From: nospam@uq.edu.au   
      
   > on a separate note, Japan has one of the higher suicide rate among the   
   > industry nations, 90,000+ people did so last year?   
      
   But historically and culturally suicide is more "acceptable" in Japan than   
   other countries as well. In most other cultures suicide is seen as sin or a   
   weakness, whereas Japan has had an historically idealised perception of it   
   being almost a noble act.   
      
   In the past (before Christianity) suicide was a lot more acceptable in   
   western society as well. In Roman times for example - suicide was not   
   unusual and in many circumstances it was expected. It was considered very   
   poor form for a Roman official to be held hostage for example, they were   
   expected to suicide in such instances. Since then though, there have been a   
   couple of thousand years of people being told they will "burn in hell for   
   eternity" if they commit suicide so it has somewhat gone out of fashion and   
   is now considered purely as a symptom of mental illness.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)