NationStates Jolt Archive

The other day I first heard about Budd Dwyer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Dwyer). For those who don't know, he was a politician who committed suicide on live T.V. on January 22, 1987. As I was less than two years old at the time, obviously I have no memory of the event. This question is for the older NSers: did you witness the suicide when it was shown on T.V., and do you have any memories of it? What were your thoughts, reactions, etc. If this topic seems morbid or tasteless, I apologize, but I am honestly curious.

I doubt anyone outside the guy's home state was watching live.. he wasn't a major political figure.. just another faceless local crook.

I remember I saw the video on Limewire or something a while ago. I was wondering what that was all about.

Never heard of it. I don't think that news ever made it outside the USA.

I remember hearing about it when it happened, but I didnt see it live.
I did however catch the video on a p2p server.

Its fairly gruesome.
He puts the gun in his mouth, and blows a nice clean hole in the top of his skull.

I believe he was accused of taking some money, and before he could be prosecuted, and inevitably convicted, he decided to commit suicide, rather than watch his political career go down the tubes.

So this happened in PA?

If I was alive, I would have seen it.

How fucked up.

So this happened in PA?

If I was alive, I would have seen it.

How fucked up.


It was not shown much becuase televised broadcasts of it offended the hell out of a lot of people, as I recall.

It was all over the internet, a friend of emailed it to me, with out any warnings of what it was. The next time I saw him, I had to go him, asking what the fuck did he send that to me for? Did he think I liked to see real death, or that I would get any enjoyment out of it? He couldn't see the big deal, strange fucker.

I suppose it's one way to make a point.
Still, to do it on live TV.. yipes..