Bush Administration to remove funding for 1-800-SUICIDE

[sabra]

http://www.punknews.org/article/18926

Bush Administration to remove funding for 1-800-SUICIDE

1-800-SUICIDE, the non-profit suicide hotline supported by the Take Action Tour is in danger of losing all federal funding. The organization has to date, accepted calls from more than two million individuals. At the heart of the issue is the confidentiality of callers; currently, the organization maintains a strict privacy policy while the government is seeking to obtain these records.

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the federal government's Health & Human Services, has decided to create their own government-run system because that the management of 1-800-SUICIDE has refused to turn over the control of the National Hopeline Network to the government.

This is not the first attempt of the administration to influence the hotline, which earlier tried to force the charity to remove all references to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals from a recent conference as well as add session on "faith-based" suicide prevention.

The government has also not lived up to previous comittments to the charity to provide more than $266,000. Conversely, both Mike Park's Plea for Peace and Louis Posen's Take Action Tour have privately raised that amount.

For more information please visit Save1800suicide.org.

[Oreo]

1. More proof they only care about life when it's still in the womb

After that... you're screwed.

[intheflow]

16. Look, be reasonable.

Anyone committing suicide--or even thinking about it--is a sinner. An abortionist in and of themselves, obviously, taking thier own life, which is killing, after all. :sarcasm:

[blonndee]

2. More of their "thinning of the herd," apparently.

Sick, greedy neocon pigs.

[LisaM]

3. Is there no end to their mean-spiritedness?

Really. You think you are paying attention, and one more example of their heartlessness turns up.

[BOSSHOG]

4. No

this is the most vile excuse for a political party in my 52 year lifetime. Surely they don't do this crap because they want to secure their pro-life base. And any fiscally responsible argument is moot when presented by a republican. "Confidentiality" my ass.

[matcom]

5. it's official. these fuckers have NO HEARTS

[ThomCat]

6. I think Katrina made it official.

Or maybe the air quality lies after 9/11.

Either way, there has been no doubt for quite a while now. x(

[Hubert Flottz]

7. WE need to trim down every expense...

so that the wealthy can have another break and Exxon can have another perk.

[Fleshdancer]

8. this admin has drastically cut funding for non-profits...

our lovely government is also proposing legislation to reduce tax incentives for individual charitable giving and to increase NPO taxation.

Nice isn't it? Campaign on the idea of shifting government responsibility to non-profits while at the same time cut funding for them and reduce the tax incentives for donation...unless, of course, they are "faith based".

Assholes. :grr:

[liberalmuse]

9. Well, we know how he feels about "Suiciders"...

Culture of life, my ass!

[EFerrari]

10. PLEASE LET'S KICK AND REC!

Thank you, Sabra

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. How heartless and cruel

If people are depressed enough to attempt suicide over nongovernment sanctioned problems they get no help?

[tbyg52]

22. Not unless they want to go in the Big Database....

Just when you thought it couldn't get more disgusting.

[QuestionAll...]

12. what the Hell is behind this reasoning?

""At the heart of the issue is the confidentiality of callers; currently, the organization maintains a strict privacy policy while the government is seeking to obtain these records. """

that they could become suicider bombers? wtf?

[Beelzebud]

13. With all * has done, it's probably impossible to talk people down anyway.

****I Know that was in horrible taste. I have a BLACK sense of humor. Bear with me hear. It's either make comments like that, or scream until red mist is coming out of my mouth.****

[Prophet 451]

14. Can't believe you're surprised

There are literally no depths to which this administration will not stoop. I just can't decide if this one was more heavily influenced by the Religious Reich (who don't want GLBT people to have suicide advice because they want them topping themselves) or the snoops.

[Bozita]

15. $266,000 divided by 280,000,000 Americans = savings < 1 cent/citizen

This is truly insane.

[w4rma]

17. Republicans are psycho. (nt)

[EFerrari]

18. kick

[dogday]

19. Bush Sucks

and he just keeps on sucking folks......

[Initech]

20. So where's the outrage from the "culture of life" crowd?

Fucking hypocrites!

[The Backlash Cometh]

21. Unbelievable. Just, unbelievable.