I recently retired from the California Highway Patrol after 23 years of service. The majority of those 23 years was spent patrolling the southern end of Marin County, which includes the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge is an iconic structure, known worldwide for its beautiful views of San Francisco, the Pacific Ocean, and its inspiring architecture.
Nedavno sam umirovljen iz Kalifornijske Patrole Autoceste nakon 23 godine službe. Većinu od te 23 godine službe proveo sam patrolirajući južni kraj okruga Marin, koji uključuje Golden Gate Bridge. Most je kultna struktura, poznata širom svijeta zbog svojih predivnih pogleda na San Francisco, Tihi ocean, i zbog njegove nadahnjujuće arhitekture.
Unfortunately, it is also a magnet for suicide, being one of the most utilized sites in the world. The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937. Joseph Strauss, chief engineer in charge of building the bridge, was quoted as saying, "The bridge is practically suicide-proof. Suicide from the bridge is neither practical nor probable." But since its opening, over 1,600 people have leapt to their death from that bridge. Some believe that traveling between the two towers will lead you to another dimension -- this bridge has been romanticized as such — that the fall from that frees you from all your worries and grief, and the waters below will cleanse your soul.
Na žalost, to je također i magnet za samoubojstva, te je jedna od najupotrebljavanijih lokacija na svijetu. Golden Gate Bridge otvorio se 1937. Joseph Strauss, glavni inžinjer zadužen za gradnju mosta citiran je kada je rekao, "Most je praktički otporan na samoubojstva. Samoubojstvo s mosta niti je praktično niti izvjesno." Ali od njegovog otvaranja, preko 1600 ljudi skočilo je u smrt s tog mosta. Neki vjeruju da će ih put između dva tornja odvesti u drugu dimenziju -- tako su romantizirali most -- da pad s toga vas oslobađa od svih vaših briga i tuge, i vode ispod će vam pročistiti dušu.
But let me tell you what actually occurs when the bridge is used as a means of suicide. After a free fall of four to five seconds, the body strikes the water at about 75 miles an hour. That impact shatters bones, some of which then puncture vital organs. Most die on impact. Those that don't generally flail in the water helplessly, and then drown. I don't think that those who contemplate this method of suicide realize how grisly a death that they will face. This is the cord. Except for around the two towers, there is 32 inches of steel paralleling the bridge. This is where most folks stand before taking their lives. I can tell you from experience that once the person is on that cord, and at their darkest time, it is very difficult to bring them back. I took this photo last year as this young woman spoke to an officer contemplating her life. I want to tell you very happily that we were successful that day in getting her back over the rail.
Ali dozvolite da vam kažem što se zapravo događa kada se most koristi kao sredstvo za samoubojstvo. Nakon slobodnog pada od četiri do pet sekundi, tijelo udara vodu brzinom od 125 kilometara na sat. Taj udarac drobi kosti, od kojih neke probijaju vitalne organe. Većina umire pri udaru. Oni koji ne umru većinom lamataju bespomoćno u vodi, i zatim se utope. Mislim da oni koji planiraju ovu metodu samoubojstva ne shvaćaju kako je grozna smrt s kojom će se suočiti. Ovo je kabel. Osim oko dva tornja, postoje 32 inča čelika koji se nalaze usporedo s mostom. Ovdje većina ljudi stoji prije nego si oduzmu život. Mogu vam reći iz iskustva da jednom kada je osoba na tom kablu, i nalazi se u svom najmračnijem trenutku, vrlo je teško vratiti ih. Napravio sam ovu fotografiju prošle godine dok je ova mlada žena razgovarala s policajcem razmišljajući o svom životu. Želim vam vrlo sretno reći da smo bili uspješni taj dan i vratili smo ju preko ograde.
When I first began working on the bridge, we had no formal training. You struggled to funnel your way through these calls. This was not only a disservice to those contemplating suicide, but to the officers as well. We've come a long, long way since then. Now, veteran officers and psychologists train new officers.
Kada sam započeo s poslom na mostu, nismo imali nikakav trening. Borili ste se da se probijete kroz te pozive. Ovo nije samo bila loša usluga onima koji pomišljaju na samoubojstvo, već i policajcima. Jako, jako puno smo napredovali od tada. Sada, stariji policajci i psiholozi treniraju nove policajce.
This is Jason Garber. I met Jason on July 22 of last year when I get received a call of a possible suicidal subject sitting on the cord near midspan. I responded, and when I arrived, I observed Jason speaking to a Golden Gate Bridge officer. Jason was just 32 years old and had flown out here from New Jersey. As a matter of fact, he had flown out here on two other occasions from New Jersey to attempt suicide on this bridge. After about an hour of speaking with Jason, he asked us if we knew the story of Pandora's box. Recalling your Greek mythology, Zeus created Pandora, and sent her down to Earth with a box, and told her, "Never, ever open that box." Well one day, curiosity got the better of Pandora, and she did open the box. Out flew plagues, sorrows, and all sorts of evils against man. The only good thing in the box was hope. Jason then asked us, "What happens when you open the box and hope isn't there?" He paused a few moments, leaned to his right, and was gone. This kind, intelligent young man from New Jersey had just committed suicide.
Ovo je Jason Garber. Upoznao sam Jasona 22. srpnja prošle godine kada sam primio poziv o mogućem suicidalnom subjektu kako sjedi na kablu u blizini sredine. Odgovorio sam, i kada sam stigao promotrio sam Jasona dok je razgovarao sa policajcem sa Golden Gate Bridgea. Jason je imao samo 32 godine i doletio je ovamo iz New Jerseya. Zapravo, on je doletio ovdje već dva puta prije iz New Jerseya, kako bi se pokušao ubiti na ovom mostu. Nakon otprilike sat vremena razgovora sa Jasonom, pitao nas je znamo li priču Pandorine kutije. Ako se prisjetite Grčke mitologije, Zeus je stvorio Pandoru, i poslao ju na Zemlju s kutijom, i rekao joj, "Nikad, ali nikad ne otvaraj tu kutiju." Jednoga dana znatiželja je prevladala Pandoru, i ona je otvorila ovu kutiju. Iz kutije su izletjele kuge, tuga, i sve vrste zla koje su bile protiv čovjeka. Jedina dobra stvar u kutiji bila je nada. Onda nas je Jason zapitao, "Što se dogodi kada otvorite kutiju i nada nije ondje?" Zastao je na par trenutaka, nagnuo se udesno, i nije ga bilo. Ovaj ljubazni, inteligentni mladić iz New Jerseya je upravo počinio samoubojstvo.
I spoke with Jason's parents that evening, and I suppose that, when I was speaking with them, that I didn't sound as if I was doing very well, because that very next day, their family rabbi called to check on me. Jason's parents had asked him to do so. The collateral damage of suicide affects so many people.
Te večeri razgovarao sam s Jasonovim roditeljima, i pretpostavljam da dok sam razgovarao s njima da nisam baš zvučao najbolje, jer već sljedećeg dana, nazvao me obiteljski rabin da provjeri kako sam. Jasonovi roditelji su ga zamolili da to učini. Kolateralna šteta samoubojstva škodi tako puno ljudi.
I pose these questions to you: What would you do if your family member, friend or loved one was suicidal? What would you say? Would you know what to say? In my experience, it's not just the talking that you do, but the listening. Listen to understand. Don't argue, blame, or tell the person you know how they feel, because you probably don't. By just being there, you may just be the turning point that they need. If you think someone is suicidal, don't be afraid to confront them and ask the question. One way of asking them the question is like this: "Others in similar circumstances have thought about ending their life; have you had these thoughts?" Confronting the person head-on may just save their life and be the turning point for them. Some other signs to look for: hopelessness, believing that things are terrible and never going to get better; helplessness, believing that there is nothing that you can do about it; recent social withdrawal; and a loss of interest in life.
Postavljam vam ova pitanja: Što bi ste učinili da je član vaše obitelji, prijatelj ili voljena osoba sklona samoubojstvu? Što bi ste rekli? Bi ste li znali što reći? Prema mom iskustvu, nije važno samo što govorite, već i slušanje. Slušajte kako biste razumjeli. Ne svađajte se, ne krivite, ili govorite toj osobi da znate kako se osjeća, jer vjerojatno ne znate. Samo što ste tamo bi mogla biti ta stvar koja im je trebala. Ako mislite da je netko sklon samoubojstvu, nemojte se bojati suočiti s njima i postaviti pitanja. Jedan način na koji možete postaviti pitanje je ovaj: "Drugi su u sličnim okolnostima razmišljali da svrše svoj život: jesi li ti imao te pomisli?" Direktno suočavanje s tom osobom im možda spasi život i možda bude točka nakon koje se sve mijenja Neki drugi znaci koje možete tražiti: beznađe, vjerovanje da su stvari užasne i da se nikad neće popraviti; bespomoćnost, vjerovanje da ne postoji ništa što se može oko toga učiniti; nedavno povlačenje iz društva; i gubitak interesa za životom.
I came up with this talk just a couple of days ago, and I received an email from a lady that I'd like to read you her letter. She lost her son on January 19 of this year, and she wrote this me this email just a couple of days ago, and it's with her permission and blessing that I read this to you.
Smislio sam ovaj govor prije nekoliko dana, i primio sam mail od žene koji bih vam volio pročitati. Izgubila je sina 19. veljače ove godine i napisala mi je ovaj mail prije nekoliko dana, i s njenim dopuštenjem i blagoslovom vam ovo čitam.
"Hi, Kevin. I imagine you're at the TED Conference. That must be quite the experience to be there. I'm thinking I should go walk the bridge this weekend. Just wanted to drop you a note. Hope you get the word out to many people and they go home talking about it to their friends who tell their friends, etc. I'm still pretty numb, but noticing more moments of really realizing Mike isn't coming home. Mike was driving from Petaluma to San Francisco to watch the 49ers game with his father on January 19. He never made it there. I called Petaluma police and reported him missing that evening. The next morning, two officers came to my home and reported that Mike's car was down at the bridge. A witness had observed him jumping off the bridge at 1:58 p.m. the previous day. Thanks so much for standing up for those who may be only temporarily too weak to stand for themselves. Who hasn't been low before without suffering from a true mental illness? It shouldn't be so easy to end it. My prayers are with you for your fight. The GGB, Golden Gate Bridge, is supposed to be a passage across our beautiful bay, not a graveyard. Good luck this week. Vicky."
"Zdravo Kevin. Vjerujem da si na TED konferenciji. Sigurno je lijepo iskustvo biti tamo. Mislim da ću se ovog vikenda prošetati po mostu. Samo sam ti htjela dati poruku. Nadam se da ćeš proširiti priču mnogim ljudima i da će otići kući pričajući o tome svojim prijateljima koji će reći svojim prijateljima, itd. Još uvijek sam utrnula, ali primjećujem sve više trenutaka kada zaista shvaćam da se Mike ne vraća kući. Mike se vozio iz Petalume u San Francisco kako bi gledao utakmicu 49ersa sa svojim ocem 19. veljače. Nikad nije došao tamo. Nazvala sam policiju iz Petalume i prijavila njegov nestanak te večeri. Sljedećeg jutra, dva policajca došla su kod mene kući i prijavila da je Mikeov auto kod mosta. Svjedok ga je vidio kako skače sa mosta u 13:58 prethodnog dana. Hvala ti puno što si ustao za one koji su možda samo privremeno preslabi da ustani za sebe. Tko nije bio zaista nisko prije a da nije patio od prave mentalne bolesti? Ne bi smjelo biti tako lako završiti ga. Moje molitve su uz tebe u tvojoj borbi. GGB, Golden Gate Bridge, trebao bi biti prijelaz preko našeg predivnog zaljeva, ne groblje. Sretno ovaj tjedan. Vicky."
I can't imagine the courage it takes for her to go down to that bridge and walk the path that her son took that day, and also the courage just to carry on.
Ne mogu zamisliti hraborst koja joj je trebala da se prošeta mostom i prođe putem koji je prošao njen sin toga dana, isto tako i hrabrost da samo nastavi.
I'd like to introduce you to a man I refer to as hope and courage. On March 11 of 2005, I responded to a radio call of a possible suicidal subject on the bridge sidewalk near the north tower. I rode my motorcycle down the sidewalk and observed this man, Kevin Berthia, standing on the sidewalk. When he saw me, he immediately traversed that pedestrian rail, and stood on that small pipe which goes around the tower. For the next hour and a half, I listened as Kevin spoke about his depression and hopelessness. Kevin decided on his own that day to come back over that rail and give life another chance. When Kevin came back over, I congratulated him. "This is a new beginning, a new life." But I asked him, "What was it that made you come back and give hope and life another chance?" And you know what he told me? He said, "You listened. You let me speak, and you just listened."
Volio bih vas upoznati sa čovjekom kojeg zovem nadom i hrabrošću. 11. Ožujka 2005. godine odgovorio sam na radio poziv mogućeg sucidalnog subjekta na pločniku mosta blizu sjevernog tornja. Vozio sam se svojim motociklom pločnikom i vidio ovog čovjeka, Kevina Berthiu, kako stoji na pločniku. Kada me vidio, odmah je prešao tu pješačku ogradu i stao na malu cijev koja ide oko tornja. Sljedećih sat i pol, slušao sam kako Kevin priča o svojoj depresiji i beznađu. Kevin je sam odlučio toga dana vratiti se preko ograde i dati životu drugu priliku. Kada se Kevin vratio, čestitao sam mu. "Ovo je novi početak, novi život." Ali pitao sam ga: "Što je bilo to što te nagnalo da se vratiš i daš nadi i životu drugu priliku?" I znate što mi je rekao? Rekao je, "Vi ste slušali. Pustili ste me da govorim, i samo ste slušali."
Shortly after this incident, I received a letter from Kevin's mother, and I have that letter with me, and I'd like to read it to you.
Kratko nakon ovog incidenta, primio sam pismo od Kevinove majke, i imam to pismo tu sa sobom, i volio bih vam ga pročitati.
"Dear Mr. Briggs, Nothing will erase the events of March 11, but you are one of the reasons Kevin is still with us. I truly believe Kevin was crying out for help. He has been diagnosed with a mental illness for which he has been properly medicated. I adopted Kevin when he was only six months old, completely unaware of any hereditary traits, but, thank God, now we know. Kevin is straight, as he says. We truly thank God for you. Sincerely indebted to you, Narvella Berthia." And on the bottom she writes, "P.S. When I visited San Francisco General Hospital that evening, you were listed as the patient. Boy, did I have to straighten that one out."
"Dragi gospodine Briggs. Ništa neće izbrisati događaje od 11. ožujka, ali vi ste jedan od razloga što je Kevin još uvijek s nama. Čvrsto vjerujem da je Kevin vapio za pomoći. Dijagnosticirana mu je mentalna bolest za koju dobiva ispravne lijekove. Posvojila sam Kevina kada je imao samo šest mjeseci, potpuno nesvjesna bilo kakvih nasljednih osobina, ali hvala Bogu, sada znamo. Kevin je ispravan, kako on kaže. Uistinu smo zahvalni Bogu zbog vas. Iskreno u vašem dugu, Narvella Berthia." I na dnu je napisala: "P.S. Kada sam posjetila Glavnu bolnicu u San Franciscu te večeri, vi ste bili navedeni kao pacijent. Kako sam samo imala problema dok sam to riješila."
Today, Kevin is a loving father and contributing member of society. He speaks openly about the events that day and his depression in the hopes that his story will inspire others.
Danas, Kevin je otac pun ljubavi i član društva koji doprinosi. Govori otvoreno o događajima toga dana i svojoj depresiji u nadi da će njegova priča inspirirati druge.
Suicide is not just something I've encountered on the job. It's personal. My grandfather committed suicide by poisoning. That act, although ending his own pain, robbed me from ever getting to know him. This is what suicide does. For most suicidal folks, or those contemplating suicide, they wouldn't think of hurting another person. They just want their own pain to end. Typically, this is accomplished in just three ways: sleep, drugs or alcohol, or death. In my career, I've responded to and been involved in hundreds of mental illness and suicide calls around the bridge. Of those incidents I've been directly involved with, I've only lost two, but that's two too many. One was Jason. The other was a man I spoke to for about an hour. During that time, he shook my hand on three occasions. On that final handshake, he looked at me, and he said, "Kevin, I'm sorry, but I have to go." And he leapt. Horrible, absolutely horrible.
Samoubojstvo nije samo nešto s čime sam se susreo na poslu. Osobno je. Moj djed počinio je samoubojstvo trovanjem. Taj čin, iako je prekinuo njegovu patnju, meni je ukrao priliku da ga upoznam. To je ono što samoubojstvo čini. Za većinu ljudi koja pomišlja na samoubojstvo ili oni koji planiraju to, ne bi pomislili nauditi drugoj osobi. Žele samo da njihova bol završi. Najčešće, ovo se postiže na samo tri načina: san, droga ili alkohol ili smrt. U mojoj karijeri odgovorio sam na i bio uključen u stotine poziva vezanih uz mentalnu bolest i samoubilačke pozive oko mosta. Od tih slučajeva u kojima sam sudjelovao, izgubio sam samo dva, ali to je dva previše. Jedan je bio Jason. Drugi je bio čovjek s kojim sam razgovarao otprilike sat vremena. Za to vrijeme, pružio mi je ruku tri puta. Pri tom zadnjem rukovanju, pogledao me i rekao mi, "Kevine, žao mi je, ali ja moram ići." I skočio je. Užasno je, apsolutno užasno.
I do want to tell you, though, the vast majority of folks that we do get to contact on that bridge do not commit suicide. Additionally, that very few who have jumped off the bridge and lived and can talk about it, that one to two percent, most of those folks have said that the second that they let go of that rail, they knew that they had made a mistake and they wanted to live. I tell people, the bridge not only connects Marin to San Francisco, but people together also. That connection, or bridge that we make, is something that each and every one of us should strive to do. Suicide is preventable. There is help. There is hope.
Ali želim vam reći, da ipak većina ljudi koje dospijemo kontaktirati na tom mostu ne počine samoubojstvo. I kao dodatak, onaj mali broj onih koji su skočili s mosta i preživjeli i mogu o tome pričati tih jedan do dva posto, većina tih ljudi je rekla da su u trenutku kada su pustili tu ogradu znali da su učinili pogrešku i da žele živjeti. Kažem ljudima, most ne povezuje samo Marin i San Francisco, već i ljude također. Ta poveznica, ili most koji radimo, je nešto čemu svatko od nas treba težiti. Samoubojstvo se može spriječiti. Ima pomoći. Ima nade.
Thank you very much.
Hvala vam puno.
(Applause)
(Pljesak)