this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2024
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Aaron Bushnell, hero and role model
I wish he had another choice. We failed him by not being organized enough to welcome him as a comrade. Instead he chose to do the only thing he could. I admire his courage, but it's a damn shame we lost someone willing to die for Palestinians.
We've failed him, we've failed the Palestinians, we've failed our immigrants and refugees, we've failed our LGBTQ+ people and people of color, we've failed our poor. The story of America is a story of one failure after another.
And I say "America" even though this is world news, because he was American.
Sometimes I have this thought that feels like a realization that it was never even about "the people" or "freedom" to begin with.
It was about creating an in-group and implementing a caste system under the deceptive guise of democracy. What it's never actually been is democratic or free.
He was actively involved in anarchist organizing with Serve the People in Akron, OH.
I wasn't aware of that, but I say that's an indictment of their organization; a small org that doesn't ever get beyond charity work and the occasional street protest could not save him from despair. A few thousand likes on Facebook? Is that the height of the organization he could join in his area? I'm sure they're trying their best, but we have to get organized on a much larger scale to be able to do anything that matters.
Beyond being an indictment of their org, that's an indictment of us all. We are not organized enough. Not even close.
I'd like to know why anyone would downvote this. Do you support genocide?
Maybe people are understandably uncomfortable with self immolation? Nobody has ever liked an effective activist in their time. The civil rights protesters in USA had a <25% approval rate in the 60s.
I think this person did what he thought was right, and I will remember him for that. And peace can't come soon enough.
I fully agree. I have mad respect for him, which is why I expressed my admiration and support.
We should ask the question: is it really effective? Is anybody even talking about the guy who self-immolated in Colorado for the cause of climate change? Hell, even this event is being suppressed and swept under the rug. And those media orgs who do cover it are choosing to take up a "mental illness" angle to dismiss it.
Sadly there are still a lot of vile people on Lemmy. A lot less than Reddit, but still plenty
And they all stick to the same 3 instances.
It takes courage and convictions to do this kind of protest. There's no need to reduce it to just a suicide. It was a courageous and highly honorable act. I've got nothing but respect.
Bullshit. You are insulting everyone who's had a legitimate reason to commit suicide and their loved ones by proxy. Get this puritanical nonsense out of here. I've known multiple people who've committed suicide, and while it hurts to lose them, they've all had valid reasons, and it's really tasteless for me to dismiss that or guilt trip people who want to check out.
And in this case, it's objectively one of the most selfless acts imaginable.
It was a protest against our nation's complicity in genocide. This was objectively one of the most selfless acts and meaningful sacrifices imaginable. I have nothing but the utmost respect.
He was serving a military which was helping Israel to commit this genocide. Even removed from that, Americans are working and paying taxes which are being sent to fund Israel's campaign to achieve genocide. It doesn't matter whether he was pulling triggers himself, he knew that he was indirectly supporting the cause that he was so staunchly opposed to. I have too much to lose by standing (or dying) with him, so I don't. I'm too cowardly to do what he did. I fucking despise that we are supporting Israel, but I can't throw it all away in protest like he did. I'm not strong enough, and my family isn't strong enough without me. Or maybe they are and I'm too selfish to self terminate for this cause.
Because if what he did, we are talking about it. We are all wondering how many more airmen this will cost. Just because we aren't putting our people on the ground to catch those bullets in person doesn't mean there isn't a cost. If we didn't support that genocide, Aaron Bushnell would be home with his family tonight. You can blame him all you want, but I don't think he was looking for a reason to abandon his family, I think he was disgusted by what he swore an oath to. We're supposed to defend the weak, house the exposed, feed the hungry, wash the unclean, etc. Instead, we're helping Israel to bomb schools and hospitals after telling people that those places are safe from their hellfire. History textbooks will reveal that we were standing idly by while our government funded this, downplayed this, and vetoed every attempt to pause this. There is no legitimate excuse to have allowed this to continue. I fucking hate my country for this. I'm ashamed to be an American, just as much today as I was during trump's presidency. But I still want to take a moment to remind everybody that trump would've 100% made this even worse. I'm not saying to not vote for Biden. I'm saying please, for the love of God, vote in local elections, vote in primaries, and get us somebody better than this fucking shithead neolib next time, but in the meantime help him to beat the autocratic fascist because Biden is way better even though he still fucking sucks.
I truly beleive that this falls under sacrificing yourself to save lives
Forcing people to stay alive against their will while they suffer in one way or another because you can't deal with missing them is cowardly and selfish.
Unless you were his psychiatrist this is just armchair conjecture.
I think we can have compassion for people who commit suicide because of suffering and are young, but not think it's a good or ideal thing. I think the protest here or euthanasia because you're old/sick is a different thing.
For everyone (for me) condoning suicide too much -- I always think about it like this:
We were dead for billions of years and we will be dead for billions of years. This little sub 100 year run we all have is just a flash in the pan and even if you're not having a good time at all and think you can't ever have a good time, surely just sticking it out for the novelty if nothing else is better in most cases of suffering than checking out too early. We'll all be back there soon enough.
Nobody asks to be born. You should be able to leave when you want.
Indeed
Telling people that someone who burn himself is a role model is poor taste even if you respect the cause.
How so? I'm expressing my respect and gratitude in the best way I know how.
This is tiresome and pointless pearl clutching.
I think the "pearls being clutched" are that you have a great general point but are suggesting something strange. A role model is someone you want people to imitate. We want people to get his message, not to just do the same thing.
Sacrifices like this should always be super rare. If he's inspiring others to action, then it should be mass protests (at least), not more immolations.
Yes
Imagine gatekeeping protests.
What do you mean - do you think more people should set themselves on fire?
I'd never presume to be so haughty as to prescribe to another person a form of protest, nor to disparage a meaningful and impactful act like this.
But you are saying he's a role model, which means you think more people ought to imitate him.
Yes, I do. I think we should be like him and stand up for what is right. 100% correct.
It's not like the commenter started a seance....
Can we please not call people who set themselves on fire role models?
Aaron Bushnell is a fucking role model
I wish I had half the courage it took
I don't get this, I'm sure right-wingers would wish you had the courage, too. Why would you idolize this instead of looking at it like a tragedy?
Because I am not going to disrespect a deep and meaningful selfless act like his. I'm not so disrespectful
Lol sure. I don't think it makes sense to have the same goals as a Zionist, personally. You and a Zionist both wish you were "courageous" enough to kill yourself, I don't see how that could possibly improve things.