Fiery Anti-War Suicide Goes Unnoticed
Iraq War Foe Sets Himself Ablaze In Chicago, But It Takes 5 Days To Identify His Body
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Malachi Ritscher holds up a sign during an antiwar protest in Chicago in this photo from April 2003. (AP Photo/Joeff Davis)
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He carefully planned the details, mailed a copy of his apartment key to a friend, created to-do lists for his family. On his Web site, the 52-year-old experimental musician who'd fought with depression even penned his obituary.
At 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 3 — four days before an election caused a seismic shift in Washington politics — Ritscher, a frequent anti-war protester, stood by an off-ramp in downtown Chicago near a statue of a giant flame, set up a video camera, doused himself with gasoline and lit himself on fire.
Aglow for the crush of morning commuters, his flaming body was supposed to be a call to the nation, a symbol of his rage and discontent with the U.S. war in Iraq.
"Here is the statement I want to make: if I am required to pay for your barbaric war, I choose not to live in your world. I refuse to finance the mass murder of innocent civilians, who did nothing to threaten our country," he wrote in his suicide note. "... 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."
There was only one problem: No one was listening.
It took five days for the Cook County medical examiner to identify the charred-beyond-recognition corpse. Meanwhile, Ritscher's suicide went largely unnoticed. It wasn't until a reporter for an alternative weekly, the Chicago Reader, pieced the facts together that word began to spread.
Soon, tributes — and questions — poured in to the paper's blogs.
Was this a man consumed by mental illness? Or was Ritscher a martyr driven by rage over what he saw as an unjust war? Was he a convenient symbol for an anti-war movement or was there more to his message?
"This man killed himself in such a painful way, specifically to get our attention on these things," said 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."
Mental health experts say virtually no suicides occur without some kind of a diagnosable mental illness. But Ritscher's family disagrees about whether he had severe mental problems.
In a statement, Ritscher's parents and siblings called him an intellectually gifted man who suffered from bouts of depression. They stopped short of saying he'd ever received a clinical diagnosis of mental illness.
"He believed in his actions, however extreme they were," his younger brother, Paul Ritscher, wrote online. "He believed they could help to open eyes, ears and hearts and to show everyone that a single man's actions, by taking such extreme personal responsibility, can perhaps affect change in the world."
His son, who shares the same name as his father, said his father was trying to cope with mental illness. Suicide seemed to be the next step, and the war was a way to give his death meaning.
"He was different people at different instances and so, so erratic. I loved him no doubt, but he was a very lonely and tragic man," said Ritscher, 35, who is estranged from the rest of the family. "The idea of being a martyr I'm sure was attractive. He could literally go out in a blaze of glory."
Born in Dickinson, N.D., with the name Mark David, Ritscher dropped out of high school, married at 17 and divorced 10 years later. Eventually, he would change his name to match his son's and, coincidentally, a world-famous prophet. At the end, he worked in building maintenance and was a fixture in Chicago's experimental music scene.
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See all 129 CommentsSuicide is such a selfish act no matter what the circumstance may be.
There's nothing to respect about a suicidal maniac. I hope his suicide continues to go unnoticed. Killing yourself is not the way to change the world. I wouldn't want my children thinking that this is an acceptable way to prove a point--I hope his death continues to go unnoticed.
There are plenty of activists who display courage and integrity every day, who work hard and try to change things the RIGHT way who deserve the attention of the press. This guy deserves no attention, except to call attention to his stupidity. (Or mental illness--whatever the case may be.)
"His son, who shares the same name as his father, said his father was trying to cope with mental illness. Suicide seemed to be the next step, and the war was a way to give his death meaning."[cbsnews.com]
What does the Iraq War have to do with 9/11?
No Iraqis were involved they were mostly Saudis with a couple of Syrians, a Jordanian, and an Egyptian, trained in radical Islam in Pakastan or Saudia Arabia, and trained in terrorism in Afghanistan by an American trained Saudi.
Allah. Ask a hard question.
You can pray every day for your family member's safe return from Iraq, but I doubt that God will send angels down to carry him home. If you really want him (or her) home safely, you would work to end the war yourself.
My brother in law fought in the first Iraq war and my sister almost went to this one with the seabees. They were both willing to serve, but I am not willing to see their lives wasted in an ill-thought out imperialistic war, so I oppose the war and pray for success in doing so.
If you want to fight a war against terrorism, you have thousands of enemies. If you want to fight a war against Allah and Islam, you have hundreds of millions of enemies.
Most adherents of Islam are innocent people minding their own business. Are you saying it is justified to inflict warfare on all these people merely because of their religion? Kind of like Hitler and the Jews?
Would you like to explain and expand your comments?
well said
He is of no value now. At least before he had a chance to put himself in position to make a change. Today he has given that up.
Jennifer Diaz is the follower of a dope. I find it interesting that it is called "unnoticed" now that CBS news has picked up the story.
Looks to me like another case of Darwin in action.
He is of no value now. At least before he had a chance to put himself in position to make a change. Today he has given that up.
Jennifer Diaz is the follower of a dope. I find it interesting that it is called "unnoticed" now that CBS news has picked up the story.
Looks to me like another case of Darwin in action.
America is caught in the middle, and no level of training of the Iraqi military is going to fix this. As far as the world knows Islam IS at war, with itself and with the Jews. What a mess! Innocent members of the religion have to be the ones to speak out forcefully for peace to help fix this.
Fritz
http://heathenmiddle.com
Didnt that idiot know that our soldiers are dying for him so that the Muslims wouldnt come over and behead him or light him on fire? I guess that is one way to show you oppose fighting terrorism, LIGHT YOURSELF ON FIRE SO THE TERRORIST DONT HAVE TO.
Is he that blind that he couldnt see that?
jackass
MUSLIMS are not the terrorists, some terrorists are muslim.
"and if you want to fight a war against Bush, you have the nation at your side"
You have what nation on your side? Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan?
Just because you say something does not make it true.
True, Im sorry, I forgot the disclaimer. I know that some muslims are terrorists and many more muslims support terrorists, but there are some perfectly decent and life loving non-fundementalist Muslims.
lol.
Would you do the same then, if you really believe its right? I dont think some lunatic radical left winger lighting himself n fire will affect anyones decision about Iraq. Thats the kind of stuff the terrorists do, but ussually they try to take out others with them.
War Perspectives:
to soldiers it is a "Duty" to serve.
to their parents it is an "Honor" to give.
to their government it is a "Budget" to fill.
to their enemy it is "Holiness" doing it.
to enemy's govt. it is an "Intrusion".
to RonnieHM it is a "Tax" deducted...worth dying.
to me, WAR is just an "UGLY BUSINESS"...coated by sugar of "PEACE"...there is NO PEACE at all, just "STABILITY".
"PEACE" hides in the place NO ONE likes to LOOK UPON...Shalom Aleichem
Do some research. Don't just sit there in front of the TV and believe all of the hogwash the media is told to tell you.
Congressmen have never been honest, that's got to tell you something. Think for yourselves people.
Not to mention the man is the most moronic person in the country. When asked what he was going to do about Global Warming, he said "Don't worry I'll make sure everyone in Texas has an air-conditioner."
Ignorant. It's going to take years before the Deficit is paid off again. We had 7 years of peace when Clinton was in office, and less than a year Bush is in office we have a war.
Oi.
But look at what Bush has done for us, like spending billions on a failed policy in Irag. Going over the UN to go it alone! Recently millions of dollars of our taxpayer money for weapons for their armed forces was ripped off from under our noses? They will probably be used against our troops with their Kamakaize tactics! No reconstruction going on for the people, civil war, and the Cleric is back to controlling Sadar City? They told us to get out and leave behind one of our solders they kidnapped! Last month alone another 100 brave men lost their lives! Our National Debt is at 4 TRILLION! Left for our grandchildren to try to pay? What a mess Bush has us in. It's another Vietnam. Bush has No Exit Strategy thanks for Cheyne and Rumsfield! We will never be able to get out of there thanks to these guys!
As they say in business real estate, "Location, location, location!" He might have got more attention in the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. More attention, but not necessarily more action...
Nothing changes, absolutely nothing. It would be wiser to stay alive and protest in ways that would be more effective.
Suicide is forgotten by all but the family the day after it happens.
The man was ill.
Financing any violence whatsoever is very disturbing to me and my religious beliefs.
If anyone has any ideas on how to make this happen let me know please.
By the way this is not about not supporting our troops, which I do, however even our troops feels like we shouldn't be there than who are we there for? for us the people? or for your government
pleasure?
Peace
Years ago, some white lab coat types wired up the pleasure centers of the brains of live mice to a lever. When the mice pushed the lever, they felt pleasure. They dropped dead of exhaustion from pressing the lever. They wouldn%u2019t even stop to eat or drink. I guess this is bushrock%u2019s lever. Just like whacking off, I guess. In the meantime, let%u2019s try to be polite and not encourage him by commenting on his pasting post.
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