It was with much interest I heard the story of Malachi Ritscher today. He was a Chicago resident who committed suicide by setting himself on fire beside the Kennedy Expressway earlier this month in protest at the Iraq "war".
An intriguing aspect to this story is that he wrote his own obituary (in the third person) and, boy, it's really melancholy. Some choice quotes:
The metaphor for his life was winning the lottery, but losing the ticket.
He had many acquaintances, but few friends; and wrote his own obituary, because no one else really knew him.
As a child, he was intensely afraid of many things, especially heights; he spent the rest of his life trying to face his fears, without ever coming to terms with his fear of people.
I often bring myself into focus by thinking.. what would someone write in my obituary? I read the obituaries in the newspaper and feel bad for the people who get nothing but a generic write-up with a mere list of events, rather than fond memories or any form of admiration. I admire this guy, but I certainly don't want to end up with his melancholy.
In a bizarre twist, a row between various surviving family members has broken out online.
i agree that the the self-penned obit has a dark side, but, on the same website, Malachi also posted a "Mission Statement" explaining his protest suicide. (Those who follow the link from your site should click "previous" to go from the obit to the mission state.) This man's flawed, profound act has touched, disturbed, angered, & energized a lot of people here in Chicago. Here are 2 local Chicago links:
Posted by: Starry Decisive at November 30, 2006 07:06 AMhttp://iheardyoumalachi.org/
http://pagansciencemonitor.typepad.com/
Thanks for the extra background!
Posted by: Peter Cooper at November 30, 2006 07:24 AMHmm, sure odd this didn't get alot more play in our media society, considering how the outlets usually elevate every local mishap, misdeed, or tragedy to national status, either for mass consumption or to forment the mood for whatever the editors are directed to disseminate in current cycle.
Posted by: Anonymous at November 30, 2006 04:16 PMThen here, we have a what amounts to a national tragedy, or perhaps a salvatory of the salvation of a nations soul, born out in the act of one of the award winning, free spirited,and artistically inclined members of our intelligentsia ......yet it gets barely a byline in comparison.
Is such a powerful story in of itself to be blanketed in obscurity, not fitting into to any of the machinations of the current news cycles? Or is it to be trumpeted or openly lamented as a tragic sacrifice in the face of all the half hearted and lackluster protestations against the spread of dark onus over our land; as even the righteous fail in speaking out, except in petty social concern, as the world is set ablaze all about them by their very own promotion or inaction with "thou shalt not commit murder.","judgement is mine sayeth The Lord." falling by the wayside ,perhaps in fear, but a test failed, none the less, each in their own faith.
I once read of late, a powerful statement made, that has a depth that could go unseen in its simplicity "Who would Jesus bomb?"
So losses such as this are tragic indeed as nolonger will he carry a banner,march,write, speak or perhaps play in protestation, any of which we are sure we would rather have him doing this very day than what was indeed done and we would have no other follow in kind as it would draw yet darker and tighter the veil that has been draped over this act as attempts would be redoubled to marginalize or discredit such who would, in order to lessen the perception of the solemnity or seriousness of the message of this act.But let it be heralded for all to know, for who could not help but be deeply moved, and even the most ardent of the herd of sheeple may be touched by it.
And what of the tape?Are we ever to see and feel his mind in this, through the visage of his spoken word?We call out for it, for such an act in of itself demands the dissemination of all of the message which the horror of the act itself calls out for.
So be not silent in this, cry out until the attention this commands is given and solemnized with the dignity it merits..anon..for all our sakes.
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