Malachi Ritscher Self-immolation (iraq war protest)

[StrwbrryFldsFrvr]

I don't know how many people have heard of the name malachi ritscher.. but basically, he protested the war in iraq by going out on the chicago expressway during rushhour, under a monument called "Flame of the Millenium" with a video camera and a sign reading

"Thou Shalt not Kill"

He fixed the camera on himself, doused himself with gasoline, and lit himself on fire.

read his story here.

I heard you, Malachi (http://iheardyoumalachi.org)
listen to his last statement read by someone else here.

YouTube - my reading of malachi ritscher's final statement (http://youtube.com/watch?v=uQKHcuqIUY8&mode=related&search=)

I think this takes a lot of commitment, but like the article says.. it's easy to mistake this for an act of someone who is mentally ill. I think he was genuinely trying to get a point across.

What are your thoughts on this??

[Breukelen advocaat]

A few decades ago Steve Post, a talk-show host on left-wing radio station WBAI, a Pacifica station in New York City, had a problem with his Con-Edison account. He sent them a letter stating that he planned to call the television and newspapers to inform them that a spectacular event was imminent at Consolidated Edison, douse himself with gasoline in front of their corporate headquarters in New York City, light himself on fire, with a sign that read "Con-Ed made me do this". They straitened out his account pronto.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work as well for wars.

[Delta9 UK]

Unfortunately, it doesn't work as well for wars.

Oh man, that made me nearly lose my coffee :D

[amberler]

I think this takes a lot of commitment, but like the article says.. it's easy to mistake this for an act of someone who is mentally ill. I think he was genuinely trying to get a point across.

What are your thoughts on this??

I would say mentally ill.

Just because someone is prepared to go to stupid extremes to get a message across does not make them right.

[Psycho4Bud]

What are your thoughts on this??

First thing that come to mind was that this guy is a real dumbass. Next was that I need charcoal for the BBQ. I'd say more but it's not nice to "flame" someone like this.:D

Have a good one!:s4:

[medicinal]

I think this takes a lot of commitment, but like the article says.. it's easy to mistake this for an act of someone who is mentally ill. I think he was genuinely trying to get a point across.

What are your thoughts on this??
I think suicide is the definition of mental illness. This does not make the message any less pertinent. The shocking thing I saw in the article was the medias lack of coverage on this. Does this mean our media is biased. Well, our media, for the most part, is owned by huge conglomerates that are the powers weilding the hammer over our politicians, so this message, would definently be counterproductive for them. The war (any war) is big business in full swing. Sending out the serfs to do battle, while building and selling to us (the US taxpayer), all sorts of munitions and services. Any disturbing visual such as a man setting himself on fire to protest the golden goose of war would cost someone big money, and that's not about to happen. When (if ever) the American public figures out the program of big business, and how its tentacles grasp politicians in a death defying grip, forcing them to do their bidding under threat of cutting off the almighty funds for re-election, maybe then some common sense will be let into the picture, if not, then total dictatorship is only a few years away!