Death, these days, seems to be attributed to something. Problem is, if a 63 year old man dies it's because of heart attack, high blood pressure,, C-19, cancer, etc. All of which are natural causes as opposed to murder, accident, suicide, etc.

What gets me, and it has for at least 55 years is, death is a natural part of life and, without facilitating or accelerating its arrival; shouldn't we realize that without death, everyone would be equal because we wouldn't be bound by time to accomplish anything?

Can't build a nuclear reactor because you're not smart enough? Go to school for 75 years and learn.
Not a good sword fighter.... a 100 years in a fighters' pit may be what you need.

My grandmother told me 30 years ago when she was in her 90s, "death gives my life definition and meaning. Without death, I'd be the same as everyone else, except with boobs." (Closest thing to swearing I EVER heard her say.)

So, the reason I being this topic up; a good hunting acquaintance of mine (he was in late 70s) died a couple weeks ago and I just found out. I sent his son a note of condolences and apologies for not being sooner with the note. The response was simple, "The fact you remembered my dad gives his life meaning."

Thing is, Terry was over weight, not able to hunt from a deer stand, nor able to dress and put a 80 pound deer into the bed of his truck. Terry died from natural causes (see above for one of the options) but yet, the first thing his son, Jay, mentioned hearing when people send condolences, "what did he die from?"

Crass question or inquisitive question - that's debatable.

Maybe I'm just wallowing in my own sorrow. Apologies if I've rubbed anybody's fur the wrong way about a subject which can be very sensitive to some.

When my grandma died, my father told me she died from 'lack of breath' which I suppose is as good a way as any to describe running out of steam at 85+.

Nowadays, there always has to be a reason for everything, whether in this case it's to comfort the grieving or simply to check a box on a form, I don't know. Dead is dead, however it happened.

If you watch the news, nobody dies from anything but COVID or bullets now apparently.

Not during an election year. 'Everything' in an election year is political and weaponized, including deaths.

Not any longer.

We have apparently cured pneumonia and influenza as of March 1. I thought there would be more of a celebration Of that world shattering event.

Even if you become a hood ornament on a Freightliner while you were driving a motorcycle that’s not what killed you. It was the daVID.

Apparently we’ve have also cured Alzheimer’s and COPD along with most cancers.

I am so happy that I won’t die of any of those horrible diseases.

LS1 that was a very insightful post.
Thank you for posting it.

My dad (94) and mom (87) died from natural causes. Old age. I was lucky enough to be their sides when the passed.

quote:

Crass question or inquisitive question - that's debatable.

Likely both. When I've had to deal with it I chose to view it as just their way of expressing a personal concern.

But to your point, one would like to think the value of life and our limited time here would cast a healthy light on our life choices. Wish that were happening more these days.

Well, most of what you mentioned are natural causes. Cancer, heart attack, flu, stroke, etc. are natural causes. They are what people have been dying of forever. It's just that now, we know the cause, because our medical technology gives us visibility to the cause. Even death from old age has a cause; kidneys stop working, liver stops working, heart stops beating, etc.

Think of it this way; if I have pneumonia and I die, did I die of bacterial infection, lung damage / drowning, or a stress induced heart attack from struggling to breathe? I don't know what would be on my death certificate as the cause, but any of the listed conditions could be.

Yep they do, all day, everyday.

Typically the COD on a DC will read off several things in order as caused if they all contributed to the death.

Natural, Accidental, Suicide, Homicide are all manners of death, not causes.


You could have under Cause

Acute Congestive Heart Failure would be a cause, the Manner would be classed as Natural

or

End Stage Dementia 5 Years
Due to Alzheimer's Disease
Manner Natural

or Cardiac Arrest Seconds to Minutes
Due to Respiratory Arrest Minutes to Hours
Manner Natural

or Artery Rupture
due to Blunt Trauma
Due to Motor Vehicle Accident
Manner Accident..

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
LS1 that was a very insightful post.
Thank you for posting it.

I thought so too.

I remember when it was considered poor form to list the cause of death in the Obit. About that time some of the metropolitan papers became brutally honest. They stated such things are AIDS, alcoholism and drug overdose. I see nothing wrong with stating the cause if known.

quote:

Originally posted by mjlennon:

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
LS1 that was a very insightful post.
Thank you for posting it.

I thought so too.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ LS1 I am in agreement
and thank you as I am doubling down on your comments. ............... drill sgt.

Not that I would ever ask the question but it would be worded “what contributed to his death”.

My mom is the most unhealthy person I know. When heart failure or diabetes finally kills her I won’t consider it natural causes. My reasoning being that if she had simple taken care of herself at the bare minimum she would not be suffering from these ailments. Likely not. Therefore she has accelerated her own death in many ways which to me is very unnatural.

As my Grandfather told me while reading the obituaries, "it's good to know what people your age died from, it helps keep it in perspective to how you live your life in regards to those risks.
Everyone dies eventually, but maybe eating a little better or exercising a bit more will give you a few nice good days before you go"

I plan to die from death.

Personally, for me, death has always been 'lack of oxygen to the brain".
Whatever the cause.

Indeed, LS1, death is part of life.

To be remembered after passing, is the true immortality we are given.

--chris

I had a good friend back in my youth who had a unique idea - if every man was given a hundred more years in heaven every time someone had a good thought of him after his passing, we would all strive to live in such a way as to earn those good thoughts. I guess if God takes his advice, heaven won't be very crowded based on current human behavior!

To me, all deaths are natural causes - some are just more abrupt than others. Our life form, remarkable as it may be, is just not designed to last forever in the environment in which we exist. I doubt that the species of mayfly that spends only a day or two as an adult, mating and then dying, ever ponders when or how it will die or what, if anything, follows. Maybe we should learn from that "lower form of life".....

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
I remember when it was considered poor form to list the cause of death in the Obit. About that time some of the metropolitan papers became brutally honest. They stated such things are AIDS, alcoholism and drug overdose. I see nothing wrong with stating the cause if known.

I still consider it poor form unless the inclusion of the cause of death is approved by the family. Imagine a hemophiliac who contracted AIDS via a transfusion and subsequently died and whose obit listed AIDS as the cause of death without mentioning the hemophilia. The mere act of dying should not mean that a person's medical history should be opened to public scrutiny.

Especially when the same media routinely sanitizes descriptions of persons suspected of violent offenses to the point of uselessness when such an omission may well endanger a victim's life or at the very least, greatly decrease the chance that the offender will be found and arrested.

quote:

Originally posted by drill sgt:

quote:

Originally posted by mjlennon:

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
LS1 that was a very insightful post.
Thank you for posting it.

I thought so too.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ LS1 I am in agreement
and thank you as I am doubling down on your comments. ............... drill sgt.

Thank you