On 9/15/2015 10:21 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at 9:28:04 PM UTC-5, Don Y wrote:

This is a more fundamental question. You don't get the luxury of being
able to qualify your response with some set of conditions (that make it
easier/more comfortable for you to adhere to that opinion). I.e., if it's
justified in some set of circumstances, then why isn't it in *all*
circumstances??

Applying your above argument wrt your friend, what claim would you have on
him if *he* opted to commit suicide with pills, a handgun, etc.? What's
the difference in his chosen approach to that outcome??

Don't assume I've ever imposed my will on anyone. My ideals are Libertarian
but that doesn't mean I can't care about someone who's being self

Sorry, I'm not suggesting that you did/would!

destructive. I'd have to ask, would you stand by and do nothing if you could
stop a young person on the edge of the roof of a tall building about to jump
off and fall to their death?

I would recognize that *I* am not qualified to address that situation.
Just like *I* wouldn't be qualified to address a friend's reluctance
(resistance?) to quitting smoking.

I could tell your "jumper" friend: "Don't jump!" -- just like I could
tell your smoker friend: "Quit smoking!". My reasons/motivation
wouldn't matter -- in either case, *I* wouldn't be the right person
to convince either of these "friends" to do what *I* thought right.

Likewise, if I noticed a "friend" consistently eating tons of red meat,
I would be helpless at convincing him/her to adopt a more "balanced"
diet.

Would you join the crowd chanting,"Jump! Jump!
Jump!"? Many people stopped from committing suicide get help and change
their minds but if they're determined, they'll off themselves when no one is
watching. You won't find old folks jumping off a building because it hurts
too damn much. ^_^

I had to dig around a bit on The Interweb to find some information to
plagiarize but there were no real surprises except for the magnitude of the
problem.

I've known a few people who've taken the "early exit". It's easy to see
the affect their departure has on those left behind. But, it also
suggests the pain they must have been in to take that option.

As I'm not qualified to help any of those survivors "heal", I'd be
equally unqualified at "fixing" whatever problem the "victim" may
have had -- assuming he/she was willing to make that problem *visible*
to me!