Fatal Decisions

Fatal Decisions

 

Golden Gate Bridge

Aokigahara Forest

 

 

 

 

Suicide, a topic many find disturbing and unimaginable. But for some it's a constant worry. The Golden gate bridge in California is an architectural masterpiece, but it has a grave reputation as being the worlds #1 suicide hotspot. Over 1,200 people have ended their life by jumping off this bridge. As compared to the worlds 2^nd suicide hotspot, the Aokigahara forest in Japan. Around 600 Japanese business men have walked in, and never walked back out. For both hotspots unemployment and debt were of the highest reasons for making the fatal decision. 

California's Bay Area transportation committee voted July 28 to appropriate $5 million in federal funds to engineer and design a suicide barrier, a stainless-steel net. The net will hang 20 ft. below the bridge to catch and cocoon jumpers in midair. The Golden Gate suicides were brought to a new level of attention at the release of the documentary The Bridge, in which a camera was placed to capture the last decisions of so many people. Ms. Meyer, the suicide hot line manager, said the government must also act immediately to help those in economic despair. “We have noticed many more people mentioning the economy.” 

While this bridge has a plan to save lives, the Aokigahara government has made no attempts to stop the suicides besides measly little signs. These signs say things like," Your life is a precious gift from your parents," and "Please consult the police before you decide to die!" "We've got everything here that points to us being a death spot. Perhaps we should just promote ourselves as 'Suicide City' and encourage people to come here," the exasperated mayor of Aokigahara has been quoted as saying. Aokigahara is considered the most haunted location in all of Japan, a purgatory for yurei, the unsettled ghosts of Japan who have been torn unnaturally soon from their lives and who howl their suffering on the winds. Spiritualists say that the trees themselves are filled with a violent energy, accumulated from centuries of suicides. They don't want you to leave the forest. 

Combined these beautiful places see around 80 deaths each year. The installment of the suicide net on the Golden Gate bridge will nearly cut the death toll in half. As for the Aokigahara forest, it's up for the people to decide. Quoting Ms. Meyers “Suicide is an attempt to stop pain,” she said, and is not always caused by mental illness, which she called a misperception. “That pain can be emotional, physical or economic.”

Anthony Simmons       Word count= 421