flaps@utcs.uucp (Alan J Rosenthal) (12/20/85)
In article <57@ttidcc.UUCP> hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) writes: >I've listened to a lot of stories from suicidal people. Many of them >seemed rational and thought out, but it was my job to try to keep them >alive and I did. Hm... seems to me that you are talking about a select group of people, based on the fact that they are phoning a suicide prevention centre. It seems to me that phoning for help is acknowledging that your 'rational' reasons might not be so rational after all. I think that even if you can't think of any, you would probably acknowledge that there could be a rational reason for suicide. Do you agree? Alan J Rosenthal {linus|decvax}!utzoo!utcs!flaps, {ihnp4|allegra}!cbosgd!utcs!flaps
hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (01/07/86)
In article <1032@utcs.uucp> flaps@utcs.UUCP (Alan J Rosenthal) writes: >In article <57@ttidcc.UUCP> hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) writes: >>I've listened to a lot of stories from suicidal people. Many of them >>seemed rational and thought out, but it was my job to try to keep them >>alive and I did. > >Hm... seems to me that you are talking about a select group of people, based >on the fact that they are phoning a suicide prevention centre. It seems to >me that phoning for help is acknowledging that your 'rational' reasons might >not be so rational after all. I think that even if you can't think of any, >you would probably acknowledge that there could be a rational reason for >suicide. > >Do you agree? On all points, with a qualification. I can think of other reasons for phoning a suicide prevention center besides questioning the rationality of one's decision (e.g.: Leaving a message, saying goodbye, etc.). The entire ethics of suicide prevention is based on the assumption that the act of calling the center is a cry for help. The legalities are based on a court decision which stated, in part, that "A cry for help is a summons to rescue.". In answering that summons one is allowed some lattitude in areas of the law concerning privacy and trespass. (The actual case concerned a man injured on railroad property while rescuing another man injured in an accident). -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp(+)TTI 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Geniuses are people so lazy they Santa Monica, CA 90405 do everything right the first time. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe