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  • Essay / Building a protective mechanism around the Golden Gate Bridge as a means of suicide prevention

    The Golden Gate Bridge, one of the main attractions in Northern California, is estimated to accommodate approximately 110,000 people per day. The 8,981-foot suspension bridge was originally named after the Golden Gate Strait, which is the body of water beneath the bridge. What the majority of visitors to the bridge have no idea is that the bridge is the number one suicide location in America. More than 1,500 bodies were removed from the waters by the coast guard. Statistics say that “one person dies about every two weeks” (Tweedie). Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It claims more than 38,000 lives per year in the United States, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death across all ages nationwide. There is approximately one suicide death in America every 13 minutes, and worldwide, more than a million people die by suicide each year. There is a death by suicide worldwide every 40 seconds, making suicide the third leading cause of death worldwide. Can you imagine how many of these suicides took place on the Golden Gate Bridge? Imagine how many deaths could have easily been avoided by taking extra precautions and putting something as simple as a safety barrier in place. This is why we believe the State of California should invest its money in creating a safety net or barrier around the Golden Gate Bridge. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The first reason I think there should be a security fence around the bridge is that it would probably greatly reduce the number of suicides, as has happened to many others Important monuments and bridges around the world. The Empire State Building, the Duomo, St. Peter's Basilica and the Sydney Harbor Bridge were all suicide magnets before barriers were erected over them. “At Toronto's Prince Edward Viaduct, site of nearly five hundred jumps, engineers have finished building four million dollars' worth of steel rods above the ramp” (Friend). In all these places, statistics show that after the barriers were put in place, the number of jumpers dropped to practically zero. Second, creating a safety net would be important because it would also show tourists that San Francisco truly cares about its visitors and residents. mental health status. In Japan, there is a forest about 2 hours west of Tokyo called Aokigahara Forest, also known as the "Suicide Forest", which is also widely known as the second most popular suicide location in the world, behind the Golden Gate Bridge. The forest is located beneath the famous Mount Fuji and is so dense that it is virtually impossible to hear any outside noise. It is also incredibly disturbing to know that animals do not reside in the forest, not even birds. It's pretty much completely silent in the forest, which locals say drives people to suicide, the fact that it's too quiet drives people crazy. The reason it is called the “suicide forest” is because every year many people wander through it and are never seen again. “Every year, about 70 corpses are found by volunteers who clear the woods, but many are lost forever in the very thick woods” (Puchko). As the number of bodies found continued to rise, the Japanese government wanted to show its people that it truly cared. "The police installed signs at the entrance to the forest stating 'Your.