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From: wrmoe@houxf.UUCP (W.MOE)
Newsgroups: net.suicide
Subject: Re: A modest proposal (Gilbert & Sullivan spoiler)
Message-ID: <1021@houxf.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Oct-85 16:57:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: houxf.1021
Posted: Mon Oct 14 16:57:41 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 15-Oct-85 20:29:40 EDT
References: <10644@ucbvax.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 19

I'm going to remember this badly because it's been many years:

Gilbert & Sullivan's "Ruddigore" was based on the fact that in
19th century England, suicide WAS against the law.
It seems the duke (or whatever) of Ruddigore had 
a curse laid on him that if he didn't commit a 
crime every day he would die horribly. 
He was a typical good-natured G&S hero, so naturally
committing a crime a day bothered him. Until...
he realized that if he didn't commit a crime he
was in fact committing suicide which waa, itself, a crime.
Oh Happy Day!

"A paradox, a paradox, a most ingenious paradox,..."
                     - Who sang it, What operetta?

Hope this helps,
            -Warren Moe