RIP Robin Williams

[kcshocker11]

Dead at 63 -suicide

http://news.yahoo.com/robin-williams-manic-comedy-star-dead-63-232616625.html;_ylt=A0LEV0ILVOlT6WIArZtXNyoA

[JJClamdip]

Very funny and crazy man, R.I.P.

[Kung Wu]

Sad. What a stud.

[JJClamdip]

I bet he was watching soccer and died of boredom.

[WuDrWu]

Very funny and crazy man, R.I.P.

I'm reminded of a line from one of my favorite movies of all time (having nothing to do with Robin Williams).....

He's better at what he does than I'll ever be at anything.

As a young teenager I remember watching him and thinking, this guy is so different and such a genius in his work.

I am sad that his genius has been silenced and that his family is left behind to pick up the pieces. He will be missed but not forgotten and his legacy will carry on forever.

That being said, I was a little surprised to see such a delicate handling of his death. He was an addict and has been for years. It's not tragic, it's pitiful. I can speak to battles of depression....It's hard, it's not fun. I've been there. Suicide is the coward's way out. Maybe in the coming days there will be discussion of his struggles so that some good will come from this wasteful ending.

And the cynical side of me wonders if Williams had been a devout man and a conservative, would the media and the public have given him the same considerations? Sadly, I think not.

[WuShock16]

I once heard someone say that while we mourn the loss of people like this and wonder what more they could have done with their talent (like young musicians who die from addictions, for example), something to remember is that their addiction fed their genius. Would Jimmy Hendrix have written Purple Haze if he was sober? Would Kurt Cobain have written Smells Like Teen Spirit? Heck, even Mozart suffered from manic depression. To be a top level performer in something like music, comedy, or acting, you almost have to have a couple of screws loose in your head. That doesn't necessarily always to be something sinister like drugs or alcohol. A Christian comedian I thoroughly enjoy doesn't have any of those problems (I don't think) but did admit to struggling with ADHD throughout his life. It just seems like the arts performers are almost like a different breed.

RIP to one of the greatest comedy legends to ever walk the Earth!

[kcshocker11]

http://gawker.com/conan-broke-the-ne...ium=socialflow Conon Obrien learns of Williams death on the air and reacts.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

With all due respect @WuDrWu: i disagree in theory with him being a coward. had he taken out his family or perpertated other crimes before this then by all means yes a coward. Is death and his family grieving his death an appropriate way to handle his problems. of course not. And I mean no maiice towards ya, we're definitely cool. I have just seen that thrown around so much over the past 12-18 hours. I see why you and countless others have said the same thing, I do get it.

The thing about depression is theres clearly not a right way to treat it IMO. If he had cancer or similar there would be multiple fundraisers, tv specials etc for this man. But if he came out and said "Hey Im Robin Williams, I've made you and you children laugh for over 30 years, and Im a manic depressant" he would be shunned.

My brother committed suicide August 1st 2004. he was addicted to drugs (the only way he felt he could relieve his stress). His drug addiction was largely fueled by his depression. He was unable to see his only child largely due to his drug addiction (understandable) and the childs mother and family being full blown cunts. he felt like he had no other choice. I miss him him everyday. Things would have gotten better if he had just put in the effort.

I suffer from depression myself. And going through my divorce and subsequent falling outs that has caused had driven me mad. I lost my job. My family. And sure death sounded alot better than what I was going through. I feel fortunate I am blessed with a strong desire to compete and a strong desire to win or I just might have been another one of these sad cases. Doesnt make me a better person than the millions that have decided to take their life for these same reasons. Just means my situation is different with a different set of circumstances.

RIP Robin. you didnt feel the love from the people you felt you needed it the most from. But you were loved by millions.

[pogo]

Doc I disagree with your comment that suicide is a cowards way out. This is a philosophical argument that has raged probably since the birth of man. In combat men that throw themselves into sure death to save others are not cowards. The Samurai practiced seppuku which was a form of suicide which was considered an honorable way to redeem oneself for transgressions or personal defeats. A common adage in the discussion surrounding suicide prevention sums up this view: "Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem." What if the situation is not temporary as in cases of terminal illness? I hope that when my time draws near that I will "Not go gentle into that good night" but at the same time recognizing "that there is noting in the world to which every man has a more unbreakable title than his own life and person."

[_kai_]

Suicide may be a selfish decision, but it is definitely not a cowardly decision. Most of us can't even imagine being in a situation that makes us rationalize that the best option is taking our own lives. That is really the only way of looking in on suicide without living it. Imagine having a rational inner dialogue with yourself, and you come to the conclusion that the best option is death. If you can't, that's not hard to believe, it's unfathomable to most, which is what creates most insensitive comments about suicide. A lack of understanding. Thank your God, your blessings, your luck... what ever you believe in, that you haven't experienced those feelings.

[1979Shocker]

Officials: Robin Williams apparently hanged himself with a belt

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/12/showbiz/robin-williams-dead/index.html

[moshock]

I think this is a very sad situation. I don't begin to understand why people play with fire (drugs) when they have everything to lose. I would tend to agree with Doc on this one - instead of facing his problems he chose to end his life.

One of our distant relatives was diagnosed with terminal cancer several years back. One morning he put his children on their school bus - kissed and sent his wife off to work - walked out in his backyard and called 911 to alert them to what he was getting ready to do. A few seconds later it was over. He left a note saying that he "couldn't die by inches". Even though they would have lost him a short time later - his family was devastated. I've heard the saying "You are always teaching your kids something"... well those kids will never forget that one. Even now they have a difficult time coping. Had cancer taken him - I believe things would have been different.

I also have a hard time with the comparison of a soldier laying down his life for our freedom and a drug addict that suffered from depression hanging himself. That is comparing a hero to a coward.

The unanswerable question is "did the drugs cause the depression?" I hope that anyone out there who is using or thinking of trying dope realizes that they could be heading down this road.

I have a close friend in Wichita who was diagnosed with Clinical Depression. He got professional help and now is an advocate for people dealing openly with depression (instead of hiding it and trying to deal with it themselves). When he first told me about it - I must admit that I thought "whoa - that's strange". But after visiting with him I realized that CD is as real as any other disease but in most cases it's treatable.

Again, this is a very sad situation

[MoValley John]

The unanswerable question is "did the drugs cause the depression?" I hope that anyone out there who is using or thinking of trying dope realizes that they could be heading down this road.

There are two simple answers. Illegal drugs can and do cause depression. But.... People that use illegal drugs often have depression first and are self medicating. I guess the answer isn't so simple.

[wsushox1]

And the cynical side of me wonders if Williams had been a devout man and a conservative, would the media and the public have given him the same considerations? Sadly, I think not.

Explain in more detail, if you would?

[pogo]

RW was fighting ALCOHOL not drugs. Yes, alcohol is a drug and it is a depressant. Alcohol has probably caused as much or more damage to the fabric of society than other drugs. The analogy of a service member consciously making the decision to sacrifice himself for others was an attempt to illustrate that choosing to give up ones life is not ALWAYS a cowards way out. Who knows except the one that chooses to end his life what he was thinking and the reasoning that went on before the act. Treating depression from what I have read has improved over the years with more people living with this disease than ever before but by the same token it is pretty much still a crap shoot for success. Look at all of the drugs now available to treat depression but many have been shown to cause other health problems in their attempt to help. As I stated in my previous post this argument has been around for ever and will never be resolved because of the strong emotions it evokes. We could also discuss euthanasia with probably the same groups aligned on opposite sides.