Republican Oregon State Senator Brian Boquist successfully authored a gun confiscation bill after the suicide death of his stepson Sethan Charles Sprague. It should be fair to ask what was the mental state of Seth Sprague at the time of his death. Newspaper accounts tell us only that his suicide was related to his military service in the Navy. The suicide rate for Navy veterans is the lowest of any branch of the armed services at 16 per 100,000. This is close to the national non military average which is 13 per 100,000. In contrast the rate for the army is 23 per 100,000. Seth Sprague was a gunner's mate on a submarine tender. This is not a position that one would expect to contribute to PSTD normally related to the horrors of a ground war. The USS Cole is the only U.S. Navy ship to be damaged by a hostile enemy action since WWII. A terrorist bomb resulted in the death of 17 crewmen.
People who commit suicide have a history. Their suicidal tendencies do not occur overnight. Mental disorders such as bi polar disorder, anxiety disorder, and substance abuse disorders are risk factors that may contribute to the decision to end one's life. Some stressful life events that may contribute to suicide are divorce or relationship problems, employment problems, harassment, bullying victimization, and unresolved emotional or physical abuse from the past. According to an article by two phychologists, Natalie Reiss and Mark Dombeck, 90 percent of suicides can be attributed to mental disorders.
What we do know from news accounts is that Seth Sprague came from a broken home. He was intelligent and graduated from College with scholastic honors. He majored in religion and minored in political science but worked in a laboratory.
After serving six years in the Navy he moved in with a friend. We don't know whether the friend was male or female straight or gay or whether the relationship was romantic or platonic. The suicide rate in the LGBT community is three times greater than in the heterosexual community according to studies.
While it cannot be argued that the firearm is the method of choice for the majority of people who commit suicide it is the method and not the reason. It can even be argued that it is the most effective and least painful method. Death by hanging is the second most common method of suicide. It is a gruesome and prolonged way to die in most cases. In terms of pain and suffering it would make more sense to confiscate ropes than guns. A bullet simply instantaneously turns off the light of life.
So what was the history that compelled Seth Sprague to end his own life? Since Senator Brian Boquist has used his death as a reason to write legislation to confiscate the property of citizens who have committed no crime we should have a right to know the rest of the story. In the course of the legislation passing through the Oregon Senate Seth Sprague's suicide has been sensationalized. What was it in Seth's life that he was unable to cope with? Serving six years on a submarine tender is not a plausible explanation. We should ask what kind of stepfather the senator was? Is Boquist blaming the gun instead of himself? We see a professed republican who had no problem violating his own party's position against firearm confiscation. This indicates a lack of loyalty to his constituency and party. In Boquist's rambling letter to the Oregon Firearms Federation Boquist irrationally threatens and profanely bullies individuals who wrote emails questioning his party affiliation and motives. Does this behavior carry over into his family life? Who is Brian Boquist? Since he is an elected official we have the right to ask.
Was Seth Sprague receiving any type of treatment prior to his suicide? There are so many unanswered questions about his death. Transparency would be a public service to those who have disturbed and depressed relatives.
What kind of support was Seth receiving from his immediate family? Suicide occurs when the stress factors become greater than the coping skills of the individual. How can the creation of additional stress factors in the life of the suicidal person in any way be construed as help or support for that person; police invading the home and confiscating personal property; the stigma of the person's name being added to the criminal data base of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) ; the stress of defending oneself against accusations of immediate family. Had Boquist's misguided legislation been in effect before his stepson's death; had Boquist contacted the police or filed a petition with the court in an effort to save his stepson the scenario may well have been that he pushed him over the edge. Senate Bill 719 may very well drive others to self destruction. The bill creates a monumental risk factor to those contemplating suicide. Instead of receiving the support they desperately need from intimate family members they may feel violated and isolated by their actions.
People who commit suicide have a history. Their suicidal tendencies do not occur overnight. Mental disorders such as bi polar disorder, anxiety disorder, and substance abuse disorders are risk factors that may contribute to the decision to end one's life. Some stressful life events that may contribute to suicide are divorce or relationship problems, employment problems, harassment, bullying victimization, and unresolved emotional or physical abuse from the past. According to an article by two phychologists, Natalie Reiss and Mark Dombeck, 90 percent of suicides can be attributed to mental disorders.
What we do know from news accounts is that Seth Sprague came from a broken home. He was intelligent and graduated from College with scholastic honors. He majored in religion and minored in political science but worked in a laboratory.
After serving six years in the Navy he moved in with a friend. We don't know whether the friend was male or female straight or gay or whether the relationship was romantic or platonic. The suicide rate in the LGBT community is three times greater than in the heterosexual community according to studies.
While it cannot be argued that the firearm is the method of choice for the majority of people who commit suicide it is the method and not the reason. It can even be argued that it is the most effective and least painful method. Death by hanging is the second most common method of suicide. It is a gruesome and prolonged way to die in most cases. In terms of pain and suffering it would make more sense to confiscate ropes than guns. A bullet simply instantaneously turns off the light of life.
So what was the history that compelled Seth Sprague to end his own life? Since Senator Brian Boquist has used his death as a reason to write legislation to confiscate the property of citizens who have committed no crime we should have a right to know the rest of the story. In the course of the legislation passing through the Oregon Senate Seth Sprague's suicide has been sensationalized. What was it in Seth's life that he was unable to cope with? Serving six years on a submarine tender is not a plausible explanation. We should ask what kind of stepfather the senator was? Is Boquist blaming the gun instead of himself? We see a professed republican who had no problem violating his own party's position against firearm confiscation. This indicates a lack of loyalty to his constituency and party. In Boquist's rambling letter to the Oregon Firearms Federation Boquist irrationally threatens and profanely bullies individuals who wrote emails questioning his party affiliation and motives. Does this behavior carry over into his family life? Who is Brian Boquist? Since he is an elected official we have the right to ask.
Was Seth Sprague receiving any type of treatment prior to his suicide? There are so many unanswered questions about his death. Transparency would be a public service to those who have disturbed and depressed relatives.
What kind of support was Seth receiving from his immediate family? Suicide occurs when the stress factors become greater than the coping skills of the individual. How can the creation of additional stress factors in the life of the suicidal person in any way be construed as help or support for that person; police invading the home and confiscating personal property; the stigma of the person's name being added to the criminal data base of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) ; the stress of defending oneself against accusations of immediate family. Had Boquist's misguided legislation been in effect before his stepson's death; had Boquist contacted the police or filed a petition with the court in an effort to save his stepson the scenario may well have been that he pushed him over the edge. Senate Bill 719 may very well drive others to self destruction. The bill creates a monumental risk factor to those contemplating suicide. Instead of receiving the support they desperately need from intimate family members they may feel violated and isolated by their actions.
