Self-Immolation for Gaza

The selfie video shows a young white man in army fatigues who says 'My name is Aaron Bushnell. I am an active-duty member of the United States Ait Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it is no extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.' He then walks silently for 20-30 seconds while carrying an open flask and stops at a gate. He places his camera phone at a distance, take his military cap out of his trouser pocket and onto his head while walking towards the fate. He then turns to face the camera and away from the gate. He douses himself with fluid and tosses the flask away. He then bend and tries to ignite his trousers with a lighter. And, this is the part that haunts me. He struggles to ignite the lighter for 10 seconds. 10 seconds when he could have changed his mind and chosen not to go ahead with his plan. He ultimately succeeds and as the flames engulf his body he shouts 'Free Palestine', and continues to chant until his voice gives way. Willing to be killed for a cause requires courage and conviction that very few people have. Choosing to kill yourself in the most excrutiating way possible for a cause requires superhuman courage and conviction. This is not the first act of self-immolation since the war in Gaza began. The first was outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, which barely made the news. Authorities kept such a tight leash on information that even the gender of the protestor was not revealed, much less their name. Aaron made sure his ultimate sacrifice did not go the same way. May his memory haunt Genocide Joe for the rest of his days.