Red Jumpsuit Apparatus singer warns against suicide hotline takeover
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is currently headlining the 2007 Take Action! Tour, which focuses on suicide prevention as well as fundraising for the Youth America Hotline and 1-800-SUICIDE. But the hotlines are reportedly in danger of losing all federal funding after refusing to turn over the identities of callers to the Bush Administration. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus frontman Ronnie Winter told us that the situation bears watching: "It's really crazy. I don't even know what's going on, because it's so, like, ridiculous government hush-hush, to be honest with you. But from my sources, which aren't entirely accurate, yes, the government is attempting to take away 1-800-SUICIDE and use it for their own means. I don't necessarily know what that means, nobody really does, but in general, it's a little unnerving and scary. So I guess we should watch the situation with a close eye."
The hotline was ordered to disregard its own strict privacy policy after coming under the control of the administration's Health and Human Services Agency. Although a compromise was eventually reached to safeguard callers' privacy, the hotline has still not received its allotted funding.
The non-profit hotline has taken calls from more than two million people seeking help and counseling.
Punk act Rise Against recently contributed its single "Ready To Fall" to a public service announcement supporting the hotline.
The Bush Administration has interfered with the hotline before, trying to get it to remove all references to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons, as well as provide "faith-based" religious counseling.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is supporting its debut album, Don't You Fake It, which was released this past July and features the single "Face Down." The song deals with domestic violence, which Ronnie Winter witnessed as a child.
The Take Action! Tour pulled into Anaheim, California on Wednesday, February 21st.
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The hotline was ordered to disregard its own strict privacy policy after coming under the control of the administration's Health and Human Services Agency. Although a compromise was eventually reached to safeguard callers' privacy, the hotline has still not received its allotted funding.
The non-profit hotline has taken calls from more than two million people seeking help and counseling.
Punk act Rise Against recently contributed its single "Ready To Fall" to a public service announcement supporting the hotline.
The Bush Administration has interfered with the hotline before, trying to get it to remove all references to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons, as well as provide "faith-based" religious counseling.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is supporting its debut album, Don't You Fake It, which was released this past July and features the single "Face Down." The song deals with domestic violence, which Ronnie Winter witnessed as a child.
The Take Action! Tour pulled into Anaheim, California on Wednesday, February 21st.
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