Reply #25: At the risk of sounding offensive

[Creideiki]

If you had a loved one that you berated kill themselves, you're partially responsible.

If you had a colleague that you berated kill themselves, you're partially responsible.

If you had an acquaintance that you berated kill themselves, you're partially responsible.

If you kicked a child out of the house and then the child killed themselves, you're more than partially responsible.

Yes, there are physiological causes for depression, but there are also environmental causes. When the last company I worked for went into bankruptcy, the company brought in trained counselors to talk to everyone staying and leaving to help us deal with the stress rather than allow that stress to negatively affect us or our work.

When one of my freshmen came out to me in tears because she was afraid that my knowing she was bisexual would make me like her less, that's an environmental cause brought by societal pressure. Fortunately, I was able to reassure her that I still liked her and thought her an outstanding young woman. With the help of the school's guidance counselor, we were able to intervene in a very hostile home situation allowing the young lady to survive and return to the high performance level she was used to academically and athletically.

Statistically speaking, the extreme high rate of suicide among gay teens leads one to reject the null hypothesis that being gay and committing suicide are independent variables.

Yes, you're sounding offensive. I'm hoping it's just ignorance. Ignorance can be cured. Hopefully some day some of the profound ignorance coming from the less-progressive elements at DU can be educated.

In short. Grow up and develop some empathy.