Suicide epidemic in small Scranton town

Police over in Scranton think they’re looking at the 19th victim in what looks like a full-blown epidemic of youth suicides hitting that town since January 2007.

The grim common thread? Every single one of them ended it by hanging.

Here’s the list of those who have died so far:
David Cole, 18, David Dilling, 19, Thomas Davies, 20, Zachary Barnes, 17, Gareth Morgan, 27, Anthony Martin, 19, James Knight, 26, Jason Williams, 21, Andrew O'Neill, 19, Leigh Jenkins, 22, Liam Clarke, 20, Allyn Price, 21, Natasha Randall, 17, Angie Fuller, 18, Kelly Stephenson, 20, Nathaniel Pritchard, 15, Jenna Parry, 16, and Michelle Sheldon, 23.

Source: American extra Blade Homeini

analogfalcon38:
What do you guys make of this? Why on earth is this happening to kids in a developed, modern country where, on paper, people have everything they could ever need?

analogfalcon38 said:Police over in Scranton think they’re looking at the 19th victim in what looks like a full-blown epidemic of youth suicides hitting that town since January 2007.

The grim common thread? Every single one of them ended it by hanging.

Here’s the list of those who have died so far:
David Cole, 18, David Dilling, 19, Thomas Davies, 20, Zachary Barnes, 17, Gareth Morgan, 27, Anthony Martin, 19, James Knight, 26, Jason Williams, 21, Andrew O'Neill, 19, Leigh Jenkins, 22, Liam Clarke, 20, Allyn Price, 21, Natasha Randall, 17, Angie Fuller, 18, Kelly Stephenson, 20, Nathaniel Pritchard, 15, Jenna Parry, 16, and Michelle Sheldon, 23.

Source: American extra Blade Homeini

analogfalcon38:
What do you guys make of this? Why on earth is this happening to kids in a developed, modern country where, on paper, people have everything they could ever need?

Maybe because they haven't experienced the beauty of Islam? ☕

Richard Wilson4 said:Maybe because they haven't experienced the beauty of Islam? ☕

I don't know, could be anything, really.
Just a fact of life is that all of the West is struggling with this whole phenomenon among kids, whereas you don't see suicides happening at all within Muslim communities.👍

analogfalcon38 said:I don't know, could be anything, really.
Just a fact of life is that all of the West is struggling with this whole phenomenon among kids, whereas you don't see suicides happening at all within Muslim communities.👍

Either the elders just brush it off, one less person to worry about, 46 to go.😁

narayan001 said:You have already addressed the topic of alcohol in Islam countless times in other threads.
This particular discussion focuses on suicide rates in England. Furthermore, you previously stated that you had no desire to comment on the subject of suicide itself.

I suppose there isn't much point in dwelling on it. I could certainly end up frustrated enough to take my own life over some triviality. But then again, there is always a way to find a solution...

analogfalcon38 said:I don't know, could be anything, really.
Just a fact of life is that all of the West is struggling with this whole phenomenon among kids, whereas you don't see suicides happening at all within Muslim communities.👍

Too much freedom just leaves people feeling disconnected and miserable. All the data shows the happiest folks are living in places like Rwanda or Sierra Leone, while the most depressed people are over in France, the United Kingdom, or Germany...

There was this photo of a certain town accompanying an article on the back page of USA Today. It’s one of those places built in that classic 19th-century style—all narrow, winding streets—and they still have these streetlamps, probably leftovers from the 1950s, that barely put out any light. Honestly, at dusk, the whole place just looks stuck in time. Throw in some dampness and a thick layer of fog, and you’ve got the perfect setting for a low-budget horror flick. Just add a struggling local economy where nobody has any real hope or a sense of a better tomorrow, and the atmosphere is complete.
Personally, I actually find towns like that quite charming—they have a very distinct "soul" or character—but if I were forced to actually live there? I honestly wonder how long it would take before I started contemplating ending it all.

Richard Wilson4 said:Too much freedom just leaves people feeling disconnected and miserable. All the data shows the happiest folks are living in places like Rwanda or Sierra Leone, while the most depressed people are over in France, the United Kingdom, or Germany...

Do you maybe have a link to an actual study for this? Because honestly, it’s starting to sound like one of those urban legends someone cooked up online and now it’s just spreading like wildfire through the internet.

analogfalcon38 said:I don't know, could be anything, really.
Just a fact of life is that all of the West is struggling with this whole phenomenon among kids, whereas you don't see suicides happening at all within Muslim communities.👍

I guess these are just those exceptions that prove the rule...

And apparently, even kamikaze suicide missions don't count... 👍

@Khomeini What's your take on those honor killings over in Turkey? I suppose they’ve certainly been introduced to the beauty of Islam.

analogfalcon38 said:Police over in Scranton think they’re looking at the 19th victim in what looks like a full-blown epidemic of youth suicides hitting that town since January 2007.

The grim common thread? Every single one of them ended it by hanging.

Here’s the list of those who have died so far:
David Cole, 18, David Dilling, 19, Thomas Davies, 20, Zachary Barnes, 17, Gareth Morgan, 27, Anthony Martin, 19, James Knight, 26, Jason Williams, 21, Andrew O'Neill, 19, Leigh Jenkins, 22, Liam Clarke, 20, Allyn Price, 21, Natasha Randall, 17, Angie Fuller, 18, Kelly Stephenson, 20, Nathaniel Pritchard, 15, Jenna Parry, 16, and Michelle Sheldon, 23.

Source: American extra Blade Homeini

analogfalcon38:
What do you guys make of this? Why on earth is this happening to kids in a developed, modern country where, on paper, people have everything they could ever need?

A recent article over at USA Today mentioned how everything seems to point toward a trend—basically, the glamorization of suicide as some sort of romantic abstraction. The victims all knew each other and were young.
Calling these tragic incidents an "epidemic" is just classic media fearmongering. Honestly, you could accuse the media of the same thing: romanticizing and blowing things way out of proportion.

And let's be real, living in a "developed and modern" country doesn't guarantee a life where nothing is missing. If that were actually true, these "modern" nations wouldn't be crawling with rapists, serial killers, telemarketers, and taxi drivers who can't show up on time.

@rustywalker36, what a complete clown this Khomeini fellow is. It doesn't really matter, though, as long as he stays convinced that his Islamic utopia is flawless. Perhaps he could explain to us why he isn't actually living in that perfect world of his, but instead chose to move to Norway...

analogfalcon38 said:Police over in Scranton think they’re looking at the 19th victim in what looks like a full-blown epidemic of youth suicides hitting that town since January 2007.

The grim common thread? Every single one of them ended it by hanging.

Here’s the list of those who have died so far:
David Cole, 18, David Dilling, 19, Thomas Davies, 20, Zachary Barnes, 17, Gareth Morgan, 27, Anthony Martin, 19, James Knight, 26, Jason Williams, 21, Andrew O'Neill, 19, Leigh Jenkins, 22, Liam Clarke, 20, Allyn Price, 21, Natasha Randall, 17, Angie Fuller, 18, Kelly Stephenson, 20, Nathaniel Pritchard, 15, Jenna Parry, 16, and Michelle Sheldon, 23.

Source: American extra Blade Homeini

analogfalcon38:
What do you guys make of this? Why on earth is this happening to kids in a developed, modern country where, on paper, people have everything they could ever need?

They’re broke. That’s why they’re killing themselves. By American standards, that place is pure poverty. In a materialistic society like the United Kingdom, money is the only thing that matters—if you don't have it, what's even the point?

In this neoliberal era, corporations have basically hijacked every role once held by the state. They’re completely unchecked when it comes to social responsibility. Governments seem to have zero leverage over these mega-corporations because they just hide behind the excuse of global market competition.

They couldn't care less if people in smaller towns can't even afford the basics. It’s all about maximizing profit margins. Big industry just clusters around major transit hubs and other high-advantage zones, which pretty much leaves massive populations living outside those areas with virtually no chance at finding work.

It's basically some kind of suicide cult, honestly. These people just want to rack up as many comments as possible on their online obituaries. It’s got nothing to do with being broke or whatever—I mean, nobody's actually taking their life just because they're poor, so that's definitely not it.

Maria Booth said:It's basically some kind of suicide cult, honestly. These people just want to rack up as many comments as possible on their online obituaries. It’s got nothing to do with being broke or whatever—I mean, nobody's actually taking their life just because they're poor, so that's definitely not it.

Yeah, that's what I thought too, until I read this the other day...

The Wikipedia article has plenty of useful links—some people have even done actual studies on the subject.

Look, there isn't some massive, proven link between how much money you have in the bank and whether or not someone takes their own life, but it’s not exactly rocket science to see that being broke just adds another heavy layer of misery to an already bad situation. Suicide isn't usually triggered by just one single thing hitting you all at once. It’s typically a cocktail of stress, health issues, getting older, or family drama... But where does that stress actually come from? Often, it boils down to the bottom line. If you can't put food on the table or you're constantly scraping by, how are you supposed to deal with the IRS, medical bills, or even just basic stuff like grabbing a drink or keeping up with life? Money isn't the answer to everything, sure, but it buys a lot of breathing room and a life that isn't constantly under pressure.

analogfalcon38 said:Police over in Scranton think they’re looking at the 19th victim in what looks like a full-blown epidemic of youth suicides hitting that town since January 2007.

The grim common thread? Every single one of them ended it by hanging.

Here’s the list of those who have died so far:
David Cole, 18, David Dilling, 19, Thomas Davies, 20, Zachary Barnes, 17, Gareth Morgan, 27, Anthony Martin, 19, James Knight, 26, Jason Williams, 21, Andrew O'Neill, 19, Leigh Jenkins, 22, Liam Clarke, 20, Allyn Price, 21, Natasha Randall, 17, Angie Fuller, 18, Kelly Stephenson, 20, Nathaniel Pritchard, 15, Jenna Parry, 16, and Michelle Sheldon, 23.

Source: American extra Blade Homeini

analogfalcon38:
What do you guys make of this? Why on earth is this happening to kids in a developed, modern country where, on paper, people have everything they could ever need?

England is definitely developed and modern, like you said, but just because a country's economy is booming doesn't mean people won't hit rock bottom... honestly, this whole thing smells like some kind of cult to me.

analogfalcon38 said:I don't know, could be anything, really.
Just a fact of life is that all of the West is struggling with this whole phenomenon among kids, whereas you don't see suicides happening at all within Muslim communities.👍

And what’s the deal with all those martyrs just sitting there in anticipation? You know, those seventy-two frustrated girls who wrap themselves in aluminum foil right before they blow themselves up along with a few random bystanders? I mean, seriously... what is that even about?

Matthew Harris2 said:They’re broke. That’s why they’re killing themselves. By American standards, that place is pure poverty. In a materialistic society like the United Kingdom, money is the only thing that matters—if you don't have it, what's even the point?

And honestly, because Materialistic Britain is so obsessed with wealth, their capital is stuck with this crypto-communist mayor. He’s basically a relic from those old working-class suburban revolts against Thatcher, and people around there just call him Red Ken.