I really sympathize with you Sorcha. It's hard to stay compassionate and nonjudgmental when so many people seem to bring senseless tragedy onto themselves and others - at everyone else's expense. So please don't be hard on yourself ok? Your courage is just shining through here ....

All I can say is that the person you've described must have been going through one horrible personal "Hell on Earth" to have done the absolutley insane things he did. And that your posts here have given me even more respect and appreciation for the "Men in Blue" and the Hell they deal with every single day on the job.

Here's a thought - would it have costed the taxpayers more to give the guy the medical attention he needed, or to bury him? I'm bringing this up because a poverty-stricken and very depressed acquaintance of mine hung himself a few years ago. He had been living in my area for only a couple years, under an assumed name. No-one really knew who he was, and when he died the police and the City officials spent a few months searching for his next of kin or any other family members - to no avail. So the city ended up having to foot the bill for his coffin, burial plot, coroner's expenses etc. They were NOT happy about that - rang up thousands of dollars I guess.

... Ask me if we feel good about helping the drunk. However, that is not our call to make. Kinda like, save 'em all and let God sort it out ...

brucie, you're wonderful ... this one's for you

daylia