Yogic Flying

The support is good, and of course I'm in favor of it...but what happens when this person realizes that it doesn't accomplish anything by jumping, and then gets pursued by immigration- whether it's tomorrow, or a few months, or a few years down the line? That's just going to bring all of this to a head again for them. I hope they find a way to citizenship, or at least a green card. The young children who come in with their parents always suffer the most...

Call me heartless, but the idea of a suicide note what that much or a timetable and/or delivered into such a medium where countless strangers will see it seems less a cry for release and more for attention. I'm sure that this comment will receive its share of anger, but this is my view.

I am by no means an expert, however I have spent a good portion of my life around those who wear the makes of multiple failed attempts. I sincerely hope that the person who posted this has rethought the idea, no matter how it was meant. Do what's right stranger, what ever that may be.

"I would feel real trapped in this life if I didn't know I could commit suicide at any time." -Hunter S. Thompson

i think we should atleast respond this person to keep up hope,who knows if s/he is really going to jump,if not then no harm.

One of the huge myths about suicide is the people who say they want to kill themselves are only looking for attention and won't do it.

My dad had suicidal thoughts for about a year he told my mother and went to a crises center where they set him up with a couple councilors he saw on a regular basis. He did end up taking his own life and it was mostly well thought out. He knew where he was going to leave his car because he didn't want family or children to find him. He had a couple post it style notes on his desk that implied he did not plan on being there later in the week. He was social and an active member of the community was not giving stuff away and dressing in black. The only sign that he was going to kill himself was that he had told people a few times over the past year that he wanted to end it.

The main thing right now would be to stop the person from doing something irreversible. There are ways to stay in the country or you could always go back to their homeland (depending on how bad the place is) make a life there and get in the proper way.

Aren't almost all of those cards fake though? I always assumed they were just miniature art projects, rather than actual glimpses of private realities...

While any threat of suicide has to be taken very seriously, I can't help but wonder whether this is a hoax. The highly charged environment surrounding the illegal immigration debate has created a situation ripe for abuse.

If this *is* legitimate, I hope the writer seeks assistance from some of the good people and organizations affiliated with PostSecret. The ability to create such an attention getting postcard shows real talent; this talent should not be wasted.

Regardless of whether the secret (or any on Postsecret) is real or not, they often bring attention and discussion to taboo topics, like suicide and being an illegal immigrant. That can never be a bad thing. And suicidal ideation IS a cry for help, a cry that should be answered. Suicidal ideation, when not addressed, can often progress further to actual suicide attempts. PostSecret is doing good work on answering these cries by creating an environment where people can freely discuss their feelings without judgment.

@Christian Lafay: "...seems less a cry for release and more for attention."

What a silly observation. Of course it's a cry for attention. That doesn't make it unimportant.

Homo sapiens are pack-animals; receiving attention is vital to our mental and emotional health. Your post was a plea for attention. This comment I'm typing is a plea for attention. We humans thrive on attention. There's no shame in it.

I think a lot of you are kind of missing the point here...

The touching and moving part about this story isn't whether or not the suicide note is legit or a call for attention but the fact that 20,000 people came together to show compassion and sympathy (regardless of where, how, or if it was effective).

Yes, we as creatures strive for attention and recognition. But the question is at what point did the desire for negative attention and a desire to be nurtured become the goal for those who seek it? And just because we seek attention doesn't make out statements, ideas, or actions important. This reply seeks your attention, but your day will not suffer from it's lack. As such, this is no matter or import. Just as the droves of people who we have never spoken to who find the game off life too hard.

@Christian Lafay

What's your point?

"What was the point? Final summation? None."

"And just because we seek attention doesn't make out statements, ideas, or actions important."

Except to people who feel compassion.

Doesn't really move me. My first thought was "make sure you land in the water instead of on top of some innocent person".

I call shenanigans on this one.

Shannon Larratt: it's my impression that some of the PostSecret cards are exaggerated or are sent simply for art's sake, but most are sincere. People have written back in after having seen their posts published, reporting that the act of "telling" something dark in this way changed their lives.

In all honesty I lost interest with PS some time ago, but maybe I should take another look.

If it is a real secret postcard, it's a good example of what can happen when you go live somewhere where you are 1) not legal and/or 2) not encouraged to or able to forge an attachment to the place you live.

Young illegals very often are encouraged to think of the country they left behind as home, by their elders. I saw this all the time in France with the North African illegal and immigrant population.

They very openly speak of their hate of France and their love of a country they hardly know. And they don't feel welcome because they are always somewhere that belongs to other people and refuse to even try to fit in.

Being an illegal is always uncomfortable. It takes its toll.

Postsecret is just another confidence game where some "artist" figured out they could make a bit/lot of money by duping morons into thinking they were witnessing something profound. I remember when I first heard of it years ago and almost all the cards appeared to have been written by the same person or group of people, not hard to notice if you pay attention to writing and graphic compsition styles. Also the vast majority of the secrets seemed like they were taken right out of daytime soap operas and after school specials. Of course som schlubs got conned and sent in a real one, but most of these just get thrown away that is why they all look like they were taken from a crappy MFA project.

Postsecret is like a joke stereotype of the real diversity that exists underneath the facade of humanity, a pop-culti version of secrets that mocks reality and truth. Truth and actual reality are important, and I hate the people who make these fake projects like Postsecret, they are the same ilk that publish 'memoirs' like "A Million Little Pieces" (or David Sedaris books, etc), filling up unwary people's brains with a manipulative cloud of lies.

*makes mental note to never invite SuperCrap to a party*

Everyone has an opionion, as well as myself. Does it really matter if it's fake or not if a life is spared? My brother hung himself without warning. It doesn't make it any easier to live with his decision and, without him. Suicide is suicide. A cry for help is a cry for help. Those who want to help, keep doing what you're doing. Those who do not wish to help, please step aside. As for postsecret being fake, if it is, KUDOS!!!!! Why? because it's helping people. It helps to know you are not alone in your existence with your particular secret. Everybody on this earth is not a strong indidvidual. Sometimes a stronger person has to lift a weaker one up. Let's elevate people with our comments instead of preying on them with negativity which only displays your own weaknesses within yourself. Also, postsecret started as an art project but has become so much more to a lot of people. So, just like you have freedom of speech, you also have the freedom to "change the channel" if you dislike or disagree with something. So, do us all a favor, please change the channel now. Thank you.