

Why are we ignoring Aaron Swartz's mental illness in this whole conversation? - meltyme

Why is everyone ignoring the fact that Aaron struggled with depression long before his prosecution?  I genuinely want to understand why everyone has taken this lens and minimized what appears to be a very important underlying issue.
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maxharris
They want to keep this focused on dismantling intellectual property. For that,
they need a martyr, and Swartz's mental illness hinders their narrative.

Ever hear of "never waste a good crisis"?

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Mz
As a guess (because I am not qualified to speak on behalf of all of HN):
Because what the prosecution did was so beyond the pale that blaming it on
"mental illness" amounts to prejudice. Kind of like blaming women, blacks,
etc. for their problems and thereby sweeping serious systemic issues under the
rug in the process.

I haven't read too much about this specific case, but you can be depressed for
years and not attempt suicide. You can also be mentally stable but still get
pressured into abnormal behavior by sufficient duress. I think we can more
clearly establish that this case pushed him over the edge than we can
establish that "he would have committed suicide anyway, even if life had been
smooth sailing, because of his wonky brain chemistry".

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meltyme
Thanks, this is helpful.

However, I would think the same logic would apply to "Many people have been
inappropriately prosecuted in the past (e.g., convicted of murders they didn't
commit) yet did not commit suicide."

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Mz
The problem with framing it that way is the danger of not holding the
prosecution responsible for the part they played in his death. And that would
set an extremely scary precedent. Kind of like saying "We can do whatever the
fuck we want and if you crack, that failing is on you." That could turn our
court system into a de facto hazing ritual. Not a world I want to live in.

~~~
maxharris
The prosecution is not responsible for his death.

That he took his own life is regrettable, but please be real about what
happened here. No one decided to take his life but him. Plenty of people are
prosecuted and don't choose to take their own lives, and he didn't die in
custody.

I've read about what he did (<http://www.volokh.com/2013/01/14/aaron-swartz-
charges/>). No one decided to take those actions but him.

