiterating shampoo and hair conditioner. We also ate dinner together, as our friend was departing Ampefy the following morning.

I could not have a typical Christmas-like event in Madagascar, but my Christmas at Ampefy was a memorable one which I can still recall vividly. I hope I would be able to have a wonderful Christmas this year as well.