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Re:Aaron Swartz commits suicide by paulhauggis on Saturday January 12, 2013 @11:05AM (#5048044)
Let's say I'm a guy that obsesses over a girl I like. I send her creepy messages and generally make her uncomfortable. She gets a restraining order against me and I kill my self.

Would you be sitting here blaming the girl and the restraining order laws in the US?

I feel like many people here are trying to get their own opinions out by blaming the law that he broke (and the government).

Re:Aaron Swartz commits suicide by benatkin on Saturday January 12, 2013 @01:00PM (#5048354)
Your analogy doesn't take into account political activism, which is acknowledged as a social good in the US almost every time our founding story is taught. Even then it would be a bad analogy.

A restraining order is also very different from the threat of excessive imprisonment.

If it was a threat of excessive imprisonment in your hypothetical situation, yes, the courts and laws would get a share in the blame. Not specifically for committing suicide, but for making your life needlessly worse.

Re:Aaron Swartz commits suicide by colin_jack on Saturday January 12, 2013 @11:57AM (#5048179)
Its not really comparable though. As far as its been written up he was facing the potential of over 50 years in prison.

That would put anyone under a massive amount of pressure, and does seem pretty unpleasant given his "crime" was so small.