Today police in Southern California found a family of six dead in a upscale gated community. Apparently the father of the household lost his job a few months ago and decided to kill his three children, wife, and mother in law. He wrote a suicide note detailing his recent financial difficulties and also killed himself. This tragic story isn’t the first in the current financial climate. Last year a North Berkeley family also died in a similar manner when Kevin Morrissey felt that his family was overwhelmed with money problems and shot his wife, two children, and himself in Tilden Park. I would really hate to see this happen again so I want to reiterate that life is so much more important than money.
Now, people who are on the edge of suicide or murder probably need more than a blog article to persuade them from carrying through with their plans. However, family members of those recently unemployed should take care to notice depression and homicidal tendencies. In both of these cases it is a head of the household that felt like they had to kill their families due to failing household finances. They probably felt that their families were just as powerless and miserable as them, and they extended their own suicides. So I think those in families that are in financial trouble now due to a sudden change in employment status should pay attention to the mental health of their family members. Someone has to have a clear head and say that money is not the most important thing in the world, and that it is possible to get through these trying times. I think the most tragic thing about these cases is that the children are also murdered because they have their whole lives ahead of them. So perhaps it is safer to send the kids away for a while if things feel desperate.
If you have a family member who is in financial trouble, it is important to offer words of encouragement now. Ask them how they are doing, and don’t take “good” for an answer. Dig down a bit deeper and see how they are really doing, and perhaps more tragedies can be prevented if people just realize that losing money is not a death sentence.
Related Posts
How Much Money Do You Need To Change A Life?Festivals and Carnivals and The Consumerist
Frugal Tip — Don’t Buy Things on Launch Day
Changing from a Fixed Mindset to a Growth Mindset
It’s Not All About Money — The Baglady on Evaluating Job Offers
2 comments ↓
“So perhaps it is safer to send the kids away for a while if things feel desperate.”
Huh? Where? Assuming you have no money and no relatives willing to spend more than an hour a week with your kids?
Luckily I am employed, but I have no idea where to send my child “away” if things become tough. All my friends are CF (child-free) by choice. Relatives live in a different country. Not religious, so no “church community” to fall on. Just hoping that if I lose my job, I find another one in less than 3 months…
I read this post and I read the comment too. Don’t know to which should I answer first… Maybe to the comment, because it’s more personal…
@ hardworking_single_mom “Not religious, so not church community to fall on”, so do not think that you should try to be part of a community? Trying to find one, not being alone in the world. You are lucky you are employed, but who is going to help you when you need? People who are religious have faith in God for helping them and I am surely He does.
@ post Most of the people find themselves lonely in this world. It’s not only about poverty - this is an aspect of the problem; I think it’s more about alienating people; it’s interesting how people can be so lonely when they have everything they want.
Leave a Comment