Killing Oneself to Try to Stop a War
Aaron Bushnell and Ann Wright’s excellent piece on
by Ann Wright, 26 Februar 2024. Common Dreams
In the wake of Aaron Bushnell’s self-immolation, Ann Wright recalls other suicides committed in protest against U.S. policies, including by five Americans opposed to the U.S. war in Vietnam.
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/02/26/killing-oneself-to-try-to-stop-a-war/
David Cooley
The following refer to Aaron Bushnell’s taking his own life to avoid continued complicity in the Gaza genocide and for the peace of a free Gaza. It should be noted, Aaron had, had standing orders since November to be ready to DEPLOY ON A MOMENT’S NOTICE TO ISRAEL. This had to have weighed on him since then, and only grown heavier. A high individual moral order and being in the military DO NOT go together well, turmoil is a likely result. This young man should have had help getting out or CO status. Plus peace.
He stated in the video above, “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’s not extreme at all.”
His final words, as American police drew their guns on him while he was burning, were “Free Palestine.”
Aaron requested prior to his death that media outlets preserve and report his action. As expected, his story continues to be suppressed.
A comrade who worked with him to support unhoused people in Texas said of him, “He is one of the most principled comrades I’ve ever known.” Another friend stated, “He’s always trying to think about how we can actually achieve liberation for all with a smile on his face.”
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