Some commemorators have called the Airman who decided to end his own life in protest as “obviously mentally ill”. The Video linked above is from the Vietnam war when a Buddhist monk did the same act as a protest. I cannot recall ever reading a history text that called him “mentally ill” for his actions. While I do not agree with the Airman’s assessment that the current conflict warranted his actions; there is currently nothing in current geopolitics that would drive me to the same actions. I do, however, see his actions as that of a desperate man who wanted to drive awareness to his views in a world that rarely listens. Often in the west we hear “fuck around and find out” this is the same thing without the threat of violence (at least implied) to others. This act of self harm did what he wanted it to do. It made the news and made (at least me) question why someone would be willing to do this.
The question I pose to you is what is your “line in the sand” where events become so intolerable that you will not continue to exist as you do today in order to change the way the world sees the situation. Some who have gone down this path have (most commonly) chosen violence instead of a peaceful, though deadly protest.
