My gosh, I am sorry to bring forth another sad post. But, at the same time, I feel that the story is worth analyzing, considering the profound effect that the BP spill has left on the region and its locals. This LA Times article explores that. I promise that I'll look for a more upbeat article, next time around.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/06/gulf-oil-spill-boat-captain-despondent-over-spill-commits-suicide.html
This is a current headline, evoking "timeliness". It also draws from a "consequence", as it is directly related to a resident from the area of the BP spill.
The sorrow has set itself so deep that a local employee has decided to end his life.
Or, so many in the article have determined.
The author mentions that an autopsy IS TO BE performed, therefore, I question if it is correct to go ahead and cite this story as something that has absolutely happened. The authorities are still investigating and no autopsy report has been seen. Has the author has been too quick to resolve the story?
While there appears to evidence and a general mood that Kruse took the action to kill himself, it is not an absolute. Is it a "hook" that an autopsy has been yet to be performed, yet it is suggested that this is a firm suicide?
What do you think?
This is actually the story that inspired me to write my post below. Sad stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of articles like this that draw premature, long reaching conclusions about someone's suicide. Suicide is perhaps our darkest human act, and you'd need to understand the entirety of someone's life to understand why they resorted to such an extreme measure. The myth about suicide is that there is one (or even a few) events in someone's life that trigger it. Rather, it's a long, long, cumulative process.
ReplyDeleteThe only effort made to understand the victim's mental state or motives was to get quote from the country coroner. That's both lazy and irresponsible.
How many of us have ourselves, or at least known others who have lost their jobs, lost their careers, their families to divorce, their homes to natural disaster? This is the nature of life, which contrary to popular belief, is rife with adversity, loss, and challenge. But most of us don't end up killing ourselves for reasons like this either.
In my mind this article demonstrates unethical, irresponsible journalism, and borders on sensationalism.
Right, I feel like there might have been too much focus on "common folk" interpretation vs. actual, official reports.
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