On 20/04/07, Marc Riddell
<michaeldavid86(a)comcast.net> wrote:
> As for the Suicide methods Article: I can see no positive reason for its
> existence.
on 4/20/07 2:39 PM, Andrew Gray at shimgray(a)gmail.com wrote:
I can. It's part of a field of academic study - a current one, one
that reflects a facet of modern society - and an encyclopedia is
essentially a synopsis of existing academic knowledge for the general
reader.
Why is it a field of research? Why does it help society to know about
what methods someone chooses to take their life, rather than just the
bald numbers of how many do?
It informs public debate. It informs the debate on gun control to know
the levels and patterns of shooting sucides; it informs the debate on
restructions on sale of dangerous substances to know the rates of
self-induced poisoning; it informs the debate on drug policy to be
able to confidently divide drug-overdose statistics into wilful and
accidental.
It tells us interesting things about cultures and groups, using this
as another way to examine similarities and differences.
And, yes, it helps those who wish to kill themselves choose a method.
But it also helps those who wish to prevent them from doing so, by
informing them on the best ways to spend their energies.
If people want to kill themselves, they're going to do it. They're
going to read up on it, and if we have an article then, yes, they are
likely to read that. I know of cases where this has happened. It's
sad, but if we did not have this article, I don't think they would
have stopped.
I am really not convinced that having a factual, well-written,
non-sensationalist article on the methods by which people commit
suicide is any less appropriate for an encyclopedia by having a
factual, well-written, non-sensationalist article on the causes of
accidental death, or on the medical causes of death through illness.
If the article was attempting to be a guide to methods, then yes, it
should be cleaned up. But it is not an inherently vicious topic.
Andrew,
From an encyclopedic point of view, you make some
strong, thoughtful
arguments. Thank you. This is a very sensitive issue with me
professionally,
and I still have some strong reservations.
I just looked at the "Articles for deletion/Suicide method" discussion page,
and it appears, by the large number of "keeps", that it is very probably
going to stay.
If this is the case, then, I would like to suggest that the number for the
National Suicide Hotline be placed at the top of the Article. What do you
think about that?
Marc Riddell