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So, I belong to an alumni email list which is primarily used for networking, etc. Today, we got this message from someone:
Subject: XXXXX-XXXXXXX I may be dead very soonWell,
Things have been pretty up and down over the last few months...right now things are very much down and I fear unless a miracle happens...I may not see any of you again after tuesday. I hope as many of you as possible can make it to my funeral...You have all been very good friends to me.
Love always,,
XXXX
I have no idea who this guy is. Then we got this follow-up email:
Thank you to all those who have shown there concern. I am sorry my last email was not very clear. Basically I am a clinically depressed, compulsive gambler dealing with financial crisis from gambling and being layed off a year ago. I don't see any ways out any more and I fear my resiliency is coming to an end. I've been reaching out to good friends and they are alot of help. I may get through this crisis, but I am not sure.
This email list probably goes to over a thousand people, and only some of them are likely to know this guy. I'm conflicted. On the one hand, I feel bad for him. On the other hand, who is he to impose this on a bunch of strangers? If I don't do anything to try and help him, is his blood on my hands now? It's the electronic equivalent of standing on the ledge of a tall building.
Replies: 4 comments
Just so you know, a bunch of people called the cops, and they came and picked him up, so he's safe.
Posted by Sean @ 03/23/2002 11:31 PM PST
So the guy sends out a desparate cry from help ... and he gets the cops? Seems obvious to me that the guy wanted one of his old friends, maybe two particular people, to reach out to him ... and instead he got the cops.
That's awful. There's this morbid humor to it.
Posted by schnitz @ 03/24/2002 01:52 PM PST
He's not in jail. He got sent for psychiatric evaluation or such. Also, the message, in addition to going to the mailing list, was also sent to specific people, whom I'm assuming were his friends. That's why I felt reasonably sure when I got it that the onus wasn't on me to save him.
Posted by Sean @ 03/24/2002 06:11 PM PST
Oh, I'm not blaming you for anything, or decrying the fact he got cops per se.
It's more the fact he was looking for a personal reaction and he got an institution at his door. I might support saying that his story is a case example for our impersonal times, if it wasn't so grandiose and romantic to say that.
Posted by Schnitz @ 03/24/2002 10:35 PM PST