WTF Stories of the Week - Page 310

alphabassettgrrl · 06-01-2011, 10:55 AM

Gargling milk to purify it????? I sincerely hope that's satire. Because that's awesome and funny but if they're serious that's nasty.

Stick ponies- I didn't believe it, either, but Rachel Maddow had video. Apparently horse herpes is a big deal and people are being very very careful with their horses until this dies out.

Kevy Baby · 06-01-2011, 06:22 PM

'Handcuffed by policy': Fire crews watch man die

Quote:

SAN FRANCISCO — Fire crews and police could only watch after a man waded into San Francisco Bay, stood up to his neck and waited. They wanted to do something, but a policy tied to earlier budget cuts strictly forbade them from trying to save the 50-year-old, officials said.

The story

Alex · 06-01-2011, 07:34 PM

If they shouted "Are you sure you want to die?" and he shouted back "yes sir, thanks for asking," then I'm ok with it.

Betty · 06-02-2011, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

If they shouted "Are you sure you want to die?" and he shouted back "yes sir, thanks for asking," then I'm ok with it.

Never been suicidal have you?

Betty · 06-02-2011, 06:45 AM

Shameful. Who needs "death squads".

Alex · 06-02-2011, 10:55 AM

Depends on what you mean by that, in the sense that I have decided to kill myself, no. In the sense that I have given the option serious consideration as a way to resolve certain issues, then yes.

That said, it is a personal belief that suicide is an acceptable personal choice and while those around such a person should certainly try to talk them out of it if they are aware of it since the decision is generally not a smart one, the person ultimately should be allowed to proceed if they desire so long as their method does not put others at personal physical risk.

I know many people disagree, and I don't at all deny that many people choose suicide for horrible reasons, nor that any suicide, however rational, may have horrible emotional impacts on people they know. I also do not extend this consideration to minors.

And I know that almost everybody disagrees with me, but that's my view. And so other than the hassle this guy caused others, I don't have a problem with him deciding to kill himself (unless he's a minor and I missed that).

Betty · 06-02-2011, 03:09 PM

What if he was normally a great guy - but stopped taking his medication - and this was the result? If only any one of those people would have done something... they managed to get him out after he died after all.

What would have happend if a bunch of people jumped in to rescue him and were then in trouble. Would the "rescuers" have just sat back and continued to watch?

What was the point of them even being there anyway if they weren't going to do anything? Isn't that a waste of resources?

Ghoulish Delight · 06-02-2011, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betty

What if he was normally a great guy - but stopped taking his medication - and this was the result? If only any one of those people would have done something... they managed to get him out after he died after all.

What if they tried to rescue him and one of the rescuers died in the process because this other guy was off his meds?

Alex · 06-02-2011, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betty

What if he was normally a great guy - but stopped taking his medication - and this was the result?

Doesn't change my view. Just because you can be medicated out of a choice doesn't make the choice unacceptable. But if the state is willing to say pre-emptively (not just because of the choice made) that you're so incapable of making personal decisions that we will deprive you of personhood and dictate your life to you then opens a different can of worms.

Though it would be nice if there was a place people could go and say "I'm ready to die" and they're asked if they'd like to talk to someone about it, encouraged to fill out some forms that will make things easier afterward, and then given a pill and a quiet room. But all of that requires getting rid of the notion that deciding on suicide is prima facie evidence that one is crazy, or that even if one is crazy, one is not allowed to be so.

Quote:

What was the point of them even being there anyway if they weren't going to do anything? Isn't that a waste of resources?

If nothing else to make sure nobody else got themselves killed doing something stupid in response.

alphabassettgrrl · 06-02-2011, 03:18 PM

If they had had equipment, they could go after him once he goes unconscious. An unconscious person cannot give/refuse consent to treat, and the assumption is that the person would want to be treated/revived.

As far as I understand it, anyway.

06-01-2011, 10:55 AM	#1
alphabassettgrrl Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,978	Gargling milk to purify it????? I sincerely hope that's satire. Because that's awesome and funny but if they're serious that's nasty. Stick ponies- I didn't believe it, either, but Rachel Maddow had video. Apparently horse herpes is a big deal and people are being very very careful with their horses until this dies out. __________________ Why cycling? Anything [sport] that had to do with a ball, I wasn't very good at. -Lance Armstrong
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06-01-2011, 07:34 PM	#3
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	If they shouted "Are you sure you want to die?" and he shouted back "yes sir, thanks for asking," then I'm ok with it.
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06-02-2011, 06:45 AM	#5
Betty Kicking up my heels! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The Silver State Posts: 3,783	Shameful. Who needs "death squads". __________________ Nee Stell Thue
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06-02-2011, 10:55 AM	#6
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Depends on what you mean by that, in the sense that I have decided to kill myself, no. In the sense that I have given the option serious consideration as a way to resolve certain issues, then yes. That said, it is a personal belief that suicide is an acceptable personal choice and while those around such a person should certainly try to talk them out of it if they are aware of it since the decision is generally not a smart one, the person ultimately should be allowed to proceed if they desire so long as their method does not put others at personal physical risk. I know many people disagree, and I don't at all deny that many people choose suicide for horrible reasons, nor that any suicide, however rational, may have horrible emotional impacts on people they know. I also do not extend this consideration to minors. And I know that almost everybody disagrees with me, but that's my view. And so other than the hassle this guy caused others, I don't have a problem with him deciding to kill himself (unless he's a minor and I missed that).
	Submit to Quotes

06-02-2011, 03:09 PM	#7
Betty Kicking up my heels! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The Silver State Posts: 3,783	What if he was normally a great guy - but stopped taking his medication - and this was the result? If only any one of those people would have done something... they managed to get him out after he died after all. What would have happend if a bunch of people jumped in to rescue him and were then in trouble. Would the "rescuers" have just sat back and continued to watch? What was the point of them even being there anyway if they weren't going to do anything? Isn't that a waste of resources? __________________ Nee Stell Thue
	Submit to Quotes

06-02-2011, 03:18 PM	#10
alphabassettgrrl Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,978	If they had had equipment, they could go after him once he goes unconscious. An unconscious person cannot give/refuse consent to treat, and the assumption is that the person would want to be treated/revived. As far as I understand it, anyway. __________________ Why cycling? Anything [sport] that had to do with a ball, I wasn't very good at. -Lance Armstrong
	Submit to Quotes