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I was using 'dumb' as a generalization. She was dumb, her peers were dumb, all kids are dumb. I asked not to be reminded of her age because I figured people would say something like 'how mature can you be at 12?', which happened anyways...
This isn't drugs or sex we're talking about, it's taking your own life. We tell kids it's the wrong thing to do they aren't gonna go out and try it. But if we treat it as a huge tragedy every time some kid cracks under the pressures of pre-pubescent life, they're going to think "hey if I do this I'll get all kinds of attention. People will cry over me and reminisce about what a great kid I was."
Which brings me to a question: Has this sort of thing happened in previous generations? What kind of culture has this become when kids think violence towards themselves or others is a solution to their problems? Like I said, yes this is a tragedy but with all the publicity these tragedies get, they're just going to multiply.
Committing suicide is a selfish act, whether the purpose is to hurt other people or because one can't handle the pressures of life. People who have thoughts of suicide have my sympathy, and if I know them I try to help them. People who commit it do not. If that's insensitivity then fine.
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