Sinead O'Connor takes her place in the Wood of Suicides.

[okierider]

Wish I could say I lived by the "Be kind. Always" statement but when I read about folks that lose the battle against depression it makes me want to try harder. RIP Sinead.
Cannot imagine losing a child , hell I went way to far south when I lost my dog Rielly girl.

 

[OKCShooter]

So I looked up the timeline. Some highlights:
The issue first came to widespread public attention when priest Gilbert Gauthe of Lafayette, La., received a 20-year sentence for molesting children. That same year, the National Catholic Register published an exposé and editorial on the sex abuse crisis, which was picked up and widely circulated by mainstream media.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) was founded in 1988, to much fanfare.
In June of 1992, the the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops acknowledged that some bishops had attempted to cover up abuse. They also affirmed five principles for dioceses to deal with child sexual abuse, including responding promptly and openly to all allegations. All widely publicized by the media.
O'Conner went on SNL in October of 1992.
So its not accurate to say it wasn't already a well-known scandal or that nothing was being done about it before her little stunt. And no, I'm not Catholic, I make no excuse for sexual predators, and agree the Catholic Church rightly deserves all the condemnation it has received on this issue. But saying Sinead O'Conner is who brought the matter to the public's attention is like saying no one had heard of global warming before Greta Thunberg came along.

Of course she wasn't the very first person to 'break the case' lol

Literally anything you could read about that SNL moment will say the same thing: She brought light to the atrocities of what the Catholic Church was doing LONG before it was widely known. You writing a timeline of history doesn't change that fact - there was no social media and the amount of people that read an editorial or expose as you cited was fractional (at best) to the exposure that she gave to the public through SNL - and she did it to the detriment of herself. Seriously, read any article written about her and it will echo the exact same.

Comparing what she did to Greta Thornburg speaking at a Climate Summit about Global Warming in the age of Social Media immediately lost you the argument, lol

Sinead O’Connor Condemned Church Abuse Early. America Didn’t Listen.

In Ireland, Ms. O’Connor spoke out about abuse and the complicity of religious institutions. When she came to the United States, many were not ready to hear her — yet.

www.nytimes.com

Anyone reading this can search about her and that moment and will read those same sentiments ad nauseam; its this over and over:

 

[Seadog]

While sad, it isn't exactly shocking. I figured this would be her end several years ago. She was a tortured soul. If this surprised you, I bet you were surprised Amy Winehouse drank herself to death.

Her and Mindy McCready should not have been a surprise to anyone. I'm surprised O'Connor made it this far.

You know which ones did surprise me? Mama Judd, Robin Williams and Anthony Bourdain. I wouldn't exactly say I was shocked, but I was surprised.

Robin Williams was an accident far as I know. Was one of those choke yourself while wacking off types. Took it too far and it cost him

 

[HillsideDesolate]

Robin Williams was an accident far as I know. Was one of those choke yourself while wacking off types. Took it too far and it cost him

IIRC Robin Williams said some bad things about Obama shortly before his departure. An unknown person called in his death.

 

[saddlebum]

Robin Williams was an accident far as I know. Was one of those choke yourself while wacking off types. Took it too far and it cost him

he had cuts on his wrist, not sure that align's with auto erotic asphyxiation . sometimes hanging yourself is just hanging yourself

 

[Aku]

IIRC Robin Williams said some bad things about Obama shortly before his departure. An unknown person called in his death.

Let me guess, the initials are HRC

 

[turkeyrun]

Was never a fan, can't say I have ever heard her sing. All I knew of her was her using her celebrity for controversy and political statement. Sometimes that controversy was for the right reasons, but none of that controversy seemed to be for self promotion.

Suicide has not been confirmed, from what I've seen. Though it wouldn't be a surprise, but certainly, sad. Peaceful rest is not her eternity.

Having been close to 4 suicides, 3 at very young age, (52, 29, 24, 17) it is a permanent solution to a workable problem. The only thing it solves is placing the pain on those closest to you. Don't keep the problem bottled inside. Talk, talk, talk. Get help. There is always someone who cares.

 

[TedKennedy]

Was never a fan, can't say I have ever heard her sing. All I knew of her was her using her celebrity for controversy and political statement. Sometimes that controversy was for the right reasons, but none of that controversy seemed to be for self promotion.

Suicide has not been confirmed, from what I've seen. Though it wouldn't be a surprise, but certainly, sad. Peaceful rest is not her eternity.

Having been close to 4 suicides, 3 at very young age, (52, 29, 24, 17) it is a permanent solution to a workable problem. The only thing it solves is placing the pain on those closest to you. Don't keep the problem bottled inside. Talk, talk, talk. Get help. There is always someone who cares.

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

 

[THAT Gurl]

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

Yep. I refuse to believe that just because she lived a trouble life that "God", in his infinite wisdom, who made us "in his image" would hold what by all accounts was a really troubled and painfilled life against her for taking what appeared to her at the time to be the only way to stop the hurt.

I'm not telling you nothing you don't already know, though. And I'm still hurt for you now as much as I did when I found out what happened. I've been on both sides of that abyss. I've wondered what I missed when a loved one chose that course and I've been that person. The one who has sat on the edge of that cliff and looked down into it looking for answers no one has. There are no easy answers, unfortunately.

 

[donner]

Yep. I refuse to believe that just because she lived a trouble life that "God", in his infinite wisdom, who made us "in his image" would hold what by all accounts was a really troubled and painfilled life against her for taking what appeared to her at the time to be the only way to stop the hurt.

I'm not telling you nothing you don't already know, though. And I'm still hurt for you now as much as I did when I found out what happened. I've been on both sides of that abyss. I've wondered what I missed when a loved one chose that course and I've been that person. The one who has sat on the edge of that cliff and looked down into it looking for answers no one has. There are no easy answers, unfortunately.

I'm with you. The idea that God would forgive a repentant abuser but punish the abused for turning away seems very strange.