Languish.org

General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: Martinus on November 15, 2012, 09:40:03 AM

Title: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: Martinus on November 15, 2012, 09:40:03 AM
QuoteFlorida: Gay Republican commits suicide blaming Obama victory


A gay man in Key West, Florida, took his own life two days after Barack Obama won a second term in the White House and cited the president's victory in a suicide letter.

The Associated Press reports Henry Hamilton was found dead on 8 November with his home littered with empty pill bottles.

According to palmbeachpost.com a suicide note was found that said: "Do not revive! Fuck Obama!"

Mr Hamilton lived with his partner Michael Cossey, who was the first to find the body after returning home from an evening out with friends last week.

Mr Cossey said his partner told him "If Barack gets re-elected, I'm not going to be around."

He was also said to be anxious about his tanning business.

Authorities do not believe Mr Hamilton's death to be anything other than a suicide and will not be investigating the matter further.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/11/15/florida-gay-republican-commits-suicide-blaming-obama-victory/
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: Viking on November 15, 2012, 09:43:29 AM
I'm tempted to comment, but then again I remember my admonition to myself of never ever pretending to know better than somebody else what is going on in his head. That and not trying to make sense of the obviously disturbed.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: garbon on November 15, 2012, 09:47:50 AM
Yeah, he clearly had something else going wrong in his mind.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: Martinus on November 15, 2012, 09:48:56 AM
Quote from: garbon on November 15, 2012, 09:47:50 AM
Yeah, he clearly had something else going wrong in his mind.

A gay Republican insane? Who would have thought?!
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: garbon on November 15, 2012, 09:49:15 AM
:yawn:
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: garbon on November 15, 2012, 09:50:05 AM
"[I'm] tired of being told to vote for someone because of my class, because I'm a woman, a person of color and a queer. I want to see folks trading in facts instead of this knee jerk liberalism and homonationalism."
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: PDH on November 15, 2012, 09:52:25 AM
Quote from: garbon on November 15, 2012, 09:50:05 AM
"[I'm] tired of being told to vote for someone because of my class, because I'm a woman, a person of color and a queer. I want to see folks trading in facts instead of this knee jerk liberalism and homonationalism."

The dying utterance of General George Armstrong Custer.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: Josephus on November 15, 2012, 10:16:51 AM
How relevant to the story is it that he is, or was, gay?

If he was straight would the lead have been "A straight man in Key West..."?
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: DGuller on November 15, 2012, 10:20:12 AM
Quote from: Martinus on November 15, 2012, 09:48:56 AM
Quote from: garbon on November 15, 2012, 09:47:50 AM
Yeah, he clearly had something else going wrong in his mind.

A gay Republican insane? Who would have thought?!
:XD:
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: garbon on November 15, 2012, 10:20:26 AM
Yes because people always call out the default assumption.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: merithyn on November 15, 2012, 10:24:20 AM
Is this a new trend, or just a newly reported trend, following elections? Between the insane pregnant woman trying to kill her husband and this guy, I can't help but wonder if this has happened in the past or if it's a new situation.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: garbon on November 15, 2012, 10:26:56 AM
Quote from: merithyn on November 15, 2012, 10:24:20 AM
Is this a new trend, or just a newly reported trend, following elections? Between the insane pregnant woman trying to kill her husband and this guy, I can't help but wonder if this has happened in the past or if it's a new situation.

Here's an article.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/dr-raj-persaud/us-election-barack-obama-mitt-romney_b_2081183.html
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: Brazen on November 15, 2012, 11:25:36 AM
The Huffington Post is turning into the Daily Mail. It is against press principles to mention details that are irrelevant to the story and might prejudice readers. For the fact he was gay to be in the headline and opener is inexcusable unless he killed himself over some anti-gay policy, but that obviously isn't the case. I've read whole articles in even our least salubrious newspapers and been pleasantly surprised when they mention a same-sex partner at the end without the sexuality of the subject being mentioned.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: 11B4V on November 15, 2012, 11:44:59 AM
Quote from: Martinus on November 15, 2012, 09:40:03 AM
Florida: Gay Republican commits suicide blaming Obama victory

Bye
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: Ed Anger on November 15, 2012, 11:52:06 AM
Quote from: PDH on November 15, 2012, 09:52:25 AM
Quote from: garbon on November 15, 2012, 09:50:05 AM
"[I'm] tired of being told to vote for someone because of my class, because I'm a woman, a person of color and a queer. I want to see folks trading in facts instead of this knee jerk liberalism and homonationalism."

The dying utterance of General George Armstrong Custer.

Thanks General Steele.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: Martinus on November 15, 2012, 11:57:09 AM
Quote from: Brazen on November 15, 2012, 11:25:36 AM
The Huffington Post is turning into the Daily Mail. It is against press principles to mention details that are irrelevant to the story and might prejudice readers. For the fact he was gay to be in the headline and opener is inexcusable unless he killed himself over some anti-gay policy, but that obviously isn't the case. I've read whole articles in even our least salubrious newspapers and been pleasantly surprised when they mention a same-sex partner at the end without the sexuality of the subject being mentioned.

It's ok to pander to the reader's prejudices, if you are doing it from the "stupid Uncle Toms" left wing perspective.  :secret:

Exempli gratia:

"Stupid blacks voted for Obama" <- Racism.
"Stupid blacks voted for Prop 8" <- Anti-racist commentary on the patriarchal system keeping racial minorities ignorant and uneducated.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: Capetan Mihali on November 15, 2012, 12:25:25 PM
I liked the note, though:  "Do not revive!  Fuck Obama!" pretty much says it all.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: The Larch on November 15, 2012, 12:29:16 PM
Quote from: Brazen on November 15, 2012, 11:25:36 AM
The Huffington Post is turning into the Daily Mail. It is against press principles to mention details that are irrelevant to the story and might prejudice readers. For the fact he was gay to be in the headline and opener is inexcusable unless he killed himself over some anti-gay policy, but that obviously isn't the case. I've read whole articles in even our least salubrious newspapers and been pleasantly surprised when they mention a same-sex partner at the end without the sexuality of the subject being mentioned.

But the article that started the thread is not from the Huffington Post, it's from a gay news portal. Saying that the guy that killed himself was gay is their justification for talking about it in the first place.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: Eddie Teach on November 15, 2012, 12:30:04 PM
Shoulda lit himself on fire if he really wanted to stick it to Obama.
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: garbon on November 15, 2012, 01:01:32 PM
Quote from: The Larch on November 15, 2012, 12:29:16 PM
Quote from: Brazen on November 15, 2012, 11:25:36 AM
The Huffington Post is turning into the Daily Mail. It is against press principles to mention details that are irrelevant to the story and might prejudice readers. For the fact he was gay to be in the headline and opener is inexcusable unless he killed himself over some anti-gay policy, but that obviously isn't the case. I've read whole articles in even our least salubrious newspapers and been pleasantly surprised when they mention a same-sex partner at the end without the sexuality of the subject being mentioned.

But the article that started the thread is not from the Huffington Post, it's from a gay news portal. Saying that the guy that killed himself was gay is their justification for talking about it in the first place.

And Marti's. :contract:
Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: Josephus on November 15, 2012, 01:17:02 PM
OK...I missed that it came from a gay newspaper.

But in that case, wouldn't it be obvious he was gay. They wouldn't write that story if he wasn't. It's a bit redundant.

Years ago, Monty Python had a skit "news for birds".

"No birds were killed in a plane crash that killed 200 humans."


Title: Re: Your conflicted/ambivalent news of the day
Post by: garbon on November 15, 2012, 01:24:14 PM
I'm glad to know that Pink News isn't up to your editorial standards. :D