Because Without The Internet, Suicide Would Never Happen
from the fighting-the-symptoms dept
It's absolutely true that stories of online suicide pacts or discussion groups represent a fairly gruesome subject, but that doesn't mean that getting rid of them solves the real problem. As Australia has done before, the UK is now freaking out about suicide websites and is considering making them illegal while also pushing for search engines to manually change their search results to hide these sites. This is the wrong way of looking at it. It's hiding the problem and pretending it doesn't exist rather than dealing with the real issue of depression. While blaming the internet for suicide is an easy cop out, it's missing the fact that these people have real issues and need help. In fact, there's a good chance that banning these sites simply isolates some people even more, which could increase the risk of suicide. All of the horror stories about these sites like to pick up on the fact that people visited these sites before committing suicide -- but that shouldn't be a surprise. If someone is thinking about suicide, it seems quite likely that they would do some research online first. There's nothing wrong with suicide help groups working with search engines to provide prevention and help links as public service announcements in traditional ad spots, or working to make their own sites more relevant on standard suicide searches. However, simply banning these sites, pushing them down in the search results and pretending they don't exist does little to get at the root cause of why these people are committing suicide. It's hiding the problem, not solving it.
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Suicide Predators
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Re: Suicide Predators
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Re: Suicide Predators
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Re: Suicide Predators
Who cares. There are always going to be "ifs" and danger. That doesn't mean we should outlaw free speech. You can't make something illegal simply because it MIGHT lead to some other illegal behavior (well I suppose you can, but it isn't right). We should only punish malicious acts themselves, not the inspiration behind them. People are ultimately responsible for themselves. When are we going to learn that the government's job isn't to hand-hold us through life...it's only legitimate job is to protect our freedom.
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survival of the fitest
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Re: survival of the fitest
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Re: survival of the fitest
nobody to listen to their woes=weakness
we are better without weaklings=strong
mother nature kick ass=deal with it
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Re: survival of the fitest
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Re: survival of the fitest
should commit suicide, boo hoo hoo weakling.
The "infirm" that accept help are not commiting suicide. Killing yourself to avoid being a burden on society or family is a strength. Sociopaths need love too. lighten up dude.
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Re: survival of the fitest
Fact, people who really want to kills themselves do it. They don't attempt it, they do it right. Those wanting attention attempt it. These are typically the same people on these sites.
Why don't people wanting to help do someting instead of finding work of others and say "bad"?
Hint, we all die. No matter how bad smoking is for you, how you should eat more fiber and less fat, or excercise like L Armstrong we all end up dead. Allowing people to do it gracefully, or on their terms, or when they feel necessary to end suffering is their right and should be respected.
And before someone jumps in and asks have I ever had to make a life decision, I had to make the call to remove my 17 month old son from life support. It is the hardest decision you will ever have to make, so be understanding and allow others the right to make their own decisions. Don't try to legislate your morality into my life. Because you can put all the laws on the books you want, I will still be my own person.
Cogito Ergos Sum
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Re: survival of the fitest
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No Subject Given
They're blowing everything out of proportion. People aren't offing themselves in droves up there. It's to help out the terminally ill who make a conscious decision.
Most of this is religious-backed asshattery.
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the terminally ill
It is illegal to commit suicide. This is the kind of law that kids make fun of - what's the point? The point, as near as I can tell, is to provide law enforcement the authority to stop people from killing themselves so that they can be helped. Why? Because when a person tries to committ suicide we (rightly) tend to see that not as a genuine desire to end one's own life, but as a cry for help.
Bottom line: if a young, healthy person tries to jump off a building, we all say "don't jump!", but if an elderly person with cancer (or paralyzed below the waist, etc.) tries to jump off a building we are more likely to say "good for you" or "that'll help bring health care costs down". That's not mercy or equal rights, that's discrimination.
(I say this as someone who has watched a loved one die of cancer and as someone who's lost a close friend to suicide).
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Re: the terminally ill
How some people think they have the right to force others to live is beyond me. It is the pervasive religious swell in this previously secular country that permits this debate to even exist. Our forefathers would kill themselves in shame if they saw what we have wrought.
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Re: the terminally ill
Read a little history. This is not a previously secular country. Moron. People like you who repeat untrue things help to perpetuate ignorance.
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Re: the terminally ill
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Re: the terminally ill
Despite the current spin that your people have spread the last few years, the founding fathers intended this country to be governed by laws and not religion. Thanks to you and your friends in high office that long tradition is ending. Welcome to your new theocracy, AmerIran. I will be leaving it.
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Re: the terminally ill
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Dead on!
I'm in IT in the Financial Services industry and some of our main IT guys in ATL do the exact same thing. The try and tell you different things to steer you away, but it doesn't help with the fact that the customers can't call in becasue the IVR is in a loop or goes no where... Thanks for the "uncommon sense". I needed that!
border
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Re: Dead on!
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Re: Dead on!
Are people really like this? This makes my want to kill myself out of pure shame.
As a mantra:
"This person is not a memeber of my species."
"This person is not a memeber of my species."
"This person is not a memeber of my species."
"This person is not a memeber of my species."
...
There I feel better already.
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Re: Dead on!
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Re: Dead on!
"This person is not a member of my species."
"This person is not a member of my species."
"This person is not a member of my species."
... There I feel better already.
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Too large of a problem
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Re: Too large of a problem
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Re: Too large of a problem
Whether or not suicide sites are counterproductive to 'saving lives' or any other jingoistic aim is completely irrelevant. The fact is that some percentage of the population DO NOT want to live any longer (most, or at least many, being terminal patients suffering intractable and largely unmanageable pain), and hiding the information they need to most efficiently, painlessly and safely (for others) end their suffering is the very worst sort of stupdity.
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Instead of wasting time trying to stop suicidal pe
Why don't you just be thankful that you were not put through the horror that they were.
Why don't you realize that you will never fully understand what pain they are feeling that would make them want to do such a thing.
Whatever the reason, if a human being has the need to end their own life, just know that if you are trying to stop them, YOU HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE.
The people visiting these sites are crying for help. If it wasn't a cry for help, they wouldn't still be alive and visiting these sites.
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO SAVE SOMEONE WHO HAS REACHED THEIR BREAKING POINT.
Taking away informative websites such as these is NOT going to make the people forget their pain and suddenly want to live again.
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That Meeting in Full
Minister 1: "Let's take five seconds to consider outlawing these Websites"
Minister 2: "Fine by me."
Secretary: "This Sun editorial says it's a bad idea."
Minister 1: "And we're done. Please issue a press release saying we considered it."
Links to "Yes Minister"
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But wait ...
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Why is it...
In a side note, the article mentioned "...people visited these sites prior to commiting suicide...". Well of course they did. They very well couldn't do it after they committed suicide. ;-)
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