Another young man in town hung himself

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
H & R, one last comment: There are more suicides REPORTED. I know that. I do not know if that is true though.

Suzir, actually on the school issue, somebody in the US can go to college even if their classes are not that rigorous or if you get an F. Now for an Ivy League or very high level college, no. But we have plenty of colleges that allow "C" students to have a chance to succeed and there is a lot of help. Jumper can probably get into a four year college and she is just a "C*" student with learning disabilities. University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and the one at Whitewater, for example, both accept certain students who are not in the upper half of their classes if they have other qualities to bring with them, such as leadership and community activities. We feel (and Jumper feels) that she should start out at a community tech school in a nother town. After two years, if she has good grades she can automatically transfer to finish a four year degree at the University of Wiscsonsin in LaCrosse WI. which is where the tech school is at. That four year degree is as valuable as if she went all four years to regular college. These opportunities are available all over.

I don't know much about suspension. in my opinion if kids break the law, they SHOULD have to leave college. I do not mean smoke a little pot :) I am not concerned as Jumper is just not the kind of kid to get suspended. If my kid broke the law, most likely I would not send him/her away to college, but have him/her try college and live at home...or pay for it himself. I have no doubt that the things you have heard from your friends are right. Just wantead to let you know that all colleges are different. Very high level colleges are extremely competitive, but not all colleges are at the same level. Although a degree from Harvard will open many doors, so will a degree from any school.

Anyhow, this was a good discussion in all. Thanks to all :)
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
GREAT ideas here. So many ideas from all over, and such a good question.

It is troubling, the number of suicides. I think there may be more suicides, and also more media coverage.
I saw a stat from a UK newspaper that said suicides in the U.S. had surpassed death by car accidents.
I did not believe it because, well, it was too unbelieveable.
So I did my own little search, and they may not have surpassed them, but as of 2009, the numbers are equal.
Part of it is safer driving, seatbelts, medical care, etc.
Part is the increase in suicides.

Scary, sad, sobering. (Sorry for the alliteration; it just came out that way.)
 

recoveringenabler

Well-Known Member
Staff member
When my son-in-law committed suicide I was astonished at how many people, who I had known, told me about their **insert relative/friend/associate** who also committed suicide. It happened over and over again. I had no idea, it just wasn't spoken about until it happened to me. I think there are way more suicides then we are aware of. And, with teenagers, they are not cognizant of the finality of this choice.

I think life today is extremely stressful for everyone, including teens with the pressures they are under, much different then when I was a teen or even when my daughter was young. With depleted nutritional value in our food, less participation in nature and natural environments, high stress in schools, societal expectations, gender expectations, less job and career opportunities available, more divorce and blended families, both parents working, limited extended families, failures in the economy, a lacking in ethical leadership, deteriorating cultural and familial value systems, less spiritual direction and or guidance,...... I think perhaps all of that combined can leave a young person, or even an older person, empty and with a loss of hope. I believe it's a sobering and unfortunate and very sad commentary about the times we're living in. And, the need for change.
 
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