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HoopOnPoop t1_jal2bhw wrote

>A group had gathered around the man and several people were filming.

Dude was literally burning himself to death and people were just filming it. Wtf, humanity?

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pinetreesgreen t1_jal2u4h wrote

Several people were injured trying to help put him out, which apparently he didn't want them to do. Statements from witnesses seem to indicate mental illness.

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HoopOnPoop t1_jal4ann wrote

Even if someone else is helping, the concept of filming a mentally ill person attempting to kill themselves is royally fucked up.

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TigerBasket t1_jalfca2 wrote

I mean they filmed Buhdist monks when they did it, if it was a protest and not a suicide attempt that's literally more or less the idea.

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pinetreesgreen t1_jal4sl0 wrote

Thats fair. Just wanted to restore a tiny bit of hope for humanity for you before bedtime.

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cuddly_carcass t1_jal6p4k wrote

Setting yourself on fire would for sure would fit in the definition of mental illness

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dofffman t1_jan6pnw wrote

it has been done for protest.

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cam94509 t1_janyvfo wrote

Yeah. But Americans would medicalize protest if they could, tbh.

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cuddly_carcass t1_jaoch9j wrote

Regardless of the intent any act of self harm is a sign of mental illness in my book.

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dofffman t1_japoza9 wrote

I can see many reasons for self harm. Hunger strikes are self harm, standing in front of a tank risks great self harm. I would never want to have to do it but I would love to be able to and have the courage to like the monk did way back when if I was in a similar situation.

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groveborn t1_jaotztp wrote

You carry around an extinguisher?

Sometimes being a great witness is the best you can do.

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HoopOnPoop t1_jap7h24 wrote

It was in a crowded area. There are extinguishers in every building that you can run and find. There is 911 to call. There are a million other things to do rather than just film it. It has been proven that many people will not help unless it impacts their safety directly. They do not want to get involved. It's why people are told to yell fire instead of help if being assaulted. The bystanders yanked out their phones and hoped someone else would take care of it. Some people run toward the danger, some run away, and some stand there and do nothing.

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groveborn t1_jap8f6z wrote

So normal stuff, then?

I argue that by the time an extinguisher was used, the burns are fatal. Indeed, a standard chemical extinguisher could kill him all by itself.

I wonder how long the response from a fire truck may be?

I realize it's mind boggling to realize that people suck, but most of the time it just doesn't matter. Sure, it absolutely can, sometimes, but how often do people even realize that the thing they're witnessing isn't just an act?

Is the first thing you think of when you stumble upon a burning human "oh, that dude is in need of assistance", or more like "what the fuck is this"?

I don't know what I would do, personally, having never been in the situation, but I'm not at all surprised that normal people behave like normal people.

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Blind-_-Tiger t1_japumso wrote

That’s not proven, the reporting that no one helped Kitty Genovese wasn’t being truthful (and I’m bummed Watchmen 2 hasn’t corrected this). There are multiple ways you can help someone. If that way is filming someone who asks to be filmed in protest and that’s the route you decide to take especially if there are many people around and so many options and suddenly you’re thrust into a crazy scenario recording that scenario might be helpful later, or it might not, hard to say because HEY THAT GUYS ON FIRE. QUICK DO SOMETHING. MAYBE. Maybe they’re terminally ill and they want to die like this. Maybe this is some stunt, maybe he’s mentally ill but can’t be admitted against their will until there’re a proven danger, best to document that. It’s an uneasy calculus and filming people in distress like when they’re with the police is not always the worst option.

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buntopolis t1_jan2q3n wrote

Unless they are specially trained, what do you expect them to do?

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HoopOnPoop t1_jancsq3 wrote

Not film a mentally ill man trying to kill himself.

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StoreProfessional947 t1_jaozpo5 wrote

What exactly were they supposed to do?

People always think some random civilian should save the person like it’s a movie but that’s often not plausible or safe in real life

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69deadlifts t1_jalj85r wrote

I'm very easily panicked so I might just grab a bunch of people and start pissing on the guy

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