Exit question: won’t this be more grounds to stop someone encouraging and supporting suicide bombers over Al-Qaeda’s usenet groups? An extra five years–or life if they go through with it–might make chickenhawk jihadis and Islamofascist imams think twice before hitting “post”.

Critical error: You are assuming laws could be enforced on these people. One call to CAIR, and no go, bro.

Suicide is usually not a manifestation of mental illness, anymore than sadness is mental illness. A broken spirit is not a disease. … When you know you will not fly and you jump off, that is just giving up. jihadwatcher on October 10, 2007 at 10:57 PM

What about people with depression?

>…to die is gain.

Paul of Tarsus

Mojave Mark on October 11, 2007 at 12:39 AM

You’re really not helping to refute the accusation that Christianity is nihilist.

Kralizec on October 11, 2007 at 1:16 AM

It’s all about context. In this passage Paul is not advocating suicide. Off the top of my head I believe that is Phillipians 4:13. I could be wrong though, 6 am is a little early for me to be thinking.

jihadwatcher on October 10, 2007 at 10:57 PM

I do know of one case in which the person was charged. It was in Kansas. She was commited for a short time and had to pay a fine for trying to kill herself.

How can you use prior restraint on those who wish to speak about a legal act?

Sad, but sometimes you have to take the bad speech, with the good…

Full control over one’s body is to do exactly whatever is best in one’s own estimation.

No, full control means full control, whether we’re doing what we perceive to be good or bad.

This is written to inform you again what a trifler you are.

Kralizec on October 11, 2007 at 1:43 AM

So in essence your post was to tell me what you think I meant to say and then to insult me. Great.

Suicide…is the ultimate right of control over your body.

Nonfactor on October 11, 2007 at 1:14 AM

Full control over one’s body is to do exactly whatever is best in one’s own estimation. Thanks for telling us we have a right to control our body, but know that if I ever assume full control over my body and killing is involved, I won’t be killing myself. It needs to be said that I won’t be killing you, either. This is written to inform you again what a trifler you are.

…to die is gain.

Paul of Tarsus

Mojave Mark on October 11, 2007 at 12:39 AM

You’re really not helping to refute the accusation that Christianity is nihilist.

“Just as I shall select my ship when I am about to go on a voyage, or my house when I propose to take a residence, so I shall choose my death when I am about to depart from life.”
–Seneca the Younger

The dead know only one thing…it is better to be alive. Asher on October 10, 2007 at 8:08 PM Full Metal Jacket

…to die is gain.

Paul of Tarsus

The fact is that society does not recognize someone’s right to commit suicide. Anyone attempting it will be intercepted by the police if the authorities have the opportunity. If it was a right, the police would have no right to intervene in suicide attempts. The problem is that the police never had the nerve to charge attempted suicides with attempted suicide when the laws were on the books.

Suicide is usually not a manifestation of mental illness, anymore than sadness is mental illness. A broken spirit is not a disease. When you stand at the top of a building and think you can fly and jump off, that’s mental illness. When you know you will not fly and you jump off, that is just giving up.

It’s also illegal for someone to help you, ergo; Kervorkian’s imprisonment.

I’d say these people should be charged with conspiracy of some sort, if you can prove they pushed her into it. But that’s the tough part.

You can’t stop kids from being stupid. And if a person is determined to commit suicide, you can’t stop them, either. It’s really only a short step from thinking about it to doing it. When you are that deeply depressed, the step seems to be the only way out.

A sad, sad story.

I don’t think you should imprison people for being jerks. She wanted to do it. She did it. Yes, the people who encouraged it are wrong; but seriously should they be locked up for it?

As a federal crime? No way.

lorien1973 on October 10, 2007 at 7:00 PM

Except for:

1. Being suicidal is a form of mental illness.
2. Talking someone into a crime is in itself illegal. Then compound that with the fact that the person was metally ill.
3. When a crime crosses state lines, it makes it federal.

- The Cat

Misha I on October 10, 2007 at 6:53 PM

Make suicide illegal? You’re dead. What can they do to you?

Too bad for the victim, but honestly, does anyone really think she would have never figured out how to kill herself had it not been for the internet? So she became “an hero.” I am somehow emotionally unaffected.

The way to combat these idiots is to go on line and constantly write positive things. Unless they blackball you, you can write all you want.
A campaign to flood the site with positive statements will topple it.

You are, of course, absolutely right. Nothing kills a newsfroup quicker than a good ol’ fashioned invasion coupled with a bit of Usenet Performance Art.

Splendid idea.

Meow.

The dead know only one thing…it is better to be alive.

Asher on October 10, 2007 at 8:08 PM

Full Metal Jacket. Nice touch.

What a sad story.