Asymmetrical Information

err... who does "jumped" unintentionally offend? I must've missed the last PC meeting.

I'm confused too. Is "suicide" un-PC for some reason? If so, why? The only thing I can think of is that it makes it easier to consider the committer of suicide a victim somehow, thus giving (in a liberal's world) great moral credibility to the survivors, who become victims by proxy.

Sounds about as good as those "Adverse event" reports that drug makers use when someone dies during a drug trial.

The military has some good euphemisms. I particulary like the way they describe an explosion as "energetic discombination".

It's the cause-of-death part that gets me. I mean, what are our alternative hypotheses here? He popped some cyanide right before he bailed and managed to asphyxiate before he hit? He shot himself (or cut his own throat, or whatever) in freefall? Isn't the cause of death obviously high-velocity impact with a very large blunt instrument? Sheesh. (And since they've obviously ruled out murder and accident with the "intentionally" in the first sentence, that can't be what the writer was hedging. Weird one.)

I think it is a German thing to whisper the name of something bad.

I don't speak German, but I once heard that the German word for bear was originally a euphemism, since saying "bear" would make one show up.

Did I hear someone calling?

The damded liberal are at it again. Why can't they just call a spade a spade? This is IMPORTANT.

Aren't they referring to what got the guy to jump? Whether the guy was drunk/stoned/under-the-influence/loaded, or if he was stone sober, when he decided to test Blish's hypothesis?

(Blish's hypothesis (from a book): A person might develop extraordinary abilities under extraordinary stress. So, throw enough people out of helicopters and someone might learn to fly.)

And this, based on local experience: if the paper calls it a suicide before some kind of official ruling, are they opening themselves up for a suit from the man's surviving family for "defamation?" Admittedly, that's maybe more absurd than how they've chosen to write the article, but one has to wonder whether this is just bad writing (of which there is plenty), or vagueness with a purpose. I know that my place of business (a school) is more vulnerable than ever to teachers' comments now taken as official statements (as opposed to the principal as the only official spokesman) and gateways for lawsuits. They won't tell us anymore why they expel a student, and often they don't tell us at all, because we might get the facts wrong in telling someone else and somehow slander the miscreant. Maybe that's bleeding out to other fields as well.

I also know that when my mom died of a heart attack, they didn't put that on the death certificate. They had to find a condition that caused the attack as the cause of death (arterosclerosis). Weird legal stuff, but there you go.

And for those of you wondering - yes, I have a sense of humor, and yes, I worry about looking like an idiot. But I never have been able to laugh at suicide. So, I'm curious as to the above.

CS

I don't know what they pay a coroner there, but I will fill in the death certificate for half that.
"Cause of death: Sudden stop."

Captain Sunshine, I just don't see how a man "intentionally" (their word, mind) bailing out of a helicopter without a parachute well over half a mile up can leave any doubt as to cause of death. I take your point about the possibility that he was stoned or drunk, but if the paper is confident enough to state that he intentionally took his seat belt off, opened the door, and "fell," the doubt would be about his competence or state of mind when he did it, not about the cause of death.

And no, suicide isn't funny, but pathetic circumlocutions like this are, whatever the subject.

Michelle -

I agree - the language was terrible. I'm just curious as to why.

And no criticism was meant by my statement; my comment just didn't seem to fit with the tone of everyone else's.

CS

I don't blame authorities for refusing to speculate on the cause of death. In the absence of hard evidence they can't rule out foul play. Doing a tox screen, checking for bullet wounds, and assessing the injuries would provide more information.

O.K., I'll do it for 25%. Not a cent cheaper.

Authorities say the cause of death won't be determined until the body is recovered from White's Butte.

Has Mr. White given his consent to have his butte probed to find the remains of the suicide victim?

Personally, I'd be a little reluctant.

I'll bet your Victorian Grandmother can't say any of that!

...I just don't see how a man "intentionally" (their word, mind) bailing out of a helicopter without a parachute well over half a mile up can leave any doubt as to cause of death.

A couple of you are missing that the paper isn't using the word "intentionally"; rather, they're quoting the helicopter company. Note the beginning of the sentence: "A helicopter tour company said...". This divorces the paper and reporter from liability, as they are just reporting what the company said.

I assume the investigation will attempt to determine if that's really what happened, or if there is some sort of conspiracy (shades of Murder On The Orient Express).

The cause of death thing seems a little silly, but I guess I wouldn't want the coroner to make a practice of filling out the death certificate without first seeing the body.

The way this was written has nothing to do with PC.
It's all about liability and those lawyers we all love. :P

One factor is the effect of a determination of suicide on the insurance settlement.

When my son's Cub Scout leader died ("suddenly" according to the death notice) there was some speculation that he was just trying out the noose for fit, in case certain issues could not be resolved, and slipped.

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Well, let's see...we have a case where this person deliberately jumped out of a helicopter in flight over the Grand Canyon, fell four thousand feet or so, and went _splat_ on one of the natural features. Somehow, I don't think I need all the resources of the CSI gang to figure this one out. Either it was deliberate, in which case it was suicide, or the idiot was trying to get a better look, in which case it was clearly a case of Father Darwin doing his benevolent work.

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