Am I my brother's keeper?

Yesterday in the now infamous Broward County of Florida, a bipolar teenager struggling with depression contemplates suicide. The signs were all there. He wrote a note, told people his plan, spoke of his hopelessness and began to execute. A preventable death by medication overdose. All via a web camera (webcam).

Viewers response encouraged him, made fun of the situation and made fun of him.

They watched, as if suicide was a spectator sport.

I must not have gotten the memo, but can someone please tell me when did suicide become entertainment, like ribbed, for your viewing pleasure?

It took the collective 10 hours to get a clue and contact the police. The blood and life of that young man is now in the hands of every single person who viewed the thread and took part in it.

It is said that six people are "statistically affected" by each suicidal death. This incident is a game-changer to that statistical conclusion. The nature of the decentralized dissemination of this action and its ramification currently boggles my mind.

Some may call this an anomaly, I hope that is all it is. Else, we risk this being called a bad precedent.

We have to begin to ask ourselves, if faced with this situation "what would I do?". I pray it doesn't take you 10 minutes to take action.

The Afterw@rd