Today, I realized just how many people put their fingers to their head like a gun when they are demonstrating how much they dislike a certain situation. My brother shot himself in the head a month ago. Please think before you make that signal with your hands. It kills me inside every time I see it. MMT

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My friends and I used to do this all the time, and several other versions of "killing ourselves" We would make guns, nooses, and pretend to cut. A year, 5 months, and 2 days ago my brother killed himself. I watch what I say and do carefully now. Gay jokes aren't funny either or mentally challenged jokes. Please think before you talk or do an action..

Indeed. I don't know anyone who committed suicide, but I almost did, myself... So I'm constantly careful of that sort of joke. I also never use gay or retarded as a general term for dumb or stupid as so many do... I wish more people would realize that doing such things is very hurtful.

I agree. I wish people would think first before they say or do things. My cousin commited suicide a few years ago and it annoys me so much when my friends pretend to shoot themselves in the head. I just wish that people would be more considerate of others and not joke about that sort of thing.

Some people get offended by things others don't. It's impossible to tell how a person might take your actions or words before you actually do or say them, so it's not really fair to reserve yourself until you know exactly what a person likes and dislikes. I know a guy who gets offended by people eating chicken, for example. I didn't know that until I bought a chicken burger when I was with him and he got upset with me. My dad hates and gets offended by the use of curse words, but I like to use them as expression. So please don't expect people to base their actions around your personal preferences, despite how vulgar those actions might seem -- "vulgarity" is relative, as any measurement is. Of course, it's a different story if a person knows what happened to you and they still do that thing that offends you...

I realized this too when my favorite cousin committed suicide in September. I started to kindly ask people around me not too and explained why. Everyone has been really nice about it and I definitely appreciate that people respect how I feel.

@nerdlogy: Good point. I try to tailor my jokes and phrases with those I am with. My sense of humour with my friends and my brother is very different to my work humour.

I've done it... but when I do, I silently think about my father and brother who shot themselves years ago. The only reason I do it is to feel like their death still pertains to my life. That sounds ridiculous, but my greatest fear is forgetting them. even if its got a negative connotation, at least they're still there in the back of my mind.

A little over a year ago I lost my best friend to suicide. He hung himself. A week or so later I saw an episode of Robot Chicken where the Kraken hung itself. You know what I did? I smiled. You know why? Because he would have smiled, and also I have a sense of humor that remained intact after my loss. People do not do the mock suicide thing not as a way to offend or even portray suicide they do it because people have done it forever. I sympathize with your loss, but you cannot, and should not, dictate the actions of the others based on something that has affected YOU. It's not fair to them, and unfortunately people are allowed to do things that others may disagree with, so maybe that person has suffered the same kind of loss but has chose to not let it stop them from doing what they did before, or maybe they're just assholes. Either way, it's not your decision as to what they can do to express themselves.

"It's impossible to tell how a person might take your actions or words before you actually do or say them, so it's not really fair to reserve yourself until you know exactly what a person likes and dislikes." -nerdlogy While I agree that you really can't know what seemingly random reference might offend someone, I think it is safe to say that suicide, as the eleventh leading cause of death for Americans, and the third for teenagers, that this is a relevant issue to many. Turning suicide into a joke only makes it worse. OP: My best friend hanged herself when we were both 13, and "God if that happens I'll kill myself" irritates me as I imagine the gun irritates you. Puritymfkr: People can do whatever the heck they want but if their actions offend a friend, I don't see why they wouldn't refrain from further use.

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