Henry Rollins Writes Column Apologizing for Suicide Criticism, Thanks Readers for Angry Letters
On Thursday, Henry Rollins wrote a column for the LA Weekly titled “Fuck Suicide” where he criticized people who have committed suicide, and specifically, the late Robin Williams. He later apologized for that column, and now, he’s offered more apologies for his original words.
In a new column, he reasserts his apology while thanking people who sent in letters taking him to task. “To those I offended, I believe you and I apologize,” he wrote.
I cannot defend the views I expressed. I think that would be taking an easy out. I put them out there plainly and must suffer the slings and arrows—fair enough. I won’t attempt to dodge them. However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t be taught a thing or two. I have no love for a fixed position on most things. I am always eager to learn something. I promise that I will dig in and educate myself on this and do my best to evolve. Again, thank you.
He explains why, as a person who has lived with depression, he struggles to understand suicide:
I serve. That is what I do. It is, to me, the most fortunate position to be in. I have an audience. It is because of them that I get to eat, move—everything. Each member of this audience is better than I am. Braver and more real than I see myself. …
… I feel nothing but debt to my audience. I will try my hardest, but I will never be able to even the books. If I checked out, I would be running out on the bill.
Inspired by people’s letters, he attempts to better understand:
I have a picture in my mind. There is a person—one with a family and a huge audience—who is on one side of a seesaw. The family and the audience are on the other side. This person’s condition makes him heavy enough to tilt all of them up in the air and send him to the ground. He didn’t want to go, but the condition outweighed all of them and even he couldn’t stop it. Is that, albeit crudely drawn, basically it?
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