The Golden Gate Bridge, one of Northern California's major attractions, is said to be visited by approximately 110,000 people per day. The 8,981-foot suspension bridge was originally named after the narrow “Golden Gate,” which is the body of water found beneath the bridge. What most visitors to the bridge have no idea about is the fact that the bridge is the number one suicide site in America. Over 1,500 bodies were pulled from the waters below by the coast guard. Statistics say that “one person jumps to their death about every two weeks” (Tweedie). Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. In America it claims over 38,000 victims per year, making suicide the tenth leading cause of death for all ages across the country. In America there is approximately one death by suicide every 13 minutes and worldwide more than 1 million people die from suicide every year. Globally, one death by suicide occurs every 40 seconds, making suicide the third leading cause of death worldwide. Could you imagine how many of these suicides occurred on the Golden Gate Bridge? Just imagine how many of these deaths could have easily been prevented by taking a few extra precautions and installing something as simple as a safety barrier. This is why we believe the state of California should invest its money in creating a safety net or barrier around the Golden Gate Bridge. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The first reason why I believe there should be a security fence around the bridge is because it would most likely greatly reduce the number of suicides, as it has for many other major monuments and bridges around the world. The Empire State Building, the Cathedral, St Peter's Basilica and the Sydney Harbor Bridge were all suicide magnets before barriers were built over them. “At Toronto's Prince Edward Viaduct, the site of nearly five hundred jumps, engineers have finished building four million dollars' worth of steel rods over the railing” (Friend). In all these places, statistics show that after the construction of the barriers the number of jumpers dropped to practically zero. Second, creating the safety net would be important because it would also show tourists that San Francisco truly cares about its visitors and residents. state of mental health. In Japan, there is a forest about 2 hours west of Tokyo called Aokigahara Forest, also commonly known as the "suicide forest", which is also widely known as the second most popular suicide site in the world, behind the Golden Gate Bridge. The forest is located under the famous Mount Fuji and is so dense that it is practically impossible to hear any kind of outside noise. It's also incredibly unnerving to know that animals don't reside in the forest, not even birds. In the forest it is practically completely silent, this is what the locals believe that drives people to suicide, the fact that it is too silent drives people crazy. The reason it has the name "suicide forest" is because every year many people wander into it and are never seen again. “Every year around 70 corpses are found by volunteers who clean the forest, but many are lost forever in the dense forest” (Puchko). As the number of bodies found continued to increase, the Japanese government wanted to show people that they truly cared. “The police posted signs along the entrance to the forest that read “Your life is a precious gift from yours.