Really disgusted at the human race right now.

[draggar]

The James Bond laser example is actually a good, and accurate, one but with less danger to any potential rescuers.

[Bill F.]

I like dogs, too, but come on. If dogs could speak, would you still love them? If dogs could express a political preference would you still love them?
If a dog witnessed a suicide but did nothing to help, would you hate the dog?
People act in herds, and all of us do it to one extent or another. It can't help that we are losing any sense of society in the developed world, and that strict moral codes are seen as obsolete.
Here's a discussion by a bunch of relatively educated people who find it difficult to decide whether, given the choice, they should rescue a dog or a human being.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...d.php?t=203942
I'm sure they all think they are nice people.

[draggar]

First, dogs don't just love us, the love us unconditionally. they worship us.

Second, I don't think a dog has the capability to understand suicide. Their instinct is to survive so it makes no sense to kill yourself, that's the opposite. They don't understand emotions to the level that we have them. They know the basic emotions of love, fear, happiness, sadness, and maybe a couple of basic others. They don't know of depression. To them it is a prolonged sadness that there is no reason for (since depression usually comes form within). They don't have the capacity to understand chemical imbalances or drugs, psychological disorders, .

They look at the world with child-like curiosity and innocence. I'm with my pack so I'm happy now. I have a toy so I'm happy now. My pack isn't here so I'm unhappy. My alpha is here, I love him. There is a threat and I fear it (should I defend or flee?).

[Banned: dn-101]

Where's our favorite President Antonín Novotný to teach us the gentle ways?
Oh yes, he is dead alright.
But his censorship methods are still thriving in his pupil right here

[Raider]

I know of a case not long ago when somebody thought they were helping someone and that person ended up dead as a result... A Man sitting on a porch holding a garden nozzle in his hand, neighbor thought it was a Gun, calls 911 and Police without analyzing the situation or giving any verbal commands, shoots him DEAD in cold blood. 12 shots I believe, All because a neighbor thought the worst of the situation. And YES, I will provide a link;

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktl...,2471345.story


The point is, intervention can sometimes do more than good when you "assume" every situation is dangerous.

This was a senseless shooting that should of never happened, and would of NEVER happened if only the neighbor assessed the situation before calling Police.

[dcristo]

Australia, drunk, trying to plank himself on a balcony rail several stories up.

How is planking trying to commit suicide. Do you know what planking is?

[Raider]

How is planking trying to commit suicide. Do you know what planking is?

Give him some time to look it up, When he's done with his research he'll begin to tell us what a expert he is, He may even try to convince us he or someone he knows invented it.

And he claims the victim was "Drunk", where was that reported? certainly not in these articles;

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5028...planking-craze
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/nati...515-1entn.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43036847...lanking-death/

[Mike Cruz]

I don't think he was ever trying to claim planning had anything to do with suicide. The OP was the one who brought up suicide.

[south]

Planking looks boring.

Extreme Ironing is much more exciting

[Gerry]

How is planking trying to commit suicide. Do you know what planking is?

Yes, I know what planking is. No, it was not suicide and intentional.

If you look at the quote in the response, I was responding to an inquiry about an ACCIDENTAL death with someone planking.

I added a little bit of background information to the person who asked the question.

The question (about an accidental death) and the response (circumstances surrounding the accidental death while "planking") happen to be in a thread regarding suicide.

There was never an implication of "intentional death by planking".

[namestrands]

A few years ago, I was getting a Latte and a Sandwich at my local Deli which is opposite a multi-storey car park. There was a guy at the top of the carpark standing on the ledge and shouting that we was going to jump, clearly a very disturbed man.

What surprised me the most was that I was more upset with him for how I would feel seeing him splatter on the road below, than I was for his life. I actually found myself thinking that this man was an inconsiderate asshole for putting other people through the pain and distress had he been successful. He would most likely be dead, however all those people including myself would have been very likely psychologically damaged.

If you are going to kill yourself, then do everyone a favour and do it in your own time and privately.

As for Humanity not caring, this really is not the case, as we still feel guilt and remorse. The issue is fear. This I blame the Media and Governments, as people in fear are easier to control.

[Infoproliferati]

Sad story. I was listening to an NPR segment the week before Father's day. A contributor (who was expecting a child) wrote an essay describing how he experienced a father-defining moment at a beach.

While at the beach, all of a sudden, a mother starts screaming out for help as the waves pull her son away from the shore. The caller tells how he sprung into action without thinking but afraid that if he died his own child would grow up without a father. The tide intensified and the harsh current kicked him off his feet as he rushed towards the kid in a state of panic and fear. He explained how at this point he thought yup he was going to die for sure. Yet somehow he kept on for the kid. And saved him.

For any given situation, some people will spring into action, some will scream for the lifeguards and there are those who'll watch on. This world could use more of the first kind of people, especially when it comes to suicides.

[Raider]

Good post Infoproliferati, What happened there was a true act of humanity, I think many of us would do anything we could to save a child's life, I know I would....

But every life saving situation is different, most will help their fellow man in any given tragedy, but a attempted suicide? If I'm walking on a sidewalk and some guy is ready to throw himself in front of a bus, I would do everything I could to talk him out of it, But if that same guy has a gun or knife in his hand, I'm going to do everything I can to get myself out of that situation and call 911.. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to put my life on the line and have my children grow up without a Mother, All because of a suicidal nut job who will likely take his life at a later time. That's not being selfish, it's being smart.

[jasdon11]

You are a good person! I judge people on how much they love their animals.

I don't, I judge them by how they bring up their children. You can go to any council estate (project?) in Britain and nearly every house will have a dog which cost them £100s and they treat them like royalty. Meanwhile, their kids are out doing all sorts and they don't even know it.

Love your pets by all means, but put more effort into bringing your kids up to be productive.

[namestrands]

Jasdon11, that is a whole other thread for sure. Free House, Pets, Full Package Cable TV, 2 cars, all smokers, 60" TVS, Consoles + DVD players in every room = UK Welfare System. To think that less than 100 years ago the UK was the most powerful country in the world.

As with any Super Power, they soon fall. History teaches us that.

Back on topic. Every situation has a fight or flight reaction. Were we programmed to take stupid risks, humanity would unlikely have survived this long, so we have that fight or flight switch to allow us to assess each and every situation. Soldiers and Emergency Service People are trained with an ethical outlook. We as mere individuals do not have such training and we do tend to err on the site of caution.

A man who risks his life to save another, is considered a hero, if he dies in the process then he may still be considered a hero, but to his family that offers no consolation. Of course if you live in America, you also have the added worry of being sued for saving someone. ;-)

No-one can judge another until they have been in that situation, we may all think we would react one way, but in reality we would likely react another.

Humanity has not changed in 100s of years, what has changed is the access to information. The Media can spin any given situation in any direction that would offer them the best attention.

What tends to be missing in stories like the OP is the truth.

Humanity may never have changed, however respect for each other has.

[Banned: dn-101]

Let's start with your case:
Why do Czech hate Slovaks ?

[namestrands]

No idea why nor do I have any Idea as to your point?

[Gerry]

I don't, I judge them by how they bring up their children.

:clap: :applause:

[Raider]

No idea why nor do I have any Idea as to your point?

Having a discussion with him is like having a discussion with Archie Bunker.

---------- Post added at 08:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:55 AM ----------

Planking looks boring.

Extreme Ironing is much more exciting

I totally agree... I think the thrill these kids are getting out of it is from posting the pictures on the internet, it's part of "Planking".... And I think this fad came out of England a few years ago.