I have done this type of thread on other gaming sites, but none of them wanted to take a stance on this issue. Let me try it here, where civilized people are.
Moderators: If I missed something in the rules (I read them 5 times) please lock this thread.
THIS IS NOT MEANT TO INSULT PEOPLE. ^ I can't make it any clearer. Most people think I am insulting others, but I am not trying to.
TROLLS, SPAMMERS, LEAVE THIS THREAD ALONE! You got my thread LOCKED on other sites! Please refrain from flaming me or other people!
Now for the actual discussion.
We see it every-so-often. Another person has been bullied so badly that he/she has committed suicide. What were they being bullied about? They were being told they were gay.<-I hope this isn't going to be starred out. Nothing wrong with that word.
Why are we so afraid of being gay? When you go back in time, you can easily see that we have been afraid of many different things.
1500's---We were afraid of Jews.
The beginning of black slavery in America-1970's-- That certain word was used on African Americans.
1950's---If you were called a communist, you had no future.
2000-present--- If you're gay, you're a target.
This isn't a new trend. But why do we demonize others?! Aren't we human beings? Aren't we smarter than this!?
Until we learn that we are all EQUAL, nothing will change. I would like to hope that we could start here.
No matter what religion or political stance you have, remember one VERY important rule: Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.
Please comment as to why you think we demonize people. Also, please give out ideas on how we can shut down people who hate others (examples above).
You can't teach against suicide, I'm no expert in psychology but I'd imagine a person, especially a child has to be incredibly depressed to even contemplate suicide. Rather than teaching against it why not train school professionals, and parents on spotting the signs of depression?
An interesting idea as well, though I would assume that you could attempt to put negative associations with it, such as it being cowardice.
You don't see it, because you haven't been at a point so low in your life that suicide seems like the only option.
Wait, so you are up on a soap box complaining about equality, then you turn around and wonder if one country is more civilized than the other? Doesn't that make you a hypocrite?
I was being sarcastic, lol (though I did sound like a hypocrite).
I am American (proud to be one), but I am not proud of our test scores. I was making a weird joke based on that.
It is also Europe's history that helps Europeans accept change. It's kind of like that documentary by Michael Moore. Bowling for Columbine. There was a short cartoon that made fun of Americans.
Basically, it went like this:
"The pilgrims fled England because they were afraid of being killed for their religion. They fled Holland because they were afraid of their kids becoming more like the people of Holland. When they got to the new world, they were afraid of the Native Americans...shot them in fear... brought slaves... afraid of slaves..." point is made.
Americans were somewhat built on fear of new things, change, different people, etc. I have been very fortunate to be raised by a family that is willing to accept change.
On the subjects above, I have never thought of suicide. I have been depressed before, but never to the point of killing myself.
That and I am not a coward.
A family member of mine did try to kill himself. When he was dying, he realized his mistake and called 911. He was in so much pain from his illness (and he had lost his job), that he thought there was no way out. Today, he is over his illness and is happily working at his new job. I would never call him a coward. He just needed help. That's what these suicides are, a cry for help!
There was a short cartoon that made fun of Americans.
A comment will be made on that statement. Let me clarify.
He is an American film maker. He exposes corruption in a funny way. He grew up in Flint, Michigan (my home state). Flint looks like a warzone! Houses are burned out, needless to say it's not a very nice place.
Back on topic: An American cartoon group did the skit. He was trying to point out how guns in the hands of depressed and bullied people aren't a good combination.
I digressed again, sorry.
If I make fun of myself, does that make me bad? No. If I make fun of my countryman for making (what I believe to be) a bad mistake, does that make me bad? It depends on who I talk to. Michael Moore was pointing out his point of view (through the skit) so it really depends on who you talk to whether it is bad or not.
Not in every case, sometimes it is genuinely an escape.
I keep putting my foot in my mouth. 0.0
You made me remember that documentary about suicides in Sweden. People go there because suicides are legal. The documentary I saw was about a guy who had a chronic illness who went there to die. It was a sad, but very important documentary. I can't help but think of "Dr. Death," Dr. Jack Kevorkian who went around the U.S. helping people commit suicides because they had chronic illnesses.
No, we really aren't. We are all animals. Humans are the most intelligent and advanced of all the animal species on this planet. That means we all have the same basic instincts. Animals are slow to accept change. That means we are no better than, lets say, wolves because in the bigger picture, we are all just animals.
Definition of suicide: The act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and of sound mind.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suicide
Definition of euthanasia: The act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy.
Just for future poster's reference. ^.^
Though, the term "sound mind" is very broad. "Sound Mind" could be the use of logic (in which case the guy who went to Sweden was of sound mind) or it could be of healthy body (in which case the guy who went to Sweden was having trouble thinking clearly.
His quote, "I can live like I am living now, and slowly die a death where I can't speak, move, eat, or go to the bathroom. Or, I can die peacefully with my wife at my side."
^If I was in his position, I don't know what I would do. He was very brave to say, "I want to die peacefully on my own terms."
Sidetracked again. :P
I'll continue on with my original statement. We should accept people more readily into our culture.
I will be honest I do consider suicide to be an action of cowardice, it's not an opinion that's going to change, call it ignorant if you will. However regardless of my personal opinion, if someone is ever at point so low in their life that they're even contemplate suicide, then they need help and I believe that adults dealing with children should be forced to learn how to catch the signs of a suicidal child or teenager.
*Note that my view on suicide applies only to teenagers, I am not adult, and have experienced none of the problems an adult would and as such cannot speak from that point of view.
I've witnessed it by an adult, from an adults perspective - it's far from cowardice. Most adult problems cannot be solved simply by talking things through.
The beginning of black slavery in America-1970's-- That certain word was used on African Americans.
Just wondering is that year right? That word was in public use as early as the 1700s because it was derived from the latin word for black. It wasn't considered racist until the early 1900s. I'm not saying it's a good word or anything, just wondering about the year because it was used a long time before the 1970s.
The word gay only began to mean homosexual in the 1920s. Up until then it meant 'carefree' and then 'sexually carefree' or 'without morals' (calling a lady a 'gay woman' in the 1700s meant she was a prostitute). It has been used as a derogatory term since the 1950s so it's not new either. People just didn't question it. I guess it's similar to the 'certain word used on African Americans', neither word was considered a bad thing at first and was gradually used to imply something bad and to insult.
Who gives you the right to call someone who has taken their own lfe a coward if you have never felt what they have felt.
That is straight up ignorance.
Nope, I can say quite certainly that they are a coward. Why do they kill themselves? Because da mean little bullies are making fun o' dem. If you must run from that, you are a coward.
A family member of mine did try to kill himself. When he was dying, he realized his mistake and called 911. He was in so much pain from his illness (and he had lost his job), that he thought there was no way out. Today, he is over his illness and is happily working at his new job. I would never call him a coward. He just needed help. That's what these suicides are, a cry for help!
That makes him a coward. Running from something you are afraid to fight makes you a coward. Especially if it is something that is sometimes temporary, like bullying, losing a job, or temporary illness.
Why do they kill themselves? You state is because they can not take it. Running from something just because you are afraid of it is cowardice.
I've witnessed it by an adult, from an adults perspective - it's far from cowardice. Most adult problems cannot be solved simply by talking things through.
Such as? If you run from those trivial things, you are a coward. I can't think of any situation where it would be otherwise.
Even if your wife left you, your kids all died of cancer, and you are in prison being treated horribly, how could you consider this act of cowardice? Personally I am planning on fighting for every last breath, regardless of the situation.
Nope, I can say quite certainly that they are a coward. Why do they kill themselves? Because da mean little bullies are making fun o' dem. If you must run from that, you are a coward.
Who says anything about certain things being trivial?
