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anjinha

macrumors 604
Original poster
Oct 21, 2006
7,324
205
San Francisco, CA
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A disturbing post on PostSecret yesterday revealed an illegal immigrant pledging to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge – but 20,000 online voices have responded with hope.
PostSecret, a blog that weekly displays anonymously mailed-in secrets on postcards from across the country, has long been known for revealing suicidal secrets, and has set up a phone hotline in response since the blog began in 2004. Yesterday, a postcard read, “I have lived in San Francisco since I was young … I am illegal … I am not wanted here. I don’t belong anywhere. This summer I plan to jump off the Golden Gate.”
Within 24 hours, nearly 20,000 people had signed up for a Facebook group titled “please don’t jump,” which was later linked beneath the secret on the Post Secret blog, linking in thousands of supportive comments. On the group’s page, sympathetic users posted comments ranging from simply “I want you here” to “If I knew when you’d be at the bridge, I’d drive all the way from Ohio to meet you there, and hold you until you changed your mind.”
While there’s unfortunately no way to know if the card’s writer has seen the overwhelming number of responses on Facebook, one can only hope the community of writers has helped changed at least one person’s mind — perhaps even beyond the person who wrote the card.


Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/06/07/can-post-secret-and-facebook-save-a-life/#ixzz0qku9Kb6B

Pretty moving. :eek:
 

ethical

macrumors 68000
Dec 22, 2007
1,661
1
This is from the PostSecret website, about two-thirds down the page:

This secret from last week sparked a movement

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In seven days over 50,000 of you joined an online community offering encouragement and help.

Today (Sunday) at noon hundreds are meeting on the Golden Gate Bridge to take a stand against suicide at the very place where it happens most in the world. (You're invited, look for the yellow balloons and ribbons).

This hopeful story has received international press coverage including this first report on Time Magazine's NewFeed.

I haven't heard from the person who mailed this postcard, but I have heard from many who have felt lifted by this flashmob of kindness.
 

skunk

macrumors G4
Jun 29, 2002
11,758
6,107
Republic of Ukistan
Justice is more important than empathy, and I am not a teenager so I don't know what you are getting at.
What you call "justice" is nothing but authoritarianism, and true justice is nothing without compassion.

sympathy for illegals, not for this person. You are trying pretty hard here.
So you think this is a conspiracy to garner sympathy for all illegal immigrants? Seems like you are the one who is reaching here.
 

ethical

macrumors 68000
Dec 22, 2007
1,661
1
A facebook group hoping to save a life? God, people are stupid.

I think you're just too cynical. Facebook is acting as a medium to show suicidal people that there are others out there who care. Why is that stupid? Or is it just because it's on Facebook that you have a problem?
 

TuffLuffJimmy

macrumors G3
Apr 6, 2007
9,022
136
Portland, OR
:confused:, why? If people show they care and that the individual concerned is wanted I'm sure that's important to them.

I think you're just too cynical. Facebook is acting as a medium to show suicidal people that there are others out there who care. Why is that stupid? Or is it just because it's on Facebook that you have a problem?

No. It's a way for people to pretend they've done something (like all those "show you care about AIDS in Africa" groups) without actually doing anything.
 

ethical

macrumors 68000
Dec 22, 2007
1,661
1
No. It's a way for people to pretend they've done something (like all those "show you care about AIDS in Africa" groups) without actually doing anything.

So what? If it stops the person jumping then clearly all the people who joined would have done something. It's also about increasing awareness.
 
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