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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!dartvax!karl
From: karl@dartvax.UUCP (Karl Berry)
Newsgroups: net.suicide
Subject: Re: Opinion on Suicide
Message-ID: <1094@dartvax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Apr-84 19:48:59 EST
Article-I.D.: dartvax.1094
Posted: Tue Apr  3 19:48:59 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Apr-84 01:28:19 EST
References: <93200002@hpfclk.UUCP>
Organization: Dartmouth College
Lines: 19

`Rational', `irrational,' and the general tone of the article seem to
indicate that it's ``wrong'' to commit suicide. Er, ``selfish.'' 
   Although committing suicide certainly affects more people than
just the suicider [-ee?] I don't think that makes it selfish. It is
likely, perhaps, that:
   1. Not all that many people would be affected -- empirically,
people with lots of friends don't commit suicide, they have other
things to worry about. ( Relaionships take time, after all. )
   2. The people who are won't care all that much, for all that long.
The same reasoning applies. And people do ``bounce back,'' rather
quickly, if someone close to them dies.
   3. If the suicider is serious, and not just trying to get
attention, it should be his choice to die, and people who do like him
will probably understand that. People who don't like won't care
anyway.
   I think that trying to elicit motivations for suicide is a
fascinating pastime, but not, in the end, very useful or helpful.
We're still alive.
karl@dartmouth    <>      {cornell,decvax,linus}!dartvax!karl