Hi Fionn: I know a number of the family members of the ten 1981 huner strikers, and I know people who lost family to suiside. The families, as Keven says, sees their family members as casualities of war, as did Pope John Paul II, who, unlike the English bishops, did not see the hunger strikers as suisides. In fact, he sent a cross to Patsy O'Hara, who gave it to his sister Liz, who kept it until it was stolen in the United States (Ohhhhh why do these things have to happen here so often!!!!) The deaths were and are a terrible pain to the families, however, unlike suisides, they are also a sourse of pride. Patsy's mother had decided that as soon as Patsy was unconcious, she would let the doctors feed him intravenously. However, his last words where, after aplologising that they did not win the prisoners rights they sought, Mum, let the fight go on... and after that, she could not let the doctors feed him. Emotionally the families don't see their deaths in anyway shamefully as happens with suisides.
Night all,
Larry