Ironworks Gaming Forum - Judge bans suicide show

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Is it a publicity stunt for the band or for the right to die movement?
Both?

What bothers me is it seems they have banned even faked suicides staged for the purposes of raising awareness for the right to die movement. Is free-speech being squelched here?

Source

Quote:

A Florida judge issued a temporary injunction on Thursday banning the metal group Hell on Earth from performing their "suicide" show within St. Petersburg city limits on Saturday. The move came after the band's leader, Billy Tourtelot, insisted that his group would go ahead with its plans to have an unnamed terminally ill patient commit suicide during Hell on Earth's Saturday night show.
"[Governor] Jeb Bush himself is getting people to ban this show, and he can't legally do that," Tourtelot told Rolling Stone late last week. "This is about government officials abusing their powers and violating our First Amendment rights."

After losing bookings at two local clubs due to the uproar over the stunt, Tourtelot said last week that Hell on Earth would Web cast the show from an undisclosed location, while the suicide would take place at a separate, also undisclosed, location.

Thursday's ruling, which bars the band from performing or advertising the show, came from Pinellas County Circuit Court Judge John C. Lenderman at the request of St. Petersburg city officials, according to Mayor Rick Baker. "The Attorney General has also just weighed in and they believe this could also constitute assisted suicide under a state statute, which would be a second degree felony manslaughter charge with a fifteen-year prison sentence," Baker told Rolling Stone today.

Tourtelot was not present at Thursday's hearing, and Baker said authorities have not yet been able to track him down to serve him with the injunction. Tourtelot said last week that he would not abide by a recently passed city ordinance banning suicides staged for commercial or entertainment purposes. Baker said the penalty for violating that ordinance could be up to sixty days in jail and a $500 fine, while violating the injunction would put Tourtelot in contempt of court, which could have "more far reaching" implications at the judge's discretion.

Tourtelot said his band would not be selling tickets to the show, but would invite a "select audience." "This person will be doing this themselves, with no physician on hand," Tourtelot said, denying that the stunt was equivalent to physician-assisted suicide. "This person wants to make sure we don't go to prison."

Tourtelot, son of a prominent area real estate magnate, could not be reached again for comment at press time. As of Friday morning, the band's Web site was not accessible.

"The predicament we're in is that we don't know if this is a publicity stunt, and if it's not, we'll be too late to do anything," Baker said. "So we have to take them at their word and build a legal structure that will subject them to criminal penalties if they do this." Baker said his office received a hand-written note from the person who is allegedly going to commit suicide, but that they could not locate or verify that person's identity.

Tourtelot has repeatedly told Rolling Stone that the suicide is not a stunt or a gimmick, but will be an actual suicide meant to bring attention to the right-to-die movement.

[ 10-03-2003, 03:51 PM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

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"So we have to take them at their word and build a legal structure that will subject them to criminal penalties if they do this."

Why? Because YOU don't like it? Don't watch it. I'll bet the contents of my wallet that the assisted suicide statute does not cover what these guys are doing. Now the legislature has to go write it more broadly, so they can make sure and sweep us all into their grasp.

Making suicide illegal is an abuse of my right to own myself. Of course, so is making slavery illegal, now that you mention it. Hmmm.... *ponders where to draw the line of distinction*

Anyway, I support the right to die, and the right to televise it. Actually, considering my past rantings about overpopulation, one could argue the state should PROMOTE, not DISCOURAGE, suicide. If it were truly responsible.

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I would have to agree with this 100%.

I severely dislike people who go around determining what is morally and ethically correct for me. I can make that distinction myself without others telling me what is right.

If something another person decides to do does not infringe on the freedoms of others, then they should be allowed to act in a manner they deem appropriate, even if that means taking their own life. If they want to make it viewable for the world to see, there is nothing wrong with that either. Each individual can make their own decision to watch or not to watch.

I've been fed up with government telling me what I can do with myself and my body for sometime now.

Quote:

Originally posted by Chewbacca:
I've been fed up with government telling me what I can do with myself and my body for sometime now.

<font color="orange"> [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] No doubt about it.

What if the guy signs a waiver stating he wants to die. Is that any different (or even better than) a legal living will?</font>

I also support the right to die in certain situations...but as the headliner for a rock concert? Give me a break! Thats just sick. You want your 14 yr old kid seeing that? I was starting to gain some respect for ya there Timber but you just blew that with your televised suicide, do you actually put ANY thought into what your saying before you post? I could point anyone who wishes to see to a website with lots of suicide pics and video and then lets see how many folks want this as "Headliner" material for a band that your kids are going to go see. Ya its really entertaining to watch someones head explode when the shotgun goes off,

Well, the latest news is the show was delayed because supposedly hackers attacked the server that the webcast was going to be broadcast from. According to bands website it has been postponed until weekend.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20031004_1237.html

IMO some of the posters here are disgusting. You would allow people, young and old, to watch someone commit suicide? :( Allowing people to do a public thing like that is actually condoning those very acts. What kind of society are you promoting: death & destruction OR peace & compassion. I don't know about you, but I choose the latter. ;)

Look, this isn't going out on NBC over the air. It's a webcast. If Grendall can cite me to websites with such death photos, then what's the difference? If one is illegal shouldn't both be.

Ever rented Faces of Death? How is this any different?

As for letting young and old watch it, that is not my, nor YOUR, responsibility to police. For the old, let them make up their own minds. For the young, it's the parents' responsibility -- just like keeping them away from the porno channel or from gory movies (and at young ages -- fake violence in movies is little different from real violence in documentaries).

I am just as disgusted by the notion that these people are doing this as you guys are. But, I'm not about to bend the band members to MY value judgments. I choose not to watch. It's that simple. You, however, choose to enforce your idea of decency. Let's hope you're prepared for the consequences when the notion of what is "decent", as dictated by a moral majority, turns its guns at YOU.

They're doing this in part to support Euthenasia, you know. And, in many parts of the world, there exists a right to die. Perhaps what they're trying to show is that voluntary suicide doesn't look much different than simply going to sleep. Why don't you guys climb down from the high horse for just a moment and simply TRY to see the other side's point of view?

TL...I never said anything about the legalities of the subject. As a matter of fact I did say I support suicide in some cases. My mother in law for example is dying a slow and painfull death as I type from lung cancer. This is where my support comes in. Doesnt mean I want anybody to see it.

As for policing it, as a parent, yes it IS my responsibility.

You seem to be changing your tone a bit considering in your first post you said, and I quote "I support the right to die, and the right to televise it"

Porn is a whole nuther can o worms IMHO. I busted my girlfriends 13 yo boy looking at porn two weeks ago and he got grounded from the puter for a week. Because he was looking at porn? No. Because he lied right to my face when asked if that was what he was doing.