If you told someone to kill themselves and they did, and wrote a suicide note citing your remarks, would that land you in any kind of trouble?
The victim’s family might sue you. They might also just launch a nasty gossip campaign against you, and make your life miserable.
It would be very hard for anyone to work up a criminal case against you. Freedom of speech includes freedom of nasty, hurtful, evil speech.
If the victim were a minor, there might be some law you would have broken; here, I am far from sure.
I knew someone who had a brother who committed suicide. I think it was very sad and suicide is not a laughing matter. So you shouldn’t tell other people to suicide as a joke, thinking it is funny, because it is never funny to say things like that to others. If that person did then go onto kill themselves I think you should not get in any trouble because it was a joke and that person obviously had a lot wrong with them besides what you said but it is still a very nasty thing to say so don’t say it !
I think you could definitely get in trouble for that these days. Look at how many high-school students’ suicides are leading to criminal charges against the bullies that “made” them do it.
Personally, I think it’s ridiculous, as it creates the impression that the deceased had no agency, but it’s in the news a lot.
Not that the OP necessarily did or considers doing so, but, telling somebody to kill themselves is horrible any way you contemplate it. So is suicide. The side question of whether one would also get in some kind of trouble is, IMHO, just kind of weird. What relevance does this question have to being a human being? Why are we even facilitating such speculation?
If only we could do something about the horrible thoughts and contemplations of others and never even hypothetically consider weird bad things! Being a human being is only about giving people flowers, hugs, and compassion, so take your weird bad thoughts away at once!
I can think of plenty of situations where telling someone to kill themselves and them doing it would be a reasonable idea, but I won’t offend your delicate sensibilities by describing them.
I guess some people can’t take a joke.
Nobody tell Napier to kill himself.
:smack::smack::smack::smack::smack:
Get in trouble with who? The media? Family or friends? Maybe, but if you really felt that way about the individual, I highly doubt you care what other people think.
Law enforcement? I highly doubt it.
I see you’re new around here. Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board. We frequently discuss things that are weird and/or irrelevant simply because they’re interesting to talk about.
[note to the sarcasm-impaired: yes, I can see his join date just as well as you can]
I was recently told to kill myself. In fact, it was screamed at me three times by a person who was evidently more depressed than I. We were sitting in a smoking hut in back of the building and she had a drink in her hand. I am still talking to people and working out my issues. She has retreated to her apt. to console herself with a bottle. I think I’m faring better.
I’d say it depends on how far it was taken. A one-off remark? Doubtful. A consistent hounding of a person over a long period of time that is easily found and provable by people investigating the death? I could see that going to a grand jury.
As for 12-juror-roulette and the legal system, yous pays your money & yous takes your chances…