Man Sets Himself On Fire To Protest Iraq War

[dgridley]

Self-immolation is not a common act, mostly because it's one of the slowest, most painful, and messiest ways a person can kill himself. For most Americans, consciousness of the act comes down to one man, and one photograph: a 1963 shot of a Vietnamese monk named Thích Quảng Đức, seated in the Lotus position in the middle of a Saigon street, consumed by flames, protesting the treatment of Buddhists under a Catholic regime.

In December 2002, the city of Chicago dedicated a statue called "The Flame of the Millennium"-- a seven-ton, stainless-steel, abstract rendering of a flame in high wind, standing over the Kennedy Expressway, just west of the downtown Loop. Last Friday, November 3, the statue appeared to be on fire. When authorities got there, they found a video camera, a canister of gasoline, a sign reading "Thou Shalt Not Kill", and a human body so badly charred that it was impossible to determine its sex. Someone had self-immolated, near a highway off-ramp, amid rush-hour traffic.

more: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/39663/Malachi_Ritscher_19542006

 

[peaches017]

There's one way to get your voice heard. Thanks for sharing Dave

Peter

 

[apexad]

This is very weird. I guess we heard about it though, so the point was made.

 

[LeetPCUser]

That is crazy. Then again it is Chicago.

 

[PolurNET]

That is crazy. Then again it is Chicago.

I'm sure it's equally likely to happen anywhere in the world, but for this "cause" is really disturbing

 

[Datalife]

Self-immolation is not a common act, mostly because it's one of the slowest, most painful, and messiest ways a person can kill himself

That's Xtreme.

 

[dgridley]

Selfless, but pointless sacrifice for one's ideals...

That's Xtreme.

 

[commandercody]

Guess it gets a little more publicity than a guy with a protesters sign. Unfortunatly for him most of america does'nt need a guy on fire to decide if its time to give up on iraq, because it sure looks like iraq has no real initiative to change, or comprimise.

 

[Grey_OwL]

That shit reminds me of my friend's reasearch about Falun Gong and their suicidal burning back in college.

See the link below

http://english.people.com.cn/200205/20/eng20020520_96034.shtml

 

[The Critic]

I'm sure it was totally worth it.

 

[LeetPCUser]

Well, as cruel as it is, at least we don't have to put up with his/her comments about the war anymore, lol. One less resisting citizen.

 

[CrazyTech]

Well, I hate to be the one to say this but how do we know this charred corpse was actually alive when the fire started? Just a peculiar circumstance all around, though. Can't say that I admire someone that would do this at all - seems pointless to me especially with election time right around the corner.

 

[dgridley]

I wondered the same thing but I think there's mention of a video camera found on the scene so maybe it was taped...

It is pointless but also a commentary on one man's commitment to his ideals.. it's certainly a selfless act. He won't know of or derive any benefit from his act.

Well, I hate to be the one to say this but how do we know this charred corpse was actually alive when the fire started? Just a peculiar circumstance all around, though. Can't say that I admire someone that would do this at all - seems pointless to me especially with election time right around the corner.

 

[Datalife]

I'm thinking, maybe this person wanted to commit suicide all along, maybe he/she got alot of problems and thought only of suicide... and also happens to hate the Iraq war, so maybe suicide with a cause. You never know.

 

[dgridley]

That's definitely a possibility...

I'm thinking, maybe this person wanted to commit suicide all along, maybe he/she got alot of problems and thought only of suicide... and also happens to hate the Iraq war, so maybe suicide with a cause. You never know.

 

[dgridley]

I'm not so sure it's not a effective way to protest.. suicide bombers and peaceful suicides such as this have certainly brought attention to various causes in the past.

Thats not the way to protest, nor will it help with any of the protesting. It's crazy.

:imho:

 

[Infidel]

I'm not so sure it's not a effective way to protest.. suicide bombers and peaceful suicides such as this have certainly brought attention to various causes in the past.

When people do insane things in the name of a cause, it doesn't cause me to think that maybe they are right and I should be on their side.

I just hate the whole "burn it down" mentality. The mentality is that if we can't have things exactly as we want them, we'll burn this country to the ground. If we can't burn this country to the ground, we'll burn ourselves to death.
Union workers often have the same mentality (in a less literal sense) when they go on strike and try to punish the company that provides them with their paychecks. I remember when the grocery stores went on strike. The striking employees were actually suggesting customers go to non-union grocery stores, just so they could hurt the store that pays their salary.

We are not slaves. We have options of where we live and where we work. If we don't like things where we are, we can find a better life elsewhere.

 

[dgridley]

I look at it a different way after awhile.. if so many are willing to give their lives so "pontlessly", eventually I want to know what motivates them. Not all of it is as simple as "insanity", tho it may seem "insane" to us.. jihadists, as crazy as it seems, believe in their cause so strongly they are willing to die to make their point.

When people do insane things in the name of a cause, it doesn't cause me to think that maybe they are right and I should be on their side.

I just hate the whole "burn it down" mentality. The mentality is that if we can't have things exactly as we want them, we'll burn this country to the ground. If we can't burn this country to the ground, we'll burn ourselves to death.
Union workers often have the same mentality (in a less literal sense) when they go on strike and try to punish the company that provides them with their paychecks. I remember when the grocery stores went on strike. The striking employees were actually suggesting customers go to non-union grocery stores, just so they could hurt the store that pays their salary.

We are not slaves. We have options of where we live and where we work. If we don't like things where we are, we can find a better life elsewhere.

 

[DN Tycoon]

I admire his strong beliefs system if that is what truly made him do it but this does not help the problem or make it go away. Takes all kinds as the saying goes.

 

[Infidel]

I admire his strong beliefs system if that is what truly made him do it but this does not help the problem or make it go away. Takes all kinds as the saying goes.

I look at it a different way after awhile.. if so many are willing to give their lives so "pontlessly", eventually I want to know what motivates them. Not all of it is as simple as "insanity", tho it may seem "insane" to us.. jihadists, as crazy as it seems, believe in their cause so strongly they are willing to die to make their point.

And the abortion protestors who are willing to kill a doctor or blow up a clinic and spend their lives in jail? Is that strong belief system admirable or worthy of understanding? If these actions don't fit the definition of insanity, then maybe we need to create a new word that is very similar. It can be admirable to selflessly oppose something even though it does not impact your life. It's (by my definition) insane to become fanatical to the point of damaging/killing yourself or others.