War Protester's Self-Immolation Ignored by Media!

skip · Nov 28, 2006

An Iraq war protester, who also happened to be a member of mensa poured gasoline over himself and went out in a blaze of protest, which was promptly ignored by all the media just days before the midterm elections.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15916765

This is a conspiracy of silence on the part of mainstream media, showing just how controlled it truly is in America.

lankymidget · Nov 28, 2006

Being clever isn't the same as being intelligent, is it?

But about the media circus.. If even ONE outlet is able to publish this story, then how has it been covered up? It seems that most just decide to toe the line..

Or don't know a story when it sees one..

skip · Nov 29, 2006

MSN is hardly a major media outlet. It's an online service. No major network has yet picked up this story, 4 weeks later.

As far as the subject of this story goes, I would think if he was a mensa, he should've lined up the major networks to cover his final goodbye BEFORE doing it. Only makes sense! I'm sure the tabloids would've loved having a scoop b4 the election.

I guess people setting themselves on fire isn't newsworthy anymore. I guess too many ppl do it, so it's no big deal, right?

Or since they didn't have actual video of the event, they figured it wouldn't play well without the visuals.

Don't forget nearly every American horror movie today has someone on fire, so it just isn't the big audience draw it was back during the 'Nam days. Seen one person burn, ya seen them all, right?

toast · Nov 29, 2006

Nice way to go... throw back to the buddhist monks during Vietnam if no one's caught that yet..

No it's not smart per se, but it's sort of inspiring. It was way more inspiring when the monks did it.. but i'll give him credit for having the balls to do it.

Still I think most of us can do more good alive then... well.. ashes.

MikeE · Nov 29, 2006

Should every suicide be covered by the national MSM?
Should it be covered if it was motivated by politics?
Should it be covered (regardless of motivation) if the mentaly ill person chose a dramatic method?

Should it be covered if there is video? BINGO!! I think we have a winner !!!

The video of a guy turning himself into a torch would make good TV. The spin that "these anti-war folks are crazy" is immediatly at hand. My guess is that the lack of video is what prevented more coverage.

Please, lets not turn this guy into some kind of hero. (I've heard someone refer to him that way on radio.) His family should be allowed to mourn the suicide of this mentaly disturbed man without having to become spokesfolks for one side or the other.

Carlfloydfan · Nov 29, 2006

proud2deviate said:

Boo fucking hoo. A fifty-something depressed alcoholic throws a temper-tantrem and nobody notices, or cares. What did he expect? That his crispy critter corpse would ignite a shockwave of anti-war sentiment in the country? Shows that even mensa folk are capable of shocking levels of stupidity. Well, it might have been shocking, if we wern't already drenched in it. Hmm, a Darwin award nomination smells remarkably like burnt hair and gasoline. . .

For the rest of you considering your own "blaze of glory" deeply meaningful sacrificial suicides, stop for a minute and consider that nobody gives a fuck. Nobody gives a fuck about the crispy kiddies over in Iraq, so one over here won't inspire much sympathy. Want to make a difference? Stand up and be heard. Speak out. March. Organize. Do some actual fucking work, and you might see some results. Maybe. Probably not. But I know of at least one asshat who's hissy-fit protest gained the world nothing more than a dark spot on an off ramp. If Mister Mensa had balls or inclination enough to stay alive, he might have eventualy made a difference. Instead, he chose to try for a quick n' easy cheap shock tactic in a country that's pretty damn hard to shock. He'd have done better to cut the cable feeds for Monday Night Football. Betcha that would have motivated the unwashed masses.

Here's your media coverage;Flash! Depressed Mensa Moron Suprised to Find Hell Signifigantly Hotter Than a Gasoline Fire.

:nopity:
Click to expand...

These three quotes:

1. “... If one death can atone for anything, in any small way, to say to the world: I apologize for what we have done to you, I am ashamed for the mayhem and turmoil caused by my country.”2. "Soon, tributes — and questions — poured in to the paper’s blogs."

3. "Jennifer Diaz, a 28-year-old graduate student who never met him but has been researching his life. Now, she is organizing protests and vigils in his name. “I’m not going to sit by and I can’t sit by and let this go unheard.”

render your post moot

His death had exactly the impact he desired. A lot of it was maybe delayed, but those last two quotes and especially last prove it wasn't for nothing and people heard. thats ALL he wanted, was a SMALL change and he got, it was not in vain.

junkhead · Nov 29, 2006

proud2deviate said:

Boo fucking hoo. A fifty-something depressed alcoholic throws a temper-tantrem and nobody notices, or cares. What did he expect? That his crispy critter corpse would ignite a shockwave of anti-war sentiment in the country? Shows that even mensa folk are capable of shocking levels of stupidity. Well, it might have been shocking, if we wern't already drenched in it. Hmm, a Darwin award nomination smells remarkably like burnt hair and gasoline. . .

For the rest of you considering your own "blaze of glory" deeply meaningful sacrificial suicides, stop for a minute and consider that nobody gives a fuck. Nobody gives a fuck about the crispy kiddies over in Iraq, so one over here won't inspire much sympathy. Want to make a difference? Stand up and be heard. Speak out. March. Organize. Do some actual fucking work, and you might see some results. Maybe. Probably not. But I know of at least one asshat who's hissy-fit protest gained the world nothing more than a dark spot on an off ramp. If Mister Mensa had balls or inclination enough to stay alive, he might have eventualy made a difference. Instead, he chose to try for a quick n' easy cheap shock tactic in a country that's pretty damn hard to shock. He'd have done better to cut the cable feeds for Monday Night Football. Betcha that would have motivated the unwashed masses.

Here's your media coverage;Flash! Depressed Mensa Moron Suprised to Find Hell Signifigantly Hotter Than a Gasoline Fire.

:nopity:
Click to expand...

i agree
what makes him think that his setting himself on fire is even significant to anyone?
his ''martyrdom'' is pointless
all he did was kill himself
wtf , i must be missing something here

junkhead · Nov 29, 2006

Carlfloydfan said:

These three quotes:

1. “... If one death can atone for anything, in any small way, to say to the world: I apologize for what we have done to you, I am ashamed for the mayhem and turmoil caused by my country.”2. "Soon, tributes — and questions — poured in to the paper’s blogs."

3. "Jennifer Diaz, a 28-year-old graduate student who never met him but has been researching his life. Now, she is organizing protests and vigils in his name. “I’m not going to sit by and I can’t sit by and let this go unheard.”

render your post moot

His death had exactly the impact he desired. A lot of it was maybe delayed, but those last two quotes and especially last prove it wasn't for nothing and people heard. thats ALL he wanted, was a SMALL change and he got, it was not in vain.
Click to expand...

yes , but how about this crazy fucking idea......
why didnt HE organize protests and meetings over the ''mayhem and turmoil caused by his country'' that he felt so ashamed of?
if those where his sentiments, why didnt HE protest and march?

Carlfloydfan · Nov 29, 2006

I agree, there were better ways to go about this...but, yah, he is crazy.

MikeE · Nov 30, 2006

Suiciding to stop the killing is like fucking for chastity.

Haid · Nov 30, 2006

:agree:

No it's not smart per se, but it's sort of inspiring. It was way more inspiring when the monks did it.. but i'll give him credit for having the balls to do it.
Click to expand...

I am not inspired by any idiot who lights himself on fire, sorry.

MikeE · Nov 30, 2006

Homicide is not a valid means of political expression.

gardener · Dec 1, 2006

The man tried to make a statement. Hope it worked for him in the end. It's too bad he couldn't have found another means of displaying his outrage. My sympathies to his family.

telshaug · Dec 1, 2006

Indeed but suicide is never the answer no matter the problem. It merely insures your death for no reall effect.

toast · Dec 1, 2006

Haid said:

:agree:

I am not inspired by any idiot who lights himself on fire, sorry.
Click to expand...

I didn't say it was inspiring for the reasons he wanted it to be.

more like..

"Wow i can't believe someone did that" inspiring.

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