Moral Responsibility in The Bridge by Eric Steel

Today, we as a class watched a hard hitting documentary called 'The Bridge'. This documentary was created by a man named Eric Steel and was made for the sole purpose of sending a message across to people that suicide is real and is happening day to day and to inform members of the public just how often and how many people are jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in America.

Steel and his crew of cameramen followed the number of people who jumped of the bridge from 2006-2007. He then found the families and friends of the people who committed suicide and interviewed them asking them questions about who they were as a person and if they had any inkling that something like this may occur.
This documentary has caused much controversy mainly due to just how graphic the videos are and just how much detail we as the viewer can see as we watch the victims form the moment they jump all the way down to the point where they hit the water. The Golden Gate Bridge, opened first in May 1937, was the most popular suicide site throughout the world during the year the documentary was filmed, with approximately 1,200 deaths caused by jumping in 2003. After the documentary was released further controversy was caused as officials thought the documentary led to an increase in suicides on  the bridge.
In my opinion, although the documentary is very hard hitting and graphic, it is an acceptable one and one that needed to be made as it opens peoples eyes up to just how many people and how it easy it is to commit suicide no matter what the situation is. It allows people to have the understanding that you must always be wary of people and the situation they are in. It also allows people to grasp the concept that mental illness is a very large and worldwide issue and can affect everyone.