RIP Bill Zeller
I'll let the man speak for himself.
I should warn you, the linked text is a suicide note, and it is very upsetting. No, I can't say that. It's horrible, and it makes me want to write a scathing expose of whoever raped and abused him and made him think he was a monster.
I'm basing this reaction entirely on the note: I haven't done a deep background on the man. But my initial response to this is--
I think Zeller's a hero. Not for taking his own life, though I can't think less of him for that, under the circumstances. But for trying so hard to live, and to protect others from the collateral damage of what was done to him.
That's a kind of courage that largely goes unrecognized, and it's more common than we think. He could easily have been seven kinds of monster. But he had ethics, and he chose to abide by them instead. I could wish he'd found somebody he could talk to, as well. But it's too late for that, so I honor what he achieved.
His friends at Metafilter react.
Originally spotted through Gizmodo.
I should warn you, the linked text is a suicide note, and it is very upsetting. No, I can't say that. It's horrible, and it makes me want to write a scathing expose of whoever raped and abused him and made him think he was a monster.
I'm basing this reaction entirely on the note: I haven't done a deep background on the man. But my initial response to this is--
I think Zeller's a hero. Not for taking his own life, though I can't think less of him for that, under the circumstances. But for trying so hard to live, and to protect others from the collateral damage of what was done to him.
That's a kind of courage that largely goes unrecognized, and it's more common than we think. He could easily have been seven kinds of monster. But he had ethics, and he chose to abide by them instead. I could wish he'd found somebody he could talk to, as well. But it's too late for that, so I honor what he achieved.
His friends at Metafilter react.
Originally spotted through Gizmodo.