How horrible...

[ilovemyguitar]

B_G, there's a great book by Susan Faludi called "Backlash" that I think you should read. It's all about how various aspects of today's society suppress women by creating an illusion that women have achieved all the equality they possibly can and that attempting to push for anything more would disrupt their own lives in a negative way (typically that they'll end up sad and lonely spinsters if they choose to do anything besides get married and have babies). Really, it's a great read, and I really think it would help you better understand what you're talking about here.

[Sonic#]

I'm not saying i want handicapped and retarded people gone. i was just saying that there's a chance that the world may be more prosperous if the only people on it were capable mentally AND physically. that's all. there's no "hate speak" here.

That's cool. It might be more prosperous if they weren't around. But they are, which means that we either deal with the presence... or find a way to correct it. If it's the former, then why bring it up? If it's the latter, we really don't want to hear it. That's all.

and i said that the attitude was there. not that it was solely an issue of attitude. i'm familiar with criticism and don't really care if i get it. i know i can't truly understand clinical depression or being a woman. are you implying that you'd have to be a depressed woman (example: alanis morisette fans) to have a considerable opinion on this?

No, but you do have to try to account for how a depressed woman would feel. Of course, the analogy's incomplete because Alanis Morisette is more than a depressed woman, as is this teen (though we don't get much more from the news post). From what I gather, the charge is more that you're not relating to it the way others would. And certainly not the way that the one who killed herself did.

i also know that women are in a male-dominant society but things are certaining improving in many areas. this isn't the 40's anymore and you know it. many women are feminists or lean in that direction AND many women say "i'm enjoying this power i have over men with my attractiveness and i think i'll see where i can get with it.". other women stay respectable and choose not to go with feminism and manage to enjoy the current set-up. not all women think the same way about life.

Yes! Some do! But being able to refer to a "respectable" and have everyone know what you mean, a woman who is silent and accepting of her place, still means that though we have made progress, the progress isn't done. What's at issue is not that some women do this, others do that, but that collectively women are viewed a certain way that is contrary to the way many women want to function. Similar arguments could be made about men, about different races, and so on. They are persistent, and we've been taught well to know them.

(Oh, and I'm not saying you support people staying respectable or not, but only that you can have recourse to it because many people do support and use kit as the sole ideal for femininity.)

And as far as the general topic goes... it's a shame, and I feel sorry for the girl and her family... and I even wonder what her sister must be going through, to have lost her sister and then had her parents divorce in a year's time. At the same time, I tire of these kinds of stories in the news. But I can't give a precise reason why... maybe a general feeling of muckraking?

[AnimeJei]

I read about that..It's sickening that the family of this other girl helped create this "fake" person and write this girl. I know it probably wasn't their intent for it to go this far but it's really messed up. This family had nothing better to do than to contact this girl to see how she felt about their kid? I've had friend who are suicidal and I think everyone has felt depressed one time or another. Whether you are 14 or 40 or whatever.. it's different stress but still very hard to deal with at times. It's very sad...