Pantani in RBR - sort of OLD news

K. J. Papai

Ben Weiner replied to that Stupid Grouch Mannheim Franz: (exactly as
*I* should have)

> Oscar Mannheim <lagerfranz@hotmail.com> wrote:

>> Exaggerated attitudes, and opinions without nuances, killed Marco
Pantani.
>> Ken Papai killed Pantani........but just maybe.
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Dude, [writes Ben]

Pappy has hardly posted here since October. Then Pantani dies
and your first thought is of ... Ken Papai? You are the one who
is obsessed.

Depression sucks. One fact that maybe you aren't thinking about
is that it is an illness, an internal phenomenon. It may be amplified
by outside effects, but blaming them for depression and its
consequences is essentially misguided. It is common after a
suicide for friends and acquaintances to blame themselves for
not seeing or not helping - and less commonly, to blame others
for causing the circumstances that led to the death. This is
understandable (been there, done that) but basically unrealistic.
It is difficult if not impossible to save someone bent on
self-destruction if they don't want to be saved. Similarly
it is difficult to kill someone just by not being nice to them.

Few people's hands are clean in the matter of Pantani, and that
includes we the fans; but your holier-than-thou attitude does the
man's memory no honor.

-Ben


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-Ken