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Aus. Gov't Considers Fines for Online Suicide Info
downundarob writes "The Australian federal government is once again showing its cluelessness regarding the workings of the Internet. The short article tells us how, under legislation to be introduced this week, corporations would be fined up to AU$500,000 and individuals AU$100,000 if they use the Internet to incite or promote suicide methods. In Australia it is illegal to commit, or attempt to commit suicide."
Imagine being fined committing suicide. Give you more incentive to jump wouldn't it?
I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born - Ronald Reagan
They can sue http://livejournal.com/, hosting the most suicidal entries known to man.
... will not hinder free speech"
"Justice Minister Chris Ellison says the laws
Well I'm sorry, but I don't think you can take down a site that says "Life sucks, kill yourself" without violating free speech.
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
Timothy says "In Australia it is illegal to commit, or attempt to commit suicide." Not true. Sure we'd try to stop you, like all civilised cultures. But if you don't succeed, it's not an offence - just sad. IMHO, Australia has more freedom than America to live our life as we choose. We don't have to act as christians just to fit in with the majority.
Well for those of you whom are morbidly interested you can go here.
Someone sent the link to me a while back, interesting read.
Also, it is interesting to note that in Japan, if you commit suicide using the "jump in front of commuter train" method, your FAMILY gets the fines if you succeed (and you do if you fail). The fines consists of the clean up costs, any property damages you cause, and some amount to cover "the inconvience to other commuters" fine on top of it. This apparently works fairly well in Japan, but then it is the "shame" it bring to the family (the Asian "face" thing, western equvilant might be "honor"), and that is a cultural thing which makes potential "jumpers" think twice.
Also...... In the United States, suicide is legal ONLY in Oregon. All other states prohibit such a thing either specifically via a Law or indirectly with some other statue prohibiting another thing that leads to suicide. Interesting read here.
In the United Kingdoms, it is not illegal to commit suicide on your own by the Suicide Act of 1961, but you may not aid someone else.
The discussion about suicides and ethanasia has been discussed to death in my philosphy class, so I will not go in to the moral details/discussions of it.
And finally, the obligatory Wikipedia link about Suicide and Euthanasia.
For those wondering why I look these things up, I work at a mortuary, these things are not uncommon.
"Walk down to the local river, get a drink and be eaten by a crocodile." Now THAT's a great way to go, eh? Just make sure it gets you by the head and not by a leg or something...
I doubt you'll be given a choice in the matter.
Cheers
Stor
"Yeah well there's a lot of stuff that should be, but isn't"
show them the good things in their life
Yeah, that works.
When I was really depressed I think A lot of prats telling me how wonderful it all is would have pushed me off the bridge for sure.
Fortunately my friends were able to say 'Yeah, bush, IP laws, trolls and Spin doctors, it sucks OK'.
I owe them my life because they gave me a real future, not the happy clappy delusional (religious) idiots.
"Oops, I always forget the purpose of competition is to divide people into winners and losers." - Hobbes
Suicide is a permanent solution to suffering, but it also stops love, joy, etc.
People depressed enough to commit suicide generally don't have any love or joy in their lives, and no prospect of it. Depression isn't a temporary thing, it lasts for years, decades. When you've been completely miserable for years and years, without a single enjoyable memory or anything to look forward to, no friends, no relationships, no ambitions or expectations, then you can make an intelligent prediction that your life is never going to get better, or if it is going to get better, it would be so far in the future that living out the remaining misery in between isn't worth it.
In such a situtation, suicide is generally the intelligent option. It's not temporary, it's not a passing ailment like the flu or a broken limb, it's permanent. You're probably one of those people who hasn't been depressed, or who has been depressed for only a few months, or took some tablets and got over it, in which case you would find it hard to believe that some people's entire lives have been completely horrible.
Personally I've been depressed for the last 5 years, but I haven't killed myself yet. I've enough opportunity for change in my life that there's a decent prospect that my life could change for the better. It might do or it might not. At any rate, I'll give it another 5 years, and if the situation hasn't improved, then suicide will be the only available option.
Of course this plan goes down the shitter if it turn's out there's reincarnation and I have to go through it all again, or there's some malevolent god who sends people to hell for eternal torment if they commit suicide.
...the media does not put out stories about suicide because apparently it gives ideas to people with depression. There is no legislation, it is just an industry agreement.
the internet can be an incredibly liberating thing sometimes...
during a particularly dark period in my life, i was seriously contemplating suicide.
during a particularly bad 'drown yourself in sorrows' spell, i spent time reading the most fucked up newspaper stories i could find on the internet. downloaded really shitty videos of people getting messed up, tragedies, horrors, etc.
as horrible as my situation was, i eventually realized there were lots of people who were far, far worse off. somehow the comparative suckiness analysis helped pull me out of my pit.
And its okay dont bother sparing my feelings, I'm near impossible to offend.
Well, I'm not sure I should say anything. I'm sorry about your sister. I don't know you, but I'm sorry.
Anyway, as a guy who once counted it and it turned out around 10 girls had cried on my shoulder that fall (only two of wich were my fault, I'd swear they were telling each other to come to me to cry...), I had this thought:
No abuse
How would you know?
No offense, but, I was the only person, aside from the victim and the abuser, who knew for one of my exs. Her brother didn't know, and he was usually in the next room when it happened.
A lot of abuse leaves no visible mark, and shames the person so much they'll never tell anyone. Sigh, in some cases, I wished they hand't told me. Empathy has it's downsides.
I have a friend... I know something happened to her when she was small. I've been avoiding learning what. It was sexual, and it was a grown man who did it, I'm sure, but I'm trying not to learn the details... and she's told a shrink, I belive, so I can avoid it with a clear conscience.
Maybe you're right though, maybe it was just a chemical imbalance, maybe it was love, maybe maybe maybe. The point of killing yourself is to put an end to your suffering, not to share it (though obviously she gave you new suffering).
Parents seem to believe in god, but not enough to go to church, and never preached it to us, letting us make our own decision when we got old enough (me and her both decided it was a lot of hooey).
Me too, but it helps to think that maybe she's with Jesus and was able to help her feel better. I'd like it if it was the case.
Again, sorry buddy.
I hope you get to spare someone else's family by letting people know what happens to those who care for them after they leave.
You can't take the sky from me...