I’ve never been much for video games. Before personal computers were common, we had a couple of games that I played a few times. Pong was a black and white game played on a television set where players moved paddles up and down on the edges of the screen to deflect balls that bounced around the screen. Later we played Pac-Man. I never owned the game systems, but played the games on systems that were owned by family members and friends.

Later, when our children were in their teens, we had some of the early game systems that featured controllers that plugged into devices connected to the television set. I’ve played some of the games, such as Mario Kart a few times on game systems belonging to our children. When we got our first Macintosh home computer we had a copy of the game Myst that we played a few times. However, I never got into playing the games very much and never got very good at them.

These days video games are nearly everywhere. There are several games that are either free or cost little that are designed to be played with cell phones and many people play games on personal computers with or without special game controllers.

There are plenty of criticisms and reviews of online games offered by people who don’t know much about them and who don’t play them. I don’t want to get into the habit of complaining about things that I don’t understand and that I haven’t invested the time to understand.

I write the above because I want to be clear that today’s journal entry is about a topic of which I am not an expert and it is possible that I really don’t know what I’m writing. I’m reacting to the title of a game that I have not played and that I don’t intend to play.

The latest game released by the company Rocksteady has been in development for years. It has been released under the name “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.” In the game, players take on the role of the Suicide Squad - Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang. Suicide Squad members are villains in DC Comics. The targets of the villains are Justice League superheroes including Superman, the Flash, and Batman.

In keeping with the theme of commenting about things of which I know very little, I have not spent much time reading comics or watching the movies based on comics. I know a little bit about comic superheroes from movie reviews and a few things that I have watched, but I don’t understand why one would be entertained by playing a game in which one takes on the role of the villain battling a superhero.

What I will not be silent about, however, is the name that has been given to the game. Suicide is not a game, nor should it be presented as something with which one plays. I’ve made too many visits to traumatized family members who have lost loved ones to suicide to think that it is a topic about which anyone should speak casually. I’m touchy about the use of language that invokes violence. I’ve been known to correct colleagues who speak of “bullet points,” “hitting the mark,” or even “on point.” I am not some champion of politically correct speech, nor do I believe in censorship. However, I want people to be aware that sometimes their choir of language can be painful for others.

If you have lost a loved one to suicide with a gun, any talk of bullets can be a source of pain. And suicide with a gun is alarmingly common in our country these days. Law enforcement officers and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. Emergency Medical Services providers are nearly 50% more likely to die by suicide than the general public and members of the general public are at high risk. Suicide is a leading cause of death in our country. 50,000 people die by suicide in the United States each year. That is a death every 11 minutes. According the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 12.3 million adults have seriously thought about suicide. 3.5 million have made a plan. 1.7 million adults have attempted suicide.

Death by suicide of youth has been rising at alarming rates. Youth suicide rates rose by 62% from 2007 to 202, making suicide the leading cause of death among U.S. adolescents.

Despite these alarming rates, it is likely that death by suicide is underreported. There are many deaths which are unattended and unwitnessed and investigators are unable to determine whether the death was intentional or accidental. Among children and young teens it is unclear how much the victim understood the nature and permanency of death when carrying out their actions.

While there is a link between serious mental illness such as depression, the underlying causes of suicide are not completely clear. The stigma attached to suicide victims and their families is real and despite the overwhelming statistics of suicide people are reluctant to talk of suicide. It is possible that the inability to speak openly and honestly about the risks of suicide contributes to those who are struggling not obtaining life saving help.

I can go on and on about the topic, and I have done so on many occasions. I am convinced that we need honest and open conversation about not only suicide but also about prevention. There are proven methods of intervening when suicide risk is known. Speaking frankly about suicide ideas and plans can lead to support that enables those who suffer to obtain help.

Suicide, however, is not a game. I know that violence is a part of many video games. I also know that playing games where a player engages in imaginary violence does not necessarily mean that the player becomes violent in their relationships with others. Playing a game with suicide in the title might not cause an increase in suicidal behavior. But it doesn’t contribute to healthy conversations about suicide and suicide prevention either.

I’ll take a pass on this game as well. But I will pay attention and continue to seek alternatives for those who wish to engage in online games.