I was just reading the Globe and Mail and came across an article about an elderly man in the US who killed his wife and two disabled adult children before committing suicide. Why did he do it? Because, “he didn’t want the family to be a burden.” Richard Brown (81 years old) and his wife Martha (80yrs) had failing health, while his daughter Janice (53yrs) and son Kenneth (49yrs) both had mental and physical disabilities. Mr. Brown wrote a three-page goodbye letter where he explained his intentions.
I am writing this post not so much to inform you about the news, but to express my uneasiness with the reasoning behind the deaths. Some may see this act as merely a mentally disturbed man killing his family, but I think the situation goes much deeper than this. I believe the forces that lead to Mr. Brown’s actions revolve around the individualistic and economic mentality of Western society.
In Western society, the family and community have decayed into merely economic relations. We value individuals based on their economic worth. We judge people by what kind of car they drive, how big their house is, or what kind of salary they bring in. In our society the elderly and disabled are seen as burdens because they are not economically beneficial to society. Because our society is completely focused on economic progress, anything or anyone who stands in its way is seen as an impediment and must be dealt with. For this reason, people like Richard Brown feel that they are a burden to society as they require assistance (money and resources) that society could otherwise put to better use (progress). Those who do stick around are placed in “retirement homes” or mental hospitals so that they are separated from the rest of society and place as small a burden as possible on it.
This phenomenon is relatively recent (I would argue around the Industrial Revolution) and only started to develop when capitalism began to expand. Before this economic system took over, the elderly were seen as cherished sources if wisdom, while the disabled were taken care of by the community. Communities were egalitarian and shared resources amongst themselves. Extended families were the norm where the elderly had great influence in community decisions.
Such scenarios seem so foreign to us in a society where private property is unquestioned, where households exist of only two (or less) parents and their children, and where adult children make decisions for their elderly parents. Most of the world does not live like this however. It is a stigma that has stained the individualistic and liberal societies of the West (mainly North America and Western Europe).
It is this Western mentality that has convinced people that a person’s worth is based solely on their ability to contribute economically. We do not measure the emotional or spiritual contributions of a person and therefore view the elderly and disabled as burdens. It is sad, unethical, and pure stupidity.
This view tells us that economic worth is what matters, yet this mentality does not mesh with the human condition–meaning money is not what makes humans truly fulfilled. Our economic system based on progress and prosperity has lead to continual increases of crime rates, suicide, depression, alcoholism, and domestic abuse. Until we come to the realisation that human progress is not based on economic wealth and change our individualistic ways, we will continue to face these harsh realities.
The many concepts and ideas compressed in this short and unplanned blog requires a brief summary of what I’m trying to say. Overall, Western society is very individualistic and is focused mainly on economic growth and progress. Because of this, we value life and other individuals in terms of their economic contributions to society. This mentality does not mesh with the human condition and as a result, the West faces increasing amounts of depression and unrest. It also causes us to segregate those who are not economically beneficial–such as the elderly and disabled. The connection can then be made that Richard Brown killing himself and his family so they wouldn’t be a burden to others is the result of the Western mentality.
The moral of the story: Think about what really matters.
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