The death of 26-year-old computer programing prodigy and Internet activist Aaron Swartz has drawn many testimonials from friends, industry leaders, and fellow internet mavericks but it’s a statement issued by his family that has offered the most poignant and heartbreaking insight into the motivations behind Swartz’s suicide and the ramifications it will have for his loved ones.
Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz
Remember Aaron Swartz
Our beloved brother, son, friend, and partner Aaron Swartz hanged
himself on Friday in his Brooklyn apartment. We are in shock, and have
not yet come to terms with his passing.
Aaron’s insatiable
curiosity, creativity, and brilliance; his reflexive empathy and
capacity for selfless, boundless love; his refusal to accept injustice
as inevitable—these gifts made the world, and our lives, far brighter.
We’re grateful for our time with him, to those who loved him and stood
with him, and to all of those who continue his work for a better world.
Aaron’s commitment to social justice was profound, and defined his
life. He was instrumental to the defeat of an Internet censorship bill;
he fought for a more democratic, open, and accountable political system;
and he helped to create, build, and preserve a dizzying range of
scholarly projects that extended the scope and accessibility of human
knowledge. He used his prodigious skills as a programmer and
technologist not to enrich himself but to make the Internet and the
world a fairer, better place. His deeply humane writing touched minds
and hearts across generations and continents. He earned the friendship
of thousands and the respect and support of millions more.
Aaron’s death is not simply a personal tragedy. It is the product of a
criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial
overreach. Decisions made by officials in the Massachusetts U.S.
Attorney’s office and at MIT contributed to his death. The US Attorney’s
office pursued an exceptionally harsh array of charges, carrying
potentially over 30 years in prison, to punish an alleged crime that had
no victims. Meanwhile, unlike JSTOR, MIT refused to stand up for Aaron
and its own community’s most cherished principles.
Today, we grieve for the extraordinary and irreplaceable man that we have lost.
This follows on from an equally succinct and heartbreaking account of loss by journalist, activist and former girlfriend Quinn Norton. Probably not safe for work if bawling at your desk is frowned upon by your colleges. So sad. You can read it here.
Support and information is available for the distressed or those requiring assistance online regarding mental health issues at Lifeline, beyondblue, Reach Out Australia, Headspace and Sane or
by calling Lifeline on 131 114, Mensline on 1300 789 978, Suicide Call
Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
