is this suicide justified?, 85 year old man shoots himself Options

[illumineering]

An 85 year-old man committed suicide in my town last week. His wife died about 4 years ago from cancer. His daugher-in-law died 6 years ago from cancer. His son had a heart attack and died last week. His only living relatives were his only son's 2 children. They asked him to move near them so they could be closer together. They said they would build him a house near them in Philadelphia so they could take care of him.

After he buried his son, he took his dog to the kennel the next day, returned home, and shot himself.

Was this man justified in doing this? Is this an overreaction to a difficult situation that he could have accepted over time? Was he placing his grandchildren under a more difficult situation because he was feeling sorry for himself? When his granddaughter found out, she almost miscarried her baby because she was so emotional. Doesn't the bible say suicide is a sin? (He was a Christian.)

Because he didn't want to burden anyone and had lost everyone that he was close to, was his decision acceptable? Let's face it, the best years of his life were over and he has the right to decide when and how he should leave this earth. His actions should be respected.

I'm having a hard time resolving this. Although I can respect his right to decide what he wants to do with his life, I also feel that his actions were somewhat selfish.

What do you think?

[sadolakced acid]

This is an interesting perspective.  I'm having a hard time using suffering as a basis of his actions.  Many people can identify with difficulties in life and live beyond their struggles.  Care to elaborate on your idea?

well, what's the use of living older, if you have no one?

the only reason i would see tolive older would be to have someone to share it with. someone younger who sticks me in a room and goes off to work every day wouldn't be my idea of that.

if i found myself in the same situation i'd have done the same. except i'd have bought a motorcycle, and just ride it like everyone else. (brings me to a story- i'm driving on the interstate at 80 MPH and i'm changing lanes left and then this motorcycle blows by at like... 110 MPH and scare the shit out of me... i mean, i almost changed lanes into this guy... )

anyways: suicide seems wrong to people, but i mean, we're all going to die anyways. if someone chooses to remove some 15 years of their life that will probably be spent watching TV being depressed in a nursing home or someone's house (while, because of your presence thier marriage is falling apart and thier kids are growing rebellious)(which may or may not happen, depends), then surely living relatives can accept that reasoning, right?

i'm sure that his relatives knew he would die sooner or later, so why not let him pick sooner?

now picking for him would be wrong, but it is still his life, and although there are many other moral considerations, it does appear to still be his life.