Don’t blame the court for suicides

Our blaming other people or the justice system has gone long enough in dealing with suicide in the North.

I’ve heard more than once about a young person committing suicide because he or she has to go to court. Young and old end up in court for breaking the law. Then we, the people in general, start thinking it’s because the one who ends up in court is a bad person, but that’s not the way it is.

We start doing things that aren’t right, not just breaking the law, when we cannot deal or understand the root of the pain we have inside us. It’s so easy to blame what we can see or hear when it’s that problem that is making us do what isn’t right.

That problem has been passed down to us through generations, that feeling, where it makes you feel that you can never do the right thing.

It’s time for us parents to look deep inside ourselves to get rid of that problem, so our younger generation will start acting the way they have to. We all think our children start copying other children. That’s true in some ways. But that’s not always right.

They start feeling the pressure because they are so vulnerable. Us as parents are looking beyond them and blaming their friends. We have to heal from our past, so we can start helping our children. We have to start from inside ourselves and work our way up to our children.

I know it’s very easy to blame other people for any problems that occur in our lives. I do the same thing, but I can now think before I jump to any conclusions.

Our tradition is the hardest of all to deal with because it is really hard to let go of. In our tradition, men or boys are not supposed to cry for any reason. Why? Because that’s what makes the male population look like weaklings.

For example, when a baby boy starts crying, he is told by his parents that “Boys don’t cry.” When we are born we all have the same feelings that we are supposed to have today, not just some of them.

We start using alcohol and start smoking pot to stop these feelings because we do not know how to use them. We were not given the chance to live them day by day as we were growing up. pThen we start destroying property or breaking in to deal with our pain. We end up being caught, charged and going to court.

Then we (young people) are being blamed for being bad and if I commit suicide then the people start blaming the court for that.

Take the shield away from your face, the one that you use to make people think that you are not hurting inside you. We (young people) can feel your pains even when you do not tell us. We know you older people are hurting inside like us, but cannot express it because you also do not know how, like we do. The feeling that you had to have was also taken away from you when you were growing up. Let us help each other and see what happens.

I know we will not be able to stop all suicides that will happen, but at least we will be looking at the root of our problem. And stop blaming others or the justice system for that. As the saying goes, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

This is for you, yes, you who thinks that your life has no meaning or that it’s not going anywhere. You think, “No one cares about me!” “No one loves me anymore!” Parents, friends or we care about you!

We cannot just hold or tell you that we love you, as we used to when you were a baby. If we try to do that you do not feel comfortable. You think your parents are nosy and trying to control you all the time.

We try to control you, but we are finding out that we are just pushing you away. Talk to us. Let us know what you are feeling. We will try to work something out. If you cannot talk to your parents, talk to someone who you can talk to.

There’s a lot more to be said, but to make the readers stay focused on the matter I better stop here.

(Name withheld by request)
Arctic Bay