From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!cmcl2!philabs!sdcsvax!sdccsu3!iy47ab
Newsgroups: net.suicide
Title: Re: drivel
Article-I.D.: sdccsu3.321
Posted: Fri Feb 18 14:31:16 1983
Received: Thu Feb 24 19:10:37 1983
References: rabbit.1127


I am going to make a sincere effort not to flame at rabbit!bimmler,
if only because I'd like to try to be polite (why?).  It is surely
understood that love can be extended to many, in different ways, not
just to the person you are "in love" with!  And also;  the problem with
someone who is suicidal is basically that they *don't* care about
themself (actually, that they think no one else does).  This is not all
of it; don't get me wrong; but it is important.  By saying "*I* need you,
*I* will miss you," you encourage the person to think about other people
and to move away from themself for just a moment.  If they truly care
about you and about being a good person (and suicides almost invariably
do) this will move them to stop and consider for a moment; and it's that
moment that must be used to talk them out of it.  Suicides are people,
they are not mutants.  Love is not selfish, but sometimes its language
must be.  This is one of those times.

being as reasonable as I can...
arwen