Jazz musician/activist Malachi burns himself alive to protest Iraq War

[shance]

Malachi burns himself alive to protest Iraq war

Activist and artist Malachi Ritscher burns himself alive in Chicago in front of morning rush hour commuters to protest the war in Iraq.

The press has almost completely blacked out this news in mainstream press .

A long time Chicago activist, artist and contributer to the Chicago jazz scene has burned himself alive in an act of protest against the iraq war. He is only one of 10 Americans in history to have done this .

Buddist monks did this during the VietNam war.

On Friday, November 3, a man doused his body with gasoline and set himself afire to protest the war in Iraq . He died quietly in flames. His name was Malachi Ritscher.

Haven't seen it in the news?

Me neither, which is kind of strange if you ask me, considering that it happened right here in downtown Chicago in front of hundreds of commuters during morning rush hour.

The only conventional newspaper coverage to date was a tiny paragraph that appeared in the Saturday edition of the Chicago Sun-Times. Since then...nothing.

His death must not be in vain please spread the word...

Chicago activists are planning a protest for Malachi and against the war saturday Nov. 19 in Chicago to get this out into the mainstream news.



Malachi Ritscher/ Chicago activist burns himself alive in protest of war.
All Google link
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=malachi+ritsc...



http://www.iheardyoumalachi.org/story.html - Malichi's statement and site dedicated to keeping his story alive.

http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/7493...- Saturday demo for Malachi and against the war

Who Is Malachi?

http://electroniciraq.net/news/printer2640.shtml by Nitsuh Abebe a thoughtful & well researched article: mental illness or form of protest
.
http://www.savagesound.com/gallery100.htm Malachi will be missed in Chicago's jazz community.

Blog Lists:
http://chicago.metblogs.com/archives/2006/11/malac...
-Peter Margasak's blog

http://pieceoplastic.com/index.php/2634/malachi-ri.../

http://chicago.metblogs.com/archives/2006/11/malac...

http://ajbenjaminjr.blogspot.com/2006/11/postscrip... -a reasonably fair and balanced view of Malachi , his life and activism

http://www.non-prophets.com\'forum/viewtopic.php?t... - a friend of Malachi's blogspot

Sites Malachi designed,maintained and contributed to:
http://www.savagesound.com
http://www.unwinnablewar.net
http://www.warwhores.us

[Staph]

1. I read about this on November 9

in Richard Roeper's column in the Chicago Sun-Times (http://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/130292,cst-nws-roep09.article).

And I'm afraid that I must agree with Roeper. His column ended:

My sincere sympathies to all who knew Ritscher. But with all great respect, if he thought setting himself on fire and ending his life in Chicago would change anyone's mind about the war in Iraq, his last gesture on this planet was his saddest and his most futile.

May he find peace now.

[EFerrari]

4. It's people like Roeper who find their opinions so precious

that think nothing of starting wars with the children of others to kill the children of others.

[shance]

7. And thank YOU Pat.

For so eloquently stating what I was feeling as well.

;)

[Wickerman]

2. The comments in the Reader blogs section

give the best flavor of the man I've read. Sounds like a unique individual. As a sometimes taper and a steady listener of live music I admire his passionate zeal for documenting the Chicago scene and find it sad his death is slipping by unnoticed. Thanks for highlighting this.

http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/post-no-bills/2006/11/07/malachi-ritschers-apparent-suicide/

[shance]

3. Absolutely and your welcome. Who among us would be willing to give

our lives, much less to burn ourselves alive?

One man criticized him which I find pretty callous and ignorant in choosing to overlook the pain this man must have been neverendingly dogged by. It is heart breaking to those who are awake to see what is being created in Iraq by a bunch of rich white guys who could care less about anyones death but their own.

That is why of course the rich white boy media is putting a clamp down on this news.

Cant have someone becoming a martyr when Halliburton has so much more money to make.

[EFerrari]

5. Thank you, shance.

:kick:

[shance]

6. You very welcome Pat. Im sorry we are not seeing more of this

on the news.

They are doing very well at keeping the most important news from our eyes and ears.

[EFerrari]

8. Maybe we should send it to Amy if she hasn't got it yet.

She's usually very good at staying ahead of the censorship.

[shance]

9. That's a great idea. Do you have the email address?

If you do, that would be great.

I'll see if I can find it in the meantime at the Democracynow website.

[EFerrari]

12. It's mail @ democracynow.org.

:)

I'll send it, too.

[RandomKoolzip]

10. Malachi was the friend of a coworker of mine.

The war was one of many reasons why he killed himslef. According to this coworker, he was very depressed in his last days alive, and had been reclusive and withdrawn. There was far more to it than politics; Ritscher was suffering from some severe emotional pain revolving around personal issues.

The war was only the ostensible reason why he did this, according to those who knew him.

[shance]

11. Individuals do not kill themselves because they are happy.

I wonder at times why we often feel the need to rationalize someones choice to die by saying they were "depressed"?

Yes, of course he was depressed. We know that.

For those who are awake, concious and observant to what is happening in the world, it's damned depressing and overwhelming. It's heartbreaking and life draining. Its energy expending and a very powerless feeling not to be able to know how best to help, not to mention those of us who have been intimidated and harassed by an overzealous Administration.

I think ironically the healthiest people are those who do not turn their head and look away, but are able to see the reality and then take positive steps to do something constructive towards the problem.

I think Malachi in his own way sent the loudest message he could have. He made a choice that to me, reflects the depth of anguish and anger this man felt over what is happeing in our world. He sacrificed himself.

[Disturbed]

13. If a thousand people burned themselves up it would not

stop the US Occupation of Iraq. Why? I think most that read this know why.

[shance]

14. Perhaps. But perhaps it might reveal the pain and powerlessness

people are feeling because of the evil being perpetrated on innocent people by rich, privileged white men who have never seen a day of war, or combat or financial anxiety for that matter.

[EFerrari]

18. I don't think this is about logical consequence, this is about

respect.

Rest, muertito. We heard you.

[EFerrari]

17. But if it was his reason, we honor that.

Good to read you, RKZ. It's been a while.

[Jim Warren]

15. This topic was posted some days ago

Not that it doesn't deserve a another look, just be prepared for a bit of
tongue clucking. My response was Buk's poem.



"On the Fire Suicides of the Buddhists" by Charles Bukowski

"They only burn themselves to reach Paradise"
- Mne. Nhu

original courage is good,
motivation be damned,
and if you say they are trained
to feel no pain,
are they
guaranteed this?
is it still not possible
to die for somebody else?

you sophisticates
who lay back and
make statements of explanation,
I have seen the red rose burning
and this means more.

[malaise]

16. So sad n/t

[derby378]

19. Is it fascism yet?

:mad: