It is generally accepted that some soldiers will lose their lives in conflict. That is not to trivialise it, of course, but it is an expected outcome for a percentage of troops on active service. Generally speaking, it is not expected that successful, outwardly happy young men will take their own lives. The fact that he was a famous footballer/manager makes it more newsworthy (though no more tragic) than had it been an unknown member of the public.

If Gazza killed himself tonight that wouldnt be that unexpected (yes I know) but you could bet that would also be front page headlines.

I actually don't think that's the case. I think people buy what they are given to buy and what they are told to buy. Nobody really sat around 50 years ago with an unidentified, unfulfilled craving for Z list celebrity gossip eating away at their soul. If it all went away tomorrow and never came back we wouldn't miss it at all.

Any number of other people will have died yesterday too. Some by their own hand, others through violent acts and still others by natural causes.

Maybe we should rewind 100 years or so and print classifieds on the front page?

Maybe we could.

Either way its a personal decision that he has made that maybe shouldn't have got the headlines- Just a personal thought.

I suspect we will now get the Samaritan adverts and mental health machine rolling along on the back of it. "Speak to Frank"

I think this is an excellent post. I find the military toll appalling. I think I've made that clear before. But this is totally unexpected, which makes it far more shocking.

He was quite famous and very popular. Of course it was going to make the headlines.

And I don't think it can be classed as merely a 'personal decision'. When someone takes their own life, they do so because of profound mental illness, not as a result of any decision making process worthy of the description.

Often they do go through a decision making process but its flawed and they will genuinely believe that they are acting in the best interests of their family. They really do believe "they will be better off without me"

I can't work out what your issue is. Every soldier who dies should be mourned. I can't see why you have chosen to link the two (other than it involves death).

Gary Speed, for whatever reason (and I'm pretty sure it will eventually become apparent) took his own life. Considering that he is well-known and it was completely unexpected then yes, it is news-worthy.

I don't think that his untimely death is 'stealing the headlines' and to be honest in the cold light of day I hope that you can see that particular comment is disrespectful and ill-judged.

Look mate, just because your previous employer has never, until recently, given a tuppenny sh[ii[/it about the the mental wellbeing of their employees, doesn't detract from what is a tragic loss of a life. Remember it's less than 100 years since the army were lining up soldiers with shell-shock and shooting them. Maybe they should've just manned-up eh?

But congratulations on stamping you big macho size 10s, all over a thread yet again, I bet you feel all big & hard now

That's why I said 'any decision making process worthy of the description'. I understand that a decision of sorts must be reached in order for a person to take his own life, but the point I was making was that there is no process that anyone who wasn't mentally ill would recognise as remotely rational.

Without wishing to denegrate the job that the armed forces do, I'm getting a little tired of the macho and (to an extent) 'superior' chip on the shoulder that some members seem to carry. I've actually just deleted an acquaintance from my Facebook friends list who kept posting status updates which basically labelled people who choose to gain a university eduction as being inferior to soldiers who join up at school-leaving age. Nauseating. No-one understimates the job that the armed forces do, but there's no need to ram it down our throats at every opportunity.

Maybe I should remove my daughters FB based upon the fact she is draining my money at Uni!Get in the Army softy!

RIP Speedy you were a good guy and its sad that there was no outlet for you in a moment of need-Does that add to the thread as you would like Coddy

Lets now lambast the lack of spending on mental health issues-Cameron you To**er

give it a rest.
start a new thread and stop de-railing if you feel the need to put alternative points across.