Community Chat

[Love4cats]

Could someone help me understand what has happen to people today? When did we lose our empathy for other people? When did we become a throw away society? This poor man is someone's brother, father or son and was dealing with something so horrible that he wanted to end his life, and yet people were more concerned about themselve's than helping this man. What price is a human life worth? Mental illness is a torture of the mind that no one can understand unless they are suffering with it. You can't see mental illness and many people are dealing with it everyday. I just don't understand how people can be so heartless. Very sad.

[Phantom41]

I don’t think people who want to kill themselves really think about what they will be doing to anyone else much less holding up traffic.

[Love4cats]

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wrote:

@Love4cats, I hope you got the help you needed, and I really hope you are doing better now.

I took my elderly parents to the dr yesterday in a town about an hour and a half away. My father needed a heart cath. I thank God that we didn't end up in any kind of a traffic jam, let alone one for 15 hours. Not sure how my 80 year old, sick father could have handled that.

While my heart goes out this person who was threatening suicide, it also goes out to all those who were adversely affected by this.

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Happycat01,

  Thank you, I take med's for anxiety and depression, but still have more bad day's than good. This topic just upset me so bad, I am in tear's because I just can't understand the lack of empathy. I get very frustrated waiting in traffic myself but this situation was literally a matter of life and death. It break's my heart when I hear of someone taking their own life.

[viva923]

we have highway major ones that have had this happen. the major highway goes over a huge canal (deep canal). we get the river jumpers. 

all it takes is one to mess it up for the population

[Moonchilde]

“The good of the many outweighs the good of the few, or the one.”

Not always a popular thought or belief, but a part of our society.

Is the potentially lost life of one person worth more than the lives of potentially multiple others affected? Sitting in a vehicle unable to escape for that many hours - whether it’s 16 or 12 - can be deadly for diabetics and those with other serious chronic illnesses, the elderly, and the young.  There is a restroom issue for one thing. Trying not to go could cause severe issues.

Is it a reasonable assumption that every person needs to make sure, no matter their age or physical capabilities, that every single time they ever leave their home to do anything, they need to have with them in their car anything and everything they need for 24 hrs away from home? In case they should run into a scenario such as this?

There may be people on the way to the hospital, people having cancer treatments, sick toddlers, and many other situations. Is their “worth”, individually and collectively, all much less than the lone potential jumper? If so, why? 

The suicidal person is not less worthy, but neither are they more worthy. Extra effort can and should be made on behalf of these people, yes, agreed. But when the extra effort strangles the lives of the entire community for half a day, when do you reevaluate the situation and change tactics? Because really, the good of the many nearly always does outweigh the good of the few or the one. Regardless of where it originated, it’s the way all govts work, and most people feel, and it’s not a new idea.

[dex]

@Love4cats we all have sympathy for the man who definitely needed help.I think that it would be fair to have given that man some time to come down and if he didn't or couldn't then a rescue should be attempted..He couldn't survive in that situation for a week without assistance or probably for much longer than he already had without at least some water.The longer the situation is continued the more risky it becomes for his safety and rescue.

Why do you think no one has compassion...people came to his rescue.Iam so sorry that you suffer from depression too and I really hope that you will always find the help and compassion that you need.

I will pray for you to heal and your life to be happy and peaceful.

[happycat]

@Love4cats, I'm so very sorry. I think you do care so very much about others, or it wouldn't upset you so.

I'm honestly going to pray that the day will come soon when that ratio is turned around and you have more good days than bad.

Blessings to you.

[goldensrbest]

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wrote:

There was a difficult situation yesterday in our fair city (Albuquerque) and I've been pondering what would be an alternate way to resolve the situation.

A man got up on one of the overpasses over Interstate 40, and threatened to jump.  They held up traffic for 16 hours while they tried to talk him down.  This major East-West highway has very heavy truck traffic and it inconvenienced truckers to the point of ruining their refrigerated loads and leaving their schedules in shambles.  Needless to say, they were backed up for miles and miles with no alternative but to just sit there.  Traffic all over the city was affected and was a mess.

It just doesn't seem like one disturbed person should be able to bring a city's whole transportation system down.  All the police could do was bring in a negotiator to try to talk him off the overpass....and talk, and talk.  For hours, all they could do is talk.  It seems as though they need a tranquilizing shot for people like they have for animals.

Any thoughts on a possible solution for this type of situation?  A lot of people are really steamed about this.

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OMG, this poor man was so distraught that he wanted to die. If they had to tie up traffic for a week, then so be it. As a person who has attempted to end my life, and who fight's depression and anxiety everyday, I am deeply insulted that you don't understand the worth of a human life. Sure hope it did not inconvenience you too much. I hope you or someone you love never get's into the state of mind this poor man was in. WOW!!!!!

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@Love4cats, I thought perhaps i was the only one that thought how cold  everyone was that posted ,saying it was a problem for them.

[Marienkaefer2]

Ok, well, I live by the ferry to the San Juan Islands in Washington State.

If you know anything about this ferry system, it's fairly busy.  More so in summer, but still busy because it is the only way (outside of private plane or boat) to get to the San Juans.  That means not just people, but goods, etc.

So last Thursday a young woman, 30 years old, drove her car right off the ferry dock and into the water and drowned.

It looks like suicide, from the sequence of events.

It held up the ferries for several hours, first while local law enforcement and Coast Guard searched for car, then towed car and retrieved body.

Ferries were stopped in both directions during that time, and ferries that were en route had to turn around and go back to their point of departure.

So what do you think should be done in this case?  Forget about retrieving the car and body?  Stop searching after a half hour, so that traffic doesn't get held up?

What is the value of a human life?

[Marienkaefer2]

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wrote:

Could someone help me understand what has happen to people today? When did we lose our empathy for other people? When did we become a throw away society? This poor man is someone's brother, father or son and was dealing with something so horrible that he wanted to end his life, and yet people were more concerned about themselve's than helping this man. What price is a human life worth? Mental illness is a torture of the mind that no one can understand unless they are suffering with it. You can't see mental illness and many people are dealing with it everyday. I just don't understand how people can be so heartless. Very sad.

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1000% agree.

We live in a callous society.  The same one that thinks it's ok to handcuff a seven year old kid, split apart children from their parents, etc.