Let us assume it was a suicide; while torching yourself is not a common way to go it is not unheard of here. You will recall the man who set himself alight in the middle of Red Square in 2008 just before classes were changing at the University of Washington. Due to my lecture schedule I actually missed that by about 60 minutes. Hundreds did not.

If so then agree with Ballardmom. She is angry because someone chose to kill themselves in public AND in a public place with a large population of children, “What a horrible thing for a small child to have to see! If people are going to kill themselves in a gruesome way I'd prefer they would not choose a place filled with children.”. This would be traumatic for anyone to witness, much less young children. Quite a few college kids, and middle aged adults, were quite shaken over what they saw at the UW in 2008 to the point the University had to hire professional councilors to help them cope and I don't blame them in the least for being upset. This is something no one needs to witness. She is quite understandably angry that her daughter could have seen this act as well. I'm a parent and I would never want my son to have to witness this nor would I want anyone's child to either.

When you become a parent your children ARE the center of your universe because it is your responsibility to raise them and keep them from harm, physical and emotional. Don't like it, then do not become a parent and don't whine when parents do what parents must do.

We got the memo Dear: it states that for parents nothing matters EXCEPT kids.

Again, if this was a suicide, shame on the person for forcing others you do not know, children included, to have to witness this ugly act and forcing others you do not know, such as the police officers and medics, to deal with its aftermath just because you couldn't handle things.

And, wouldn't that be silver pubes?

If someone feels like they can hide behind the internet to make a remark to someone that they would never make in public, then go ahead. The internet is a big safety net. You can hide behind your gray avatar.

Obviously, hewhosnarfsalot, has kids… and probably lets their kids run the world.

for the record, MY in initial response was to BallardMom for her lack of sympathy towards anyone else but herself. Instead of feeling bad about the tragedy that happened at WOODLAND PARK, she went on & on about her kid and how her kid went to WOODLAND PARK ZOO (which, for the record is NOT the same as Woodland PARK… the is on part of the park's property, but it is a VERY LARGE park) later that day, and how it WOULD HAVE BEEN terrible IF HER KID (who went to THE ZOO — not the PARK — later in the day) had hypothetically witnessed this.

The original post contained NO SYMPATHY for anyone else! Not for the person who saw it happen, or who found the burnt woman, or for the woman's family, ect. Something like that can be traumatic & damaging to ANYONE. Not just kids. If anything a kid probably would not fully understand what was happening, and probably would not bring the memory with them throughout life (unless they saw it happening to someone they know). And if a kid did see something like that happen, ANY RESPONSIBLE adult in charge of them would shield them from it. BallardMom showed ONLY sympathy toward HER hypothetical scenario, and no one else not even toward other kids who could have been there… JUST HER KID, who went to the zoo a bit later.

And, SEVERAL PEOPLE make remarks similar to mine regarding the original post. BUT, I am the only one who gets nearly threatened… Hewho-whatevr, you must feel so big for that. Congrats! :)

nothing else matters… just people w/ kids.

poor poor ballardmom – to have to imagine a non-existant scenerio while a person burns to death…..

This is not a common method of suicide in the united states, which makes me wonder if the individual in question were from a culture where the method is more common.

Whatever the motivation and circumstances surrounding this tragedy, it's probably a good thing that she didn't make it. That kind of injury can be much worse than death.

My sympathy goes out to the witnesses that called 911, and to the responders. Talk to people about what you saw and felt – it will help you process through it. And don't be afraid or ashamed if you need assistance dealing with the experience! Ask for it. I would!