One of the first signs of the beginnings of understanding is the wish to die. This life appears unbearable, another unattainable. One is no longer ashamed of wanting to die; one asks to be moved from the old cell, which one hates, to a new one, which one will only in time come to hate.
Bio: David A. Ridenour is Vice President of The National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative, non-profit, educational foundation based in Washington, D.C.