Suicide Hot Line Calls Surge as Joblessness Tightens Grip

[onehandle]

Source: Aol News

LOS ANGELES (July 6) -- In one of the darkest tallies of the nation's still-sputtering recession, experts say financial desperation has played a significant role in increased calls to suicide-prevention hot lines -- and likely has led to increased suicide rates.

While government statistics on suicides often lag by two or three years, experts say the easier-to-track calls to hot lines have grown significantly. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which operates 24-hour crisis help lines around the country, reported an increase of 18 percent from January to May this year. The rates have fluctuated wildly, from 13,424 in January 2007 to a peak of 59,500 two months ago.

snip...

There are indicators the U.S. suicide rate has climbed. An informal tally of 19 states by the Wall Street Journal in November found an increase of 2.3 percent in the 2008 suicide rate over the 2007 rate. Other news outlets around the nation have recently reported a troubling flow of suicides and murder-suicides by people facing crippling financial troubles, including:

An armed man facing foreclosure in Chattanooga, Tenn., who called police early July 1 threatening suicide. Authorities said that after officers arrived, the man talked with them from the porch of his house and then burst down the steps waving his gun while screaming, "Suicide by cop!" He died in a hail of bullets.
A husband in Santa Ana, Calif., who called police later that same day to say he had shot his wife while she slept and then overdosed on Valium in a murder-suicide pact the morning they were to be evicted from their apartment. He survived and has been charged with murder.
A husband and father in Anaheim, Calif., facing foreclosure and a mountain of credit card debt, last month shot and killed his wife, critically wounded their 3-year-old son, shot at but missed their 5-year-old son and then killed himself, police said.

Read more: http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/calls-to-suicide-hot-lines-surge-as-stress-of-joblessness-increases/19543254

[Fumesucker]

1. In a nation where you are defined by what you do..

Not having a job is being an unperson..

[David Zephyr]

8. You said a lot and it is tragic that it is so true.

.

[onehandle]

13. Yep. nt

[burnsei sensei]

2. A poor man's way to deal

with poverty.
1. Blame the poor for 20 years.
2. Then make sure that the poor blame themselves.

[undeterred]

3. But we can't afford to extend unemployment benefits.

:banghead:

[MidwestTransplant]

4. I wonder if all those who voted against jobless benefits would bother to read this article.

[MadMaddie]

15. Nah

they can't be bothered by human tradgedy facts. They have to hate the black man in the WH and follow their master Limpballs.

[KillCapitalism]

5. Sad

This is another wonderful byproduct of capitalism.

[True_Blue]

6. What the hell are they thinking to leave Americans high and dry like this?

I keep telling myself that they won't do this to 3.5 mil people. How can they just kick 3.5 mil people to the curb when they know damn well what is going on with the economy?

[dickthegrouch]

10. It's all part of the plan to keep the rich where they belong

:sarcasm:

Those poor people should never have had the audacity to buy houses and prevent the rich from being their landlords. So the repunks are getting their own (and their property) back.

Bankrupt the poor and middle class. Waste away all the real money on guns and bombs and other useless shit. And show them (ever so kindly) how it's all their fault.

It's not only happening in the US. It's happening the whole world over.

The only surprise is that more people aren't rising up against it. They are so beaten down that they'd rather take their own lives than seek justice. It's not hard to see how people get there, and I will admit I have been far too close for comfort to contemplating suicide. When you have no safety net, no family, and no relief in sight, plus you've exhausted all your assets and have no where else to turn and then the debt collectors start on you it can be seen as a viable solution. I just remember having enough spark left to want to exact my revenge (by living well) rather than my retreat. So far I've incredibly lucky, a fantastic job materialized at exactly the right time. We'll see what the next thirty years has in store.

[Lorien]

14. It is odd. There's almost zero backlash. No homicidal types going after banksters or

CEOs before turning a gun on themselves. Not surprisingly, the CEOs and other executives are expecting just that. A friend of mine who teaches at one of the top Dojos in town says that those trained in weapons and defense are being sought out as "executive bodyguards". Since jobs are scarce many are taking the positions, ready to lay down their lives for the very people who have made them so desperate. Learned victimhood or something else?

[True_Blue]

7. Can someone explain to me where the UI goes that we pay into?

This is probably a really stupid question, but I really don't understand why there isn't a large UI reserve that they can just pull from to pay for the benefits for the unemployed. It seems to me that someone who has worked for 30 yrs and is then laid off and collects UI for 6 mos or even if longer, that there should be more than enough considering that they or their employer paid into it for 30 yrs. What happens to the UI that was paid if the person is never laid off?

[dickthegrouch]

11. Unemployment insurance is a very tenuous calculation

It was calculated with the premise that only 4% of the population would ever be unemployed for a maximum of some tiny number of weeks each.

The repunks sealed the deal with their draconian maximum of 5 years worth of benefits over a lifetime.

With an admitted 9% unemployed for over 99 weeks (I'm quite certain that the real numbers are FAR higher) the UI has simply been exhausted.

It was not particularly good in California anyway. The maximum you can get is about $950/month. Almost useless when your rent is $1500/month for a two bedroom apt.

None of the rescue mechanisms are designed or funded for long term benefits such as are occurring now.

[David Zephyr]

9. So very sad.

.

[OJones]

12. But how can we profit?

Step 1: Make everyone suicidal.

Step 2: Charge each suicidal caller's credit card at some rate per minute, for hot line service.

Step 3: Profit!


/sarcasm