No one should be ashamed to be themselves...
The Daily Beast
A small-town Alabama pastor and mayor killed himself Friday, days after a local conservative news website published a story that included photos of him wearing women’s clothing and makeup.
F.L. “Bubba” Copeland, who was the mayor of Smiths Station and the pastor at First Baptist Church in Phenix City, shot himself in front of police during a welfare check, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.
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Copeland’s extracurricular activities quickly turned into a community-wide controversy. His church referred to “unbiblical behavior” in a statement, and Copeland reportedly told his parishioners that the article did not represent “who or what I am.” He added that it would “not cause my life to change.”
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“I just want to ask you people who thought it humorous to publicly ridicule him, ‘Are you happy now?’ What crime did he commit? Some of you people make me sick,” DiCharia added. “I hope you are really proud. For our brother, F.L. Bubba Copeland, May God bless your soul and forgive those who took pleasure in your suffering. They should all be ashamed!”
Religion often makes being true to one’s self more complicated...
Salon
According to The Advocate, using information sourced by WRBL, "deputies responded to a request for a welfare check on Copeland, spotting them driving their truck on a county road near their grocery store. Upon attempting to pull Copeland over, they stopped, exited their truck, and fatally shot themself."
Copeland had been struggling after Alabama news blog 1819 News reported on Wednesday that they "had been engaging in explicit online activities, allegedly posting pornography, memes, and photos of themself in women’s clothing online under the pseudonym 'Brittini Blaire Summerlin,' per The Advocate's coverage, adding that the news blog "shared screenshots from Copeland’s now-deleted Instagram and Reddit accounts, where they openly explored their transgender identity."
Our nation’s obsession with firearms makes this outcome all too common...
The Guardian
Mass shootings draw deserved media attention, but they are a small percentage of all gun deaths in the US; suicide is the most common way people die by gun. That is, if you own or have access to a gun, the person you’re most likely to kill is yourself. Fifty-four per cent of US gun deaths are suicides, which means access to a gun is a major risk factor for dying this way.
This fact, often cited but rarely examined, means the gun industry is pushing guns the same way the tobacco industry pushed cigarettes: their intentions toward their customers are blithely murderous. It also undermines the advertisements and arguments claiming that guns provide safety and protection. Of the 48,117 reported gun deaths in the US in 2022, 26,993 were suicides – a stunning number, a gun death every 11 minutes, the equivalent to a mid-sized town being wiped out annually.
The speed of the internet makes public humiliation such as this far too easy...
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.