This sprang from a discussion my wife and I had earlier. The question is , "Are you bothered by the deaths of total strangers?" I am curious to see other peoples opinions. I realy dont care one way or another if a complete stranger dies. I reserve my grief and attention for people I actualy know. My wife disagrees and tells me I'm a horrible person because I dont care about the rest of the world.what do you all think?

Generally, no. Heck, I've rarely gotten upset when family members have passed on...my dad is the only one I can think of (and his sister) that I have shed tears for. I don't think it makes me cold or uncaring, I just see death as "relief from life" for most people.

I do get upset when kids die though, strangers or not, that upsets me.

thousands of people die every day, either by natural causes or through violence. Is it even possible to care for all of those people ? In my opinion you should just focus on the ones you love and care for. If you worry about every human being on this planet, you'll go insane.

I think it depends how they die to a certain extent. I mean I know that people every day are dying of old age and disease and getting run over and things. I don't really think about that at all, I think if you did you could never stop. However if I hear on the news that someone was brutally raped and murdered, or when people are killed by suicide bombers or horrendous earthquakes etc, I do stop to think and have compassion for them and those they leave behind.

It's a different kind of feeling though if it's your own family I think.

that's very very true. I know what you mean, those awful things you see on the news or read in the papers do get to you, like september 11, i knew no one of the victims, but it felt like i lost someone of my family, those things really get to you.

Not realy, I can get upset by the way a person died, or the actually story around it, but never emotionally. My family and friends are the closest thing for me. Other people have to make the best they can. I am not a world conscious, I try to do what I can, but I must be able to take care of myself to fully be able to care, you understand?

Life is talken and extinguished every day, I can´t mourn them, I can howeever as stated before grieve the situation.

Nope. I work in a alzheimers residence where someone dies every week ;)

Generally, I wouldn't say no.... I'd say HELL NO. I'll give you and example. Recently the comedian Milton Berle passed away at the ripe old age of 93. Didnt bother me at all. I didnt know him, never thought he was funny. Maybe he meant something to my parents from the early days of television. I thought hed been dead for at least 10 years. I know his career had been dead for at least 20. Ill be honest and say I was shocked to learn he'd died simply because I thought he was already dead. Didnt bother me though.

September 11 bothered me. It made me want to nuke a whole bunch of countries. Paybacks are hell. I hope nothing like it ever happens again. I have to give Bush some credit. He maintained his composure where I would have started the end of the world. Yes, I know that wouldnt have been the answer. I know that more deaths of innocents wouldnt have solved anything. Good thing I'm not President, huh???

As for the rest, I think its sad when some punk takes a gun to school and kills other students or teachers. As for being sad for each individual killed in such situations, thats rather difficult as I dont know them.

Mostly I reserve my true greiving for family or close friends. As a whole, famous people are not included.

Sometimes. There was this headline in one of the local newspapers saying "21 Clap as Nancy Dies".. Are there any Aussies out there who have seen this article in one form or another? I felt pretty bad about the whole situation. Not that her death bothered me, but the whole thing just seemed so wrong.

If any of you guys dont know what I'm talking about, the article is about this old lady who planned to commit suicide and invited people to watch her death so she wouldnt have to die alone. Apparently they were sipping tea and champagne while she took an overdose of drugs or something.

Depends on the death, some things just really don't touch me much. But if it's something like a rape and murder then it bothers me.... I mainly care about my friends [img]smile.gif[/img] Not really my family as I'm an outcast even among them....

NAH i'm never annoyed by death, infact I think its just another part of life, a transendance into an even greater being where all the knowledge is known and life is like a waiting room, waiting for an end to come so that life can be repeated once more but in a far better fasion...

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Photos from the Glory Pre-Level 200 days
A robot, A master System on my Back, and a Wok in my hand...
oh and a big yellow bracelet 0.o

This story has been dominating the news in Queensland for the past few days (and a few weeks ago, when she decided to give palliative care another go). Nancy Crick was terminally ill with bowel cancer, she could not travel anywhere because she needed to be near a toilet constantly, she could not hold her grandchildren and was in constant pain. She tried palliative care numerous times but while it dulled the pain, it dulled whatever joy she felt as well.

She became a symbol for the voluntary euthanasia campaigners, because she didn't want to live anymore with her pain, and palliative care was not an option for her, but euthanasia is illegal. The reason she was committing suicide now is because she could still do it herself and not need to involve others. Her family and friends were with her, as I'm sure most of us hope our loved ones are near us when we die. If they did clap, it was because they were respecting a very brave woman who did not wish to live her 'life' anymore.

Now these friends and family are facing prosecution and possible life sentences because they did not try to prevent her from committing suicide, even though they did not assist in any way. Her house is a crime scene and her body can't be released for burial because it is under investigation.

You're right - it was wrong, that people would try to stop her from making her own decisions about her life and what it meant to her.

I care for everyone who dies I mean EVERYONE

lol then you must be a very busey guy.

Yes, sometimes, I am. When I hear of a baby shaken to death....when I first heard and saw the 9-11 victim tally and video footage.... whenever I see news of the untimely or violent end of life, I feel bad and have, in fact, cried during the news on occasion.

Life is precious. Be it mine, or someone else's. No, I'm not rushing to their funerals. But I feel we all lose something when deaths like the above happen.

Cloudy

[ 05-24-2002, 11:55 PM: Message edited by: Cloudbringer ]

Ill agree with most people here, that it depends on the death...recently, an 11 yer old girl was abducted by her neighbor and was missing for weeks, in a town right next to mine, Poway. She was found on the side of a road in the middle of a desert, burned to almost beyond the point of recognition. It was all over the local news for days. This kind of thing astounds me, especially so close to home. But i really dont have time to sympathize with everyone else; i have so many friends and family members to worry about. Uknown strangers have my sympathy, but not my grief

Nope.

<font color=orange>Children's murders bother me. 9/11 bothered me as well, but most don't.</font>

Not at all, i personnaly couldnt care less about people i dont know. (now that kinda sounds cold hearted dont it.)

In general, I am bothered by incidents/events that I happen to read from the news where there are victims of injustice/recklessness/pure evil. I have read about old folks who died because they were crushed by reversing vehicles, adults who were dragged along highways until they were further knocked down by other drivers, toddlers who tumbled to their deaths from highrise flats. It's just very sad [img]graemlins/verysad.gif[/img]

But I think I would reserve real grief for my loved ones (ie, those whom I know personally and care for). I'd think that would be natural.

Absolutely not. In fact i could care less. Even when celebrities die or whatever I really dont care, it in no way effects me. Why would I care when someone I don't know dies? Why should I care when somone who could care less about me dies? Im sure if I died they could care less so why should I care when they dies. Just seems a waste of time to me. They had a spouse and a family, let them mourn for the dead, if that is their way. Ill spend my time worrying about the living, or the dead that I at least know.