I know virtually nothing about Caroline Flack.
I have no interest.
Whatever was going on in her life is her and her loved ones’ business.
Not mine, not yours and not the press.
What concerns me is the public reaction to her death and the continual effort to find someone to blame for her death.
As tragic as it is, we can’t ‘blame’.
Suicide is a choice we all have.
We might all wish that none of us make that choice & hope nothing drives us into making that choice. There may be reasons, but only we are to blame for making that choice for ourself. As awful as that may seem.
Yes, the British press is a disgrace. The tabloids are little more than paid bullies and trolls who care little about the truth or legitimacy of their stories. Only that papers are sold.
I should know. I’ve been a victim of them too.
But they didn’t kill Flack. The gutter press existed before Flack entered the entertainment industry and have existed throughout her entire career, which she had a choice to enter. That doesn’t make the tabloid press any better. They are scum. But they have always been scum. We all know that.
The Criminal Prosecution Service did not kill her either. They have every right and responsibility to investigate allegations of domestic abuse with equal strength, whether committed by a man or woman and whether the victim supports the prosecution or not. If there is evidence that abuse has occurred, it should be investigated.
As tragic as it is, we can’t ‘blame’.
Truth is, we have absolutely no idea what led Flack to choose to take her own life. These things could well have been factors. Maybe not. Maybe other reasons. We have no idea. We will probably never truly know.
The only thing that we do know is that Caroline made a choice.
Suicide is a choice we all have. We might all wish that none of us make that choice & hope nothing drives us into making that choice.
There may be reasons, but only we are to blame for making that choice for ourself. As awful as that may seem.
Let’s stop trying to find someone else to blame and let’s all try to do more to enable people who consider the choice of suicide to reach the right decision which is, hopefully, the choice of life.
It is also worth mentioning, although probably not relevant for Flack, that in some cases the choice of suicide is a legitimate one.
Euthanasia is legal here in the Netherlands, with the consent of at least two health professionals.
While my wife and I sometimes disagree on the basis and process by which this decision is reached, we both agree that all human beings should have the right to be able to decide the manner in which we decide to end our time on this planet.
Benedict 