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Linda Bowles Committed Suicide
The Paradise Post ^
| May 15, 2003
| Rick Silva
Posted on 05/15/2003 7:59:03 AM PDT by SlickWillard
![](http://www.paradisepost.com/content/articles/2003/05/14/news/news1.jpg) Linda Bowles. Photo courtesy of worldnetdaily.com |
By Rick Silva - Managing editor
Nationally-syndicated columnist Linda Bowles died April 30 at Merced-area hospital after she committed suicide, the Paradise Post learned yesterday.
No memorial service will be held out of respect for her final wishes.
Bowles, 51, whose column appeared in the Chico Enterprise-Record, the Houston Post, Washington Times, Chicago Tribune, Arkansas Democ-rat-Gazette and WorldNetDaily.com, reportedly never recovered from the loss of her husband Warren. She also appeared on and was a frequent guest host for Liveline with Bruce Ses-sions show on KPAY.
In a statement released by her only daughter Mi-chelle Bowles early Wednes-day night she said, "The coroner's re-port will tell you she purposely overdosed on antidepressants. The reality is she died due to complications of the heart."
"To say she had a weak or failed heart would be untrue," the statement continued. "To say she suffered from a broken heart would be an understatement."
John Arguelles, a deputy in the Merced County Coroners office said Bowles' death is still under investigation.
"We haven't completed our investigation and we haven't ruled on the manner of death," Arguelles said.
County officials say that toxicology reports will come back in four weeks.
Her death comes nearly a year after her husband, Warren, died of an inoperable brain tumor. The illness forced Bowles to discontinue her column for Creative Syndicate on Feb. 25, 2002.
In her column that appeared on WorldNetDaily she told readers "This may very well be the last column I will write
I can't see beyond the battle to the future."
Joseph Farah, the CEO and editor of WorldNetDaily, said yesterday Bowles' death was a loss and she never recovered from the death of her husband on May 31 of last year.
"She told me she couldn't live without him," he said. "I kept telling her that she could, just one day at a time. She was devastated by her loss and, frankly, never recovered emotionally from it."
Farah met Bowles when she was a columnist for the Sacramento Union.
"Linda Bowles was an unusually gifted writer," he said. "She had a way of reaching deep into people's souls with her use of the language. It was our honor at WorldNetDaily to carry her column until the day she suspended it due to the death of her husband."
Former Butte County Sheriff Scott MacKenzie said he met Bowles once at a political function and was impressed by her.
"She seemed to be a straight-forward, very sincere person," he said "who was an honest individual and who wrote exactly what she believed."
He called Bowles' death a "real tragedy and a real loss to those who read it and was a good conservative?"
Republican Assemblyman Rick Keene, who represents the Ridge, met with Bowles a few times for dinner and saw her give a couple of speeches.
"Every time she spoke, she spoke about how special her husband was," Keene said. "She adored him. It's very sad to hear and she was gracious person."
Keene said her columns were good for the political debate in the country.
"She stimulated good debate, pulling no punches and that is rare in this day and age," he said.
The company that syndicated her column to papers like Enterprise-Record, Creative Syndicate Inc., didn't know about Bowles' death until a reporter called Wednesday morning asking about it. No one at Creative Syndicate Inc had any comment yesterday.
Her columns also appeared at TownHall.com and for the Conservative Chronicle. A secretary for the Conservative Chronicle said she was unaware of Bowles' death, but had no further comment and TownHall didn't return phone calls yesterday.
Bowles began her writing career through a weekly political column in California's Mariposa Guide. This opened the door for a regular column in the now-defunct Sacramento Union n where Farah was an editor.
She also wrote, various self-syndicated and freelance articles for newspapers across the country until she met Creative Syndicate's Rick 051, through Farah. That led to that company's decision to offer her a"syndicate contract," which Farah said was "very unusual for a practically unknown writer."
She was known to enjoy irritating liberals, telling Townhall.com that "I believe a large audience awaits a good, thorough whacking of left-wing icons and ideology, done with parody and satire."
"To me, Linda was not only a gifted writer," Farah said. "She was my friend a valued friend. I am feeling the loss today.""
RSilva@paradisepost.com
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Front Page News; US: California
KEYWORDS: bowles; depression; lindabowles; obituary; suicide
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To: vetvetdoug
I'm very, very sorry about your wife's suicide, vetvetdoug. I' glad "No Time To Say Goodbye" was of some comfort to you--I know it was to me.
I found this to be true: before my husband's stepfather committed suicide, I had no idea of the magnitude of the devastation suicide has on family members--no clue whatsoever. It was as if suicide didn't even exist (except in books and movies) until it happened in our family. May God bless and comfort you and your daughter always.
To: SoothingDave
Chuck, this is not for you to judge. Objectively, suicide is a mortal sin. I can't speak for you, but I sure desire God to judge me subjectively.
If she were nto in her right mind, that is a mitigating factor to ascribing guilt.
While you are busy quoting Bible verses, why not pull the one out about how you will be judged using the same measure you use for others? Have you no mercy for the sick?
139 posted on 05/16/2003 7:23 AM MDT by SoothingDave
So you think a person can be beyond the grace and mercy of G-d.
chuck <truth@YeshuaHaMashiach>
142
posted on
05/16/2003 8:20:49 AM PDT
by
Uri’el-2012
(chuck <truth@YeshuaHaMashiach>)
To: RooRoobird14
Well here's a clue. I mentioned previously my concerns about someone near and dear to me who may be heading down this road. What I did not mention until now are the cases of loved ones who checked out in the past. It is a sad commentary to see all the attacks on my posts here; posts which have posed legitimate critiques and questions regarding prevailing assumptions on this topic. I have done more soul searching on this than the ad hominemites will ever be expected to give me credit for but frankly I don't care what they think. Illigitimi non carborundum.
Mark
143
posted on
05/16/2003 8:26:54 AM PDT
by
GOP_1900AD
(Un-PC even to "Conservatives!" - Right makes right)
Comment #144 Removed by Moderator
To: belmont_mark
Illigitimi non carborundum
Don't let the bastards get you down......I got that posted below my Thank God for Everyday For What You have sign
To: hope
I don't know what your trying to prove by assuming so much... Your pride is impressive maybe to some.
134 posted on 05/15/2003 11:15 PM MDT by hope
Does G-d control the Universe ?
Does He deny his children ever ?
Does He give stones for bread ?
Hebrews 10:38 But my righteous one [One early manuscript But the
righteous] will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not
be pleased with him." [Hab. 2:3,4]
chuck <truth@YeshuaHaMashiach>
146
posted on
05/16/2003 3:30:15 PM PDT
by
Uri’el-2012
(chuck <truth@YeshuaHaMashiach>)
To: belmont_mark
The HUGH tragedy of Her Loss is the loss of Her Potential Gift of her unique Wisdom to "The Rest of Us!"
When a "GREAT ONE" leaves us--Whether or not "By Their Own Hand,"--we loose a significant portion of the "Great Lessons of Life" we ALL must learn to continue our Civilization.
"Each Man's Death Diminishes Me--for I am Involved in Mankind..."
We are ALL "Involved in (Parts of) an organism called 'Humankind'..."
The Loss of Some Parts of our "Organism" is more Devastating than the "Loss" of other parts.
The Loss of Linda Bowles was a True Tragedy for our Species!-----WE Needed Her!
Doc
To: belmont_mark
Yesterday on the news I saw a protest in downtown SF that I actually agreed with. It was a protest outside some psychiatric convention at Moscone by folks who were highlighting the use / overuse of psychoactives in dealing with "problem children." The only bummer was that the protest was funded by L. Ron Hubbard et al (the old "combatting the reactive mind" angle...) but at least it got some air play. Glad to see OTHER (and apparently with all the head doctors and pill pushers who've got massive but easily threatened egos on this thread, "locally" unpopular!...) points of view besides the "drugs not hugs" orthodoxy getting some air time. Bravo!
148
posted on
05/20/2003 11:13:32 AM PDT
by
GOP_1900AD
(Un-PC even to "Conservatives!" - Right makes right)
To: CyberAnt
I'm not sure about that. Isn't suicide considered a mortal sin? Does one go to heaven after committing it?
For Linda's sake, I hope she is in heaven with her beloved but that's not the way I remember hearing about it.
To: hope; All
How we hurt to read this. Dear precious Linda Bowles. God be with you and your family. So many hurt so deeply. If we only knew.
To: SlickWillard
Rest in Peace, Mrs. Bowles.
To: Freedom'sWorthIt
Indeed, Freedom. So many..I see alot of people in my business on a daily basis, and yes so many of them are hurting and in need. All I can do is ask the Lord to bless them in some way and maybe offer a message of encouragement. Linda, proclaimed her faith in so many of her writings. I don't know exactly what happened to Linda...maybe there's more to it than we will ever know.
152
posted on
05/22/2003 2:14:07 PM PDT
by
hope
("For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail")
To: cgk
The culture has changed, or, more accurately, has been deliberately changed. People in this land at this time are generally not as tough as their ancestors were. People are softer, more sensitive, less obdurate, less durable, less long-suffering, and more easily hurt than before.
The social-engineering has been done at the behest of the liberal elite, probably (initially) with the best intentions. Even giving them that assumption of good intents, I have never understood nor agreed with their beliefs. Being "sensitive" is not necessarily a good thing.
Though I was born in 1970, I am, in many ways, a throwback to the earlier culture. Unlike most of my peers, I understand that most of life is (to some degree) tedious, most of that which is not tedious is worse, very few moments remain which are unadulteratedly pleasant, and that most good things take a LOT of time and effort - and are never certain of coming to pass. That you can do EVERYTHING right and STILL LOSE. This may be a bleak outlook on life, and by modern standards might be considered "insane", but it is just the way it is. It is neither right nor wrong, it merely IS.
Understanding this from my earliest age has allowed me to grow callous. Not cruel, mind you, but callous. Little things, temporary difficulties, minor pains, they simply do not touch me. Major pains (as in, the untimely death of my brother a few years ago) do touch me, wound me, hurt me deeply (after all, I remain human) but I have learned to accept the pain and let the wound turn into the inevitable -I say again: INEVITABLE- scar. Callouses on the soul have the same function as do callouses on the hands and feet: They spare the tender, vital parts from the inevitable pains of life and allow you to do the work that life demands. Psychological scars serve a purpose like unto physical scars: They patch up a wound, allow the surviving tissue to return to some level of function, prevent the wound from reopening and getting worse, and can serve the purpose of an ever-present reminder of where one has been and what one has endured.
There is nothing wrong with hard-bought callouses.
There is nothing wrong with honorable scars.
Where the modern culture fails of its notional good intentions is the failure to understand the vital function of callouses and scars. Far from being "bad" or otherwise undesirable, these toughenings allow one to survive relatively intact what would otherwise be crippling or fatal, and to ignore the sundry unpleasantries of life THE BETTER TO ENJOY THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE PLEASANT.
The modern overuse of prescription mood-altering drugs is a symptom of the liberal softness infecting our culture. We try to buffer every little pain, prevent every little trauma, alter the feel of the outcome of every natural zero-sum game. We have raised two full generations up under the dominant credo that one can do everything wrong and not only can but SHOULD still win, that all pain is flat-out bad and equally intolerable and to be doped-out or avoided or -God help me, the very notion makes me wish to vomit- paraded before one's peers for collective empathising and some mythic catharsis, that sensitivity to even the slightest or remotest thing is always good, that scars and callouses are always bad, that being tough is no virtue.
Liberals consider this a path to enlightened humanism.
I consider this an insanity, a denial of reality, a path to weakness, despair, and suicide over trivial matters.
I am not castigating Linda Bowles. I have no knowledge of her outlook on life, her toughness, and so far I have yet to suffer a like hurt, so I have no right to judge her response. However, my pessimism informs me regularly that soon or late I SHALL suffer a like hurt -save that I myself die before such a blow falls upon me- and I am reasonably certain that my callouses shall sustain me even then, that I will live to add to my collection of scars.
I am also not condemning suicide. There are a few scenarios which I can readily envision in which I would certainly kill myself. All of them, however, involve my own imminent and extremely unpleasant demise, so in those scenarios my act of will would merely be a more direct route to an end already certain. Suicide as commonly used as a permanent solution to a temporary problem? THAT... I do condemn.
People should be tougher than that.
To: SlickWillard
umm... I have been given to understand that that commandment is more accurately translated as "thou shalt not murder"
To: The Right Stuff
"I'm not sure about that. Isn't suicide considered a mortal sin? Does one go to heaven after committing it?"
The Catholic Church says suicide is a mortal sin. That is a church doctrine, and not a Bible doctrine.
Why didn't GOD say, THOU SHALL NOT TAKE THY OWN LIFE ...??
The reason is - GOD gave you free will - that means your life or your death is YOUR decision. If GOD said you couldn't take your own life, HE would be taking your free will back from you. Thou shalt not murder (from the Hebrew) - means you can't take the life of another person who also has free will. This is a very distinct difference.
155
posted on
05/22/2003 2:57:44 PM PDT
by
CyberAnt
( America - You Are The Greatest!!)
To: demosthenes the elder
Thank you for that wonderful post. You write eloquently, and put me to shame (I was born in 1970 also.).
I'd quote the whole article here, but I truly admire this portion:
The modern overuse of prescription mood-altering drugs is a symptom of the liberal softness infecting our culture. We try to buffer every little pain, prevent every little trauma, alter the feel of the outcome of every natural zero-sum game. We have raised two full generations up under the dominant credo that one can do everything wrong and not only can but SHOULD still win, that all pain is flat-out bad and equally intolerable and to be doped-out or avoided or -God help me, the very notion makes me wish to vomit- paraded before one's peers for collective empathising and some mythic catharsis, that sensitivity to even the slightest or remotest thing is always good, that scars and callouses are always bad, that being tough is no virtue.
My dad - from one of those "tougher" generations has met himself a New Age Aussie wife (they married so she wouldn't have to leave the US, and so he could sleep with someone every night), took on Gestalt at Esalen Institute in Big Sur. The nonsense coming out of his mouth after that made me cringe. Lots of "getting in touch" "sharing emotions and how they make you FEEL", etc. I let him know in no uncertain terms it was a load of garbage and he knew better. A year and a half later, and after being whacked twice by his Pacifist wife, he says he sees my point.
156
posted on
05/22/2003 3:20:45 PM PDT
by
cgk
(It is liberal dogma that human life is an accident - Linda Bowles (r.i.p.))
To: mikeb704
How incredibly sad when one gives up all hope.True, but what a fortunate man to have had a woman who loved him so much. Life without love is so useless.
To: cgk
Thanks. I have my moments ;)
To: sinkspur
God allowed us to discover/invent such medication for a reason.
Some people on here would say it is wrong to go out on a boat wearing a life-jacket. It's the same logic.
To: CyberAnt
that means your life or your death is YOUR decision. It is? When did you decide to be born?
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