Lethal Beauty Should A Suicide Barrier Be Put Around The Golden Gate Bridge To Save Lives? According to the San Francisco Gate newspaper article titled, “Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Barrier Project May Slow Traffic,” it says, “More than 1,400 people have jumped to their deaths since the bridge opened in 1937. Most jumpers suffer a grisly death, with massive internal injuries, broken bones and skull fractures. Some die from internal bleeding; others drown” (1). On one side of the debate are people who are mental health advocates that strongly believe that the barrier will prevent suicides. On the other side are those who believe the barrier will detract from the bridge’s beauty. The Golden Gate Bridge is a work of art; even though it
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As an example of this, Swedish psychiatrist, Dr. Thomas Reisch, published a study on the effectiveness of safety nets. The city of Bern, Switzerland had an unusually high rate of suicides by jumping—more than 28 percent of all suicides. Several sites were a problem, but the greatest was Muenster Terrace. In 1998, a safety net was installed to prevent jumps, and it was successful in stopping jumps from that site. Researchers also found that the overall rate of jumps declined—indicating that suicidal individuals did not simply go to another site to jump (460). So given these facts, why wouldn't a barrier at the Golden Gate Bridge be a success? It is also speculated that the Golden Gate Bridge was meant to have a barrier from its inception. The Bridge Rail Foundation, a volunteer organization committed to stoping suicides from the bridge, states that, “In his original design for the Golden Gate Bridge, engineer Joseph Strauss included a structure to deter suicide. He specified a safety railing of five feet, six inches capped in a manner difficult for any climber to grasp. Strauss advertised the bridge through the press as practically suicide-proof. …show more content…
The method of suicide prevention should not rely solely on the erection of a barrier. Preventative steps need to be taken before the individuals decide to jump to their demise. Understanding the cause of what drives people to the bridge might encourage the suicidal to get the help they desperately need. When interviewed for the book, The Final Leap - Suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge, written by John Batemon, a suicide prevention activist, people who had jumped off the bridge and survived said, “they regretted jumping immediately, and did so on impulse” (1). So that proves if people had an outlet for coping with stress and depression, suicide impulses would decrease. Whether it be through meditation, yoga, counseling, or medication, people struggling with suicidal thoughts need some form of
As an example of this, Swedish psychiatrist, Dr. Thomas Reisch, published a study on the effectiveness of safety nets. The city of Bern, Switzerland had an unusually high rate of suicides by jumping—more than 28 percent of all suicides. Several sites were a problem, but the greatest was Muenster Terrace. In 1998, a safety net was installed to prevent jumps, and it was successful in stopping jumps from that site. Researchers also found that the overall rate of jumps declined—indicating that suicidal individuals did not simply go to another site to jump (460). So given these facts, why wouldn't a barrier at the Golden Gate Bridge be a success? It is also speculated that the Golden Gate Bridge was meant to have a barrier from its inception. The Bridge Rail Foundation, a volunteer organization committed to stoping suicides from the bridge, states that, “In his original design for the Golden Gate Bridge, engineer Joseph Strauss included a structure to deter suicide. He specified a safety railing of five feet, six inches capped in a manner difficult for any climber to grasp. Strauss advertised the bridge through the press as practically suicide-proof. …show more content…
The method of suicide prevention should not rely solely on the erection of a barrier. Preventative steps need to be taken before the individuals decide to jump to their demise. Understanding the cause of what drives people to the bridge might encourage the suicidal to get the help they desperately need. When interviewed for the book, The Final Leap - Suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge, written by John Batemon, a suicide prevention activist, people who had jumped off the bridge and survived said, “they regretted jumping immediately, and did so on impulse” (1). So that proves if people had an outlet for coping with stress and depression, suicide impulses would decrease. Whether it be through meditation, yoga, counseling, or medication, people struggling with suicidal thoughts need some form of