Suicides in the downturn raise worries about recession’s real cost

[Contrary1]

Heartbreaking. :cry:

"ELKHART, Ind.— Coroner John White is presiding over a sad tally in this northern Indiana county, tracking rising numbers of suicides he believes are linked to the lingering recession.

Rumors of an economic recovery may be whispered elsewhere, but here, where the downturn remains entrenched, 22 people have killed themselves this year, and two more cases were likely suicides, outpacing the county's annual average of 16 self-inflicted deaths.

<snip>

Debra K. Gibbs, a 54-year-old homemaker in Goshen, in Elkhart County, didn’t leave a note. Instead, she simply sent her worried daughter out for soda pop on a summer morning — and then shot herself in the head.

Despondent over a pending home foreclosure and mounting bills, Gibbs took her life on June 23, the day after crews came to repossess her 2007 Chevy Malibu, the last purchase she’d made together with her late husband, Sam.

“She was doing everything she could to hold onto what was hers,” said Gibbs’ daughter, Rebecca Filley, 30, of Cassopolis, Mich. “This was a vivacious, very strong woman, and she was taken to her knees because of money.”

Spikes in Elkhart and elsewhere: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33738656/ns/us_news-the_elkhart_project/

[bbinacan]

1. Why would she buy

a new car when she was in such a situation?

[Bonobo]

2. What does it matter?

She 'bought' it on credit no doubt.

People that see no way out see no way out.

Depression may have spurred her to buy it to feel better about things. That's what objects are supposed to do, right? Well, it didn't work.

[Contrary1]

3. Maybe she wasn't in that situation in 2007...

or maybe her husband's death had something to do with it.

My husband has had a 20% pay cut this year. Maybe she did too. Things can change a lot in 2 years.

[Skittles]

4. you read this entire article and that is your comment?

[bbinacan]

6. Yes I did read

the article, and yes this is my comment. I DID GO through a period of massive debt. I cut off internet, cable, phones, etc. The last thing I would've done is to buy a new car.

[Skittles]

7. unbelievable

[bbinacan]

9. Believe it

I'm sick and fucking tired of the "it's not my fault" attitude. "They preyed on me". Is the population of this country that stupid? I don't think so, but many want to push that meme.

[Contrary1]

10. Your theory would be perfect...

if everyone had the ability to see 2 or 3 years into their future.

Geez.

[bbinacan]

11. Foreclosure and

bankruptcy is long in the making.

[Contrary1]

12. Not so long when you lose your entire income. n/t

[laughingliberal]

14. Sorry, not as long as you would think.

Took us less than a year to get there after going from 2 incomes to 1/2 of one. Throw in a case of cancer and a premium of $1200 per month to COBRA the insurance and there you are.

[laughingliberal]

13. Really does not seem her situation was like that when she bought the car

A new 2007 was likely purchased sometime in 2006. A lot has changed for a lot of us since then. I bought a new car in 2006. Had no idea my husband's business would tank with the housing market in 2007 or that he would be diagnosed with cancer in 2007 or that I would lose my job at the end of 2007. We had a FICO score of 811 in 2006. Today we are getting our records together for bankruptcy. Sounds to me as if this woman's husband died. That would, likely, have meant the loss of his income. What part of life can change rapidly do people not get?

[Juche]

5. Its a 2007 and she bought it with her husband

So its likely they had his income at the time. Now he is dead and she was unemployed. It happens all the time.

Besides, its a malibu which isn't a high priced vehicle.

[Democrats_win]

8. If only there were some entity to protect people from financial predators.

It's not the first time people have become overextended on credit. The great depression saw farmers lose their farms. During Bush-the-Elder's 1991 recession, people resolved to pay off their credit cards. By 2007 they forgot the lesson. Only this time, there were a lot of immoral loans and even criminal acts involved in these loans.

The truth is, the government needs to limit this financial chicanery. Most importantly, they must ban credit cards. Americans did just fine without these cards. It was only a few years ago that they were put into grocery stores.

People can live without all this junk--especially if their neighbors are living without too.