RhondaLea

Where's my cake? Presents? Where's my birthday phone call? You could at least have given me Jeffie. Thanks, fucker.

First of all it was an analogy. But it's not that far out: depression is a mental illness, just like bipolar and schizophrenia, and a person with clinical depression is not in his right mind. By definition, someone who is clinically depressed does not have such capacity. When you're competent to make them. We're not talking here about the law playing nanny to competent adults. I read part of their site. "Legislation and policies" is about money. There's nothing there about locking people up. You made an assumption. It's wrong. I've already answered this. And you haven't answered any of my questions. I'm done. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Below is my response to your latest Bonfire post. Note to happythoughts: I agree, but that's not where popsjumper is drawing the line. Someone who needs help is not in a position to determine whether they want it or not. It's kind of like a bipolar or schizophrenic who goes off his meds: he starts talking too fast and too incoherently or talking to the air or she takes her small children out to a construction site and collapses (this is a true story, not merely a made up example) or he decides to commit suicide by cop (another true story). A suicidal person who receives treatment against his will can always decide--when he becomes rational again--that ending his life is the right choice. And then it is a choice, not an act of desperation. Death is not undoable, but there are a lot of people walking around out there who are very grateful to be alive only because someone made decisions for them when they were not capable of making such decisions for themselves. There is a legal standard for competence. Someone who can't meet it should not have the power to make decisions about life and death. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I have responded to this post (which belongs in SC) in SC. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

This should bring visions of dollar bills instead. This is not about the Baker Act and straitjackets, but about legislation authorizing funding and about developing policies for grants to researchers working in this area. You would know this if you had read a bit more. And you've changed your xpremise from the Bonfire thread to this one. I'm not sure what it is you're aiming for here, Andy. I totally agree that we have the right to determine our individual fates, but a depressed person is not in his right mind, and he cannot make a rational decision to end his life. Given that, to advocate that anyone should have the right to end it is irresponsible and thoughtless, and I cannot fathom why you would (in the original thread) take such a position. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Andrea, at that time of day, I'm less than an hour away. If you need a pickup at the airport and a ride to CrossKeys, I'll be happy to play taxi. Just let me know. I'll put it on my calendar, and I'll be there. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Fixed it for ya. I'm sorry, sweetie. I just had to. Don't kill me. I suppose that is more accurate... But not forever.

Well... you say that like I don't know I'm not getting screwed... Fixed it for ya. I'm sorry, sweetie. I just had to. Don't kill me. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I think I might be quick on the trigger too if I were grateful to be alive after all, and someone were saying to me that I had a perfect right to be dead. I said what I had to say in my response to Renee, but I think you might really want to think about the fact that most suicides do not occur as the result of a rational, considered decision, which is what you stand for. I don't know if you've ever been clinically depressed--I have. I have a medical condition that causes depression, and there have been times when I've come very close to putting an end to it. Not because I wanted to, but because there seemed to be no other choice. I've already said under what conditions it will be a rational, considered choice for me, and those conditions have not yet come to pass. But because of the depression, I came very close to being dead anyway. There is a difference. I know that what you're perceiving is do-gooders who keep people alive in spite of themselves, but that's not what this is about. It's about reaching out to those who are at the end of their rope and just need a little bit of hope and help to survive. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I think it's a misunderstanding of sorts, Renee. I agree with what popsjumper wrote, except as it concerns people who are in the throes of clinical depression. Someone in that state isn't capable of a rational decision to end their life. I just don't think that he considered the fact that there are countless preventable suicides because those people have no idea where to turn. A friend of mine took his own life in 2004. Based on discussions we had over a period of...well, it was years...I believe he looked at the entirety of his life and simply decided it was time. But I've had a lot more friends than that die by their own hand, and I don't believe that any of those suicides were carefully thought out and considered, but rather, were the result of depression and desperation. So, although it's not much (because I'm a little broke and not yet employed), I'll be making a donation, because no one should have to die afraid and alone. But I do believe that for some people, it's the right choice at a certain point in their lives. When I look at my grandmother, whose brain has been leaking out of her ears for the past 13 years and who is just wearing my mother out caring for her, there's no doubt in my mind that if I start to suffer that kind of memory loss, I'll end it before I'll allow it to end those I care for. Take care. I'm glad you're still here. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Want me to kiss it and make it better? If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

This is wonderful. Congratulations.

You're funny, Paul. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Excuse me? Once upon a time, El Tortuga, I owned about 200 turtles and tortoises from around the world. That's how I met Beck's dad. When we split up, I sent my best tortoises to live with some aficionados in California. (By that time, all I owned were a testudo radiata from Madagascar, which is endangered, as well as some pancakes, stars and two geochelone sulcatas--about 18 turtles in all.) But in the time I had turtles, they always had a room (seperately zoned) and a yard of their own. My daughter's father still has quite the menagerie, and he has done some remarkable breeding in the past few years. So yeah, even one turtle gets a room. That's just the way it is. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Um... Who packed that canopy you left in the cornfield? I forget. (Well, not really. Looking for it was a long, painful, fruitless and ultimately quite expensive ordeal.) rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

thats just because youre a pain in the ass........like me If I were a pain in Sangiro's ass they way you are a pain in my ass, I'd be permanently banned for the next three lifetimes. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

You just can't make a post without a personal attack, can you, Hawkins. Sorry, Wen, didn't mean to derail the derail. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

So I came back here to find that "my" room was being used as the turtle room. Beck only has one now, because Ben somehow got out of the tank and hid on the floor until he died. So there's a red-eared slider (with a carapace about 6 inches in diameter--about the size of a dessert plate) in a 20-long on my dresser. And in the tank, there's a PVC "grate" that sits at an angle so the turtle can get out of the water and sun under the heat lamp. The cat refuses to drink from her water dish; she drinks from the turtle tank instead. Most of the time, she sits on the end of the dresser, and she and the turtle check each other out through the glass, but right now, the stupid cat is in the tank. She's sitting on the grate, kinda headdown, just watching the turtle. It's no wonder I'm a little strange, because I'm surrounded by strange. It must be something in the water. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

13 (but he didn't know it) - John Soete (he was 21, 6'1" and very good looking) - in a cornfield (don't ask) . If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Are you stalking me? If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Just let me know how I may serve, madam. And don't forget a spot for GTA, although he's strangely absent today. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I'm not so sure I agree. There's a certain kind of "whacko" that I very much want to have a gun. Certain kinds of military and law enforcement "whackos" to name two. I know a man who has a bona fide mental illness and, IMO, a personality disorder, but the chances of him shooting up the neighborhood are nil. I still believe, however, that it's possible to pick out the kind of nutcase who is going to go postal. But because we won't screen for those particular characteristics, I don't think we should screen at all. We're going to weed out a lot of perfectly responsible gun owners with something like the MMPI, while letting the real loonies walk around armed. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Daffodils are love.

In some ways (certain personality traits), Ron and I are a lot alike. But we see eye to eye on very little. It's interesting (to me, anyway) when we argue, but it's downright flabbergasting when we agree. rl P.S. Sorry. No three-way. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb