Gotta be Cruel to be Kind?
"Dear Mom, Dad, and Jennifer, I will make this short as I know It will be hard to deal with. If you haven't heard by now, I've passed away"
I read this article on cnn.com today about a 19 year old girl named Suzzane Gonzales who commited suicide 9 weeks after meeting an online group called A.S.H. (Alt.Suicide.Holiday) that apparently provides information and suggestions on the best and worst ways to commit suicide.
"Members of this news group trade advice on how to commit suicide, using code words like 'transitioning' and 'exiting' and 'catching the bus.' Suzanne found this group nine weeks before she died, posting nearly one hundred messages detailing her plans.
"My chosen method is potassium cyanide....I've stopped eating so my tummy will be nice and acidic," one of Suzanne's posts read.
Suzzane's family are quick to point out that Suzzane had always been a "bubbly girl" and very bright. With a future practically carved out for her with a science scholarship in hand this would seem to be true. But something changed and Suzzane obviously found encouragement in her new found community of suicide-dwelling online buddies.
Suzzane's father maintains that A.S.H. gave (Suzzane) everything she needed to kill herself.
"The knowledge, the tools, their psychological encouragement. ... She was led to her death"
An older member of A.S.H. called "River" emailed cnn.com the following..."Suzy had me proof-read her notes and we went over all the details of her exit, just to be safe,"
But "River" disputes his role in Suzanne's death. "No one in ASH encourages anyone else to commit suicide. ASH is pro-choice,"
Another A.S.H. member called "Geo" said that "If it weren't for (A.S.H., I think the chances of me having committing suicide would have been greater," he said. "Having a place where you can write those thoughts, get them out of your head. It can be very therapeutic."
Suzzane's father feels differently: "That's not pro-choice, that's brainwashing. And they are not being held responsible."
If a suicidal person goes to a gun show, openly discusses their desire to commit suicide and then is assailed by hundreds if not thousands of gun sellers telling that person "Hey, this 12-gauge shotgun will sure do the trick!" OR "I've got a .38 special right here that'll end your life quick and painless...just tuck this baby under your chin and pull the trigger!" - Should the gun-sellers be held accountable for selling that suicidal person the item that hurried their demise?
Just imagine the same scenario with any physical item that can be used to commit suicide with...Cars, Drugs, Rope...Whatever...
In a rational society doesn't it seem that this group A.S.H. and the people that facilitate and frequent it should be held accountable in some way for encouraging another person to kill themselves?
If it's illegal to commit suicide shouldn't it be illegal to help someone commit suicide by telling them the best way to do it?
And how is what A.S.H. is doing any different than what put Dr. Jack Kevorkian in jail for second-degree murder?
I read this article on cnn.com today about a 19 year old girl named Suzzane Gonzales who commited suicide 9 weeks after meeting an online group called A.S.H. (Alt.Suicide.Holiday) that apparently provides information and suggestions on the best and worst ways to commit suicide.
"Members of this news group trade advice on how to commit suicide, using code words like 'transitioning' and 'exiting' and 'catching the bus.' Suzanne found this group nine weeks before she died, posting nearly one hundred messages detailing her plans.
"My chosen method is potassium cyanide....I've stopped eating so my tummy will be nice and acidic," one of Suzanne's posts read.
Suzzane's family are quick to point out that Suzzane had always been a "bubbly girl" and very bright. With a future practically carved out for her with a science scholarship in hand this would seem to be true. But something changed and Suzzane obviously found encouragement in her new found community of suicide-dwelling online buddies.
Suzzane's father maintains that A.S.H. gave (Suzzane) everything she needed to kill herself.
"The knowledge, the tools, their psychological encouragement. ... She was led to her death"
An older member of A.S.H. called "River" emailed cnn.com the following..."Suzy had me proof-read her notes and we went over all the details of her exit, just to be safe,"
But "River" disputes his role in Suzanne's death. "No one in ASH encourages anyone else to commit suicide. ASH is pro-choice,"
Another A.S.H. member called "Geo" said that "If it weren't for (A.S.H., I think the chances of me having committing suicide would have been greater," he said. "Having a place where you can write those thoughts, get them out of your head. It can be very therapeutic."
Suzzane's father feels differently: "That's not pro-choice, that's brainwashing. And they are not being held responsible."
*** *** ***
If a suicidal person goes to a gun show, openly discusses their desire to commit suicide and then is assailed by hundreds if not thousands of gun sellers telling that person "Hey, this 12-gauge shotgun will sure do the trick!" OR "I've got a .38 special right here that'll end your life quick and painless...just tuck this baby under your chin and pull the trigger!" - Should the gun-sellers be held accountable for selling that suicidal person the item that hurried their demise?
Just imagine the same scenario with any physical item that can be used to commit suicide with...Cars, Drugs, Rope...Whatever...
In a rational society doesn't it seem that this group A.S.H. and the people that facilitate and frequent it should be held accountable in some way for encouraging another person to kill themselves?
If it's illegal to commit suicide shouldn't it be illegal to help someone commit suicide by telling them the best way to do it?
And how is what A.S.H. is doing any different than what put Dr. Jack Kevorkian in jail for second-degree murder?
posted by Benji at 3:27 PM
4 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
If your interested in some seriously grim reading, there's a memorial site with links to all the usenet messages posted by Ms. Gonzales. In one she writes of telling doctor(s) about her past attempts and then-current messed up state of mind, a few weeks before she killed herself. Their solution? Lexapro.
She died in March 2003, btw. Wonder how many of her fellow ASHers have since decided to not go that route. Wonder if any ASHers ever reach a point where they start to question that whole 'choice' smokescreen.
That's horrible man. I just read a bunch of the posts she made with that group. That's awful.
I don't really feel as if that site should be held responsible for anything. It would seem to me the fact they are even being questioned is the fact this information is actually being "published" on the internet. Truth be told, you can find information about anything in a multitude of places other than the internet. I don't think anyone would be held responsible in the event of a "word of mouth" suicide recommendation.
True enough, I do not agree with what is available on ASH, however, they can post what they feel. Unfortunately, many seem to mistake what "freedom of speech" means. It is definitely a choice though.
One thing I would like to know is how much of a relationship did this girl have with her parents for them to consider her "bubbly" and have no idea of her inner-demons or what she was searching for online.
I guess what it comes down to for me is knowing the "complete" story and not just the headline.
Good post, bro.
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