[FavaBeans]

Originally Posted by RATSMAGIC ↗

I read that his corneas were used but nothing else

He scrambled his own brains

[FunkPumpkin]

Originally Posted by Metal Mike ↗

I'm pretty sure it wasn't live TV. That's what pissed so many people off about it; the news programs weren't caught off-guard, but instead chose to run the story and push the envelope as close to the bounds of FCC standards as could be gotten away with.

The death itself was not aired, and different affiliates cut the tape at different times. One that I'm aware of even went so far as to show everything up until the second before he pulled the trigger, then froze the video at the frame of him with the gun in his mouth while the audio continued to play. The man who made that decision was interviewed in "Honest Man" and claimed that he did so in the hopes of enlightening people as to the finality of such an act. In response to such sentiments, Dwyer's son called "bullshit," and said it was all about ratings.

Also, even if Dwyer had done time, his ability to profit off of the situation following his release may have been limited by law. In most cases, a convicted party is not allowed to profit off of his or her crime; I don't know if the same applies to someone claiming innocence or not, but it may. Either way, the damage he was worried about would have been done: his family would have lost their house, been financially damaged, and he would have been a disgraced man with no chance in politics. As was clear in his statement to the press, he had given up hope of ever getting anyone to care about his situation and the underlying causes thereof; prison time would have just cemented such hopelessness, I would imagine.

I had a former co-worker who swore he watched the entire speech + suicide live on TV because he was home sick from school that day. Apparently the station broke into regular programming to broadcast Dwyer's speech live.

[DiamondSmiles]

Originally Posted by Hanze ↗

The reaction to this might be negative, but I think it should be put out there. I found a video that appears to be as much of the speech Budd Dwyer gave before his famous suicide available on video in the public domain, and cut it with video of said suicide so that one can see the press conference from the beginning of his long-winded speech to the end of his life.

He was reading from a prepared speech he had written. The last paragraph, which he did not read out load, is as follows:

I've repeatedly said that I'm not going to resign as State Treasurer. After many hours of thought and meditation I've made a decision that should not be an example to anyone because it is unique to my situation. Last May I told you that after the trial, I would give you the story of the decade. To those of you who are shallow, the events of this morning will be that story. But to those of you with depth and concern the real story will be what I hope and pray results from this morning--in the coming months and years, the development of a true Justice System here in the United States. I am going to die in office in an effort to ...see if the shame[-ful] facts, spread out in all their shame, will not burn through our civic shamelessness and set fire to American pride. Please tell my story on every radio and television station and in every newspaper and magazine in the U.S. Please leave immediately if you have a weak stomach or mind since I don't want to cause physical or mental distress. Joanne, Rob, DeeDee - I love you! Thank you for making my life so happy. Good bye to you all on the count of 3. Please make sure that the sacrifice of my life is not in vain.

The three envelopes he hands out to his staff before he retrieves his revolver [a .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 27] from a manilla envelope are as follows:
-A suicide note addressed to his wife [I have been unable to find any copies or transcriptions of this]
-His Organ Donor Card
-A letter to Governer Robert P. Casey

Notes:
-There is apparently a conspiracy theory about the Dwyer suicide, something about how there was no blood on his hand. Sounds like a crock of shit to me.
-The speech apparently lasted 25 minutes and the transcript was 20 pages long. I haven't found either the full video of the entire 25 minutes or the 20 page transcript.
-There is now a Documentary about Dwyer. I have never seen it personally.

I have the full video. It is on the first, "Banned From TV I."

I'd like to see the female news anchor, whose name escapes me, but, I think her first name is Christine.

[Torious]

Christine Chubbock

[2die4jess]

WOW....that was intense

[Konamama]

Originally Posted by Hanze ↗

The reaction to this might be negative, but I think it should be put out there. I found a video that appears to be as much of the speech Budd Dwyer gave before his famous suicide available on video in the public domain, and cut it with video of said suicide so that one can see the press conference from the beginning of his long-winded speech to the end of his life.

He was reading from a prepared speech he had written. The last paragraph, which he did not read out load, is as follows:

I've repeatedly said that I'm not going to resign as State Treasurer. After many hours of thought and meditation I've made a decision that should not be an example to anyone because it is unique to my situation. Last May I told you that after the trial, I would give you the story of the decade. To those of you who are shallow, the events of this morning will be that story. But to those of you with depth and concern the real story will be what I hope and pray results from this morning--in the coming months and years, the development of a true Justice System here in the United States. I am going to die in office in an effort to ...see if the shame[-ful] facts, spread out in all their shame, will not burn through our civic shamelessness and set fire to American pride. Please tell my story on every radio and television station and in every newspaper and magazine in the U.S. Please leave immediately if you have a weak stomach or mind since I don't want to cause physical or mental distress. Joanne, Rob, DeeDee - I love you! Thank you for making my life so happy. Good bye to you all on the count of 3. Please make sure that the sacrifice of my life is not in vain.

The three envelopes he hands out to his staff before he retrieves his revolver [a .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 27] from a manilla envelope are as follows:
-A suicide note addressed to his wife [I have been unable to find any copies or transcriptions of this]
-His Organ Donor Card
-A letter to Governer Robert P. Casey

Notes:
-There is apparently a conspiracy theory about the Dwyer suicide, something about how there was no blood on his hand. Sounds like a crock of shit to me.
-The speech apparently lasted 25 minutes and the transcript was 20 pages long. I haven't found either the full video of the entire 25 minutes or the 20 page transcript.
-There is now a Documentary about Dwyer. I have never seen it personally.

Thanks for this. Just watched the documentary. It was touching, but a little light in the exploration of the actual court case. I wonder if the transcription is available?

[Konamama]

Originally Posted by FunkPumpkin ↗

I had a former co-worker who swore he watched the entire speech + suicide live on TV because he was home sick from school that day. Apparently the station broke into regular programming to broadcast Dwyer's speech live.

By the way--- all of the fuss about not showing the actual suicide makes no sense to me. If you pause him just with the gun in his mouth, it sort of catapults him into a state of weird suspended, mysterious and even supernatural feeling animation. Watching him bleed to death-- that IS the story. It is complete, physical and natural-- it is clearly his end, and no one can hide from it.

[labrat70]

Sad to say, I am old enough that I watched this live on TV. I also remember very well the mass hysteria that followed and controversy surrounding this whole mess.

Reading some of the posts here it seems that some feel this was an "over reaction" and he should have just went along with whatever punishment (even thou he was innocent) The problem for him was he was worried about his wife. Upon sentencing, he was going to be canned and then his retirement benefits would be gone. At the time of his suicide/death he was still an "employee" and his widow got every dime of the benefits. Says a lot about his character I think.

Oh and for those shocked about smoking in federal buildings, yeah, we could smoke anywhere. restaurants had smoking and non smoking sections, airplanes, even hospitals. Yeah. Things were very different until the mid to late 90s.

[Ipfreely52]

someone call a doctor? lol

[FunkPumpkin]

Damn, Dwyer looks old for being 47 at that time.

Great quality, extended version of the vid posted here. Best I've ever seen.