On January 30, former Glee actor Mark Salling, who portrayed Noah Puckerman on the show, committed suicide. He died just six weeks before he was scheduled to be sentenced for his crimes relating to child pornography.
People all over the social media and other internet sites have been happy about Salling's suicide. The majority of people agree that he deserved it die and that he made the right decision in killing himself.
Some are calling him a coward.
This just perpetuates the idea that in some cases suicide is the right answer when it should never be the right answer.
For most pedophiles and child molesters, there is a background of mental illness or psychological trauma that explains why these people have these terrible fetishes and addictions.
Under no circumstance is obtaining and looking at child pornography OK, but instead of just automatically labeling these people as the scum of the earth, we should try to help them psychologically.
What also cannot go overlooked are the lives that Salling affected by his actions as a pedophile. He was going to be sentenced to four to seven years in prison, forced to pay restitution to his victims, and placed on the sex offender registry. These punishments fit the crime, but suicide doesn't.
Yeah, he might've chosen the easy way out, but the way I see it is, if he hadn't felt completely ashamed of himself as a human, he wouldn't have wanted to end his life.
I think his actions were terrible, and he definitely needed to be punished for those actions, but he also needed help.
According to the vocal contractor and vocal arranger for Glee, Tim Davis, Salling had experienced abuse himself in the past. Not only had past abuse added to Salling's psychological illness but so did the pressure from Hollywood. Being a star on a top TV show for seven years probably played a role in his deteriorating mental health.
I think Davis said it best on his Twitter account:
"Today we lost another #Glee cast member. Yes, he's committed crimes against children. Yes, it's horrific. But Mark Salling was a broken man, no doubt an abuse victim himself. I loved Mark, and am sad when I consider the devastation of his parents. PLEASE withhold your cruel comments.
"Let me be clear. Having compassion for Mark Salling in no way minimizes his crimes, nor does it minimize the pain and devastation of the victims of those crimes. I'm just saying stop adding to his family's pain. This was their son. If you're without sin, feel free to cast stones."
A person's actions may be horrific, but it doesn't automatically make that person a monster. Most crimes involving pedophilia and sexual abuse have some sort of relationship to mental illness.
Suicide is never the answer, no matter how terrible a person may act. Instead of automatically labeling these people as worthy of death, let's start trying to give them mental and psychological help. Maybe then pedophiles will be more likely to seek help, rather than act on their impulses.
If you are anyone you know or love has suicidal thoughts please do not hesitate to call a suicide prevention hotline.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline:
1-800-273-8255
