Mastodawn

Alissa Azar Feb 26, 2024

Aaron Bushnell was 25 years old. It is now confirmed that he has succumbed to his injuries.

Self immolation has to be the most desperate form of protest there is. Lighting yourself on fire so your cries for change can finally be heard. This is so heartbreaking. Friends of Aaron Bushnell shared how he used to feed houseless people in San Antonio, and the now-deleted twitch channel where he live-streamed his actions today seem to point to him being an anarchist. I don’t know for certain, but his profile photo was of a circle A/anarchy A, and his user name had “AnarKitty” in it.

Rest in Power 🖤

perhaps instead of lighting ourselves on fire we should light the consulates on fire

While I appreciate the sentiment, this really doesn’t accomplish anything. Frankly, I don’t think any action will accomplish anything. It hasn’t accomplished anything for the better for at least 76 years.

@Coherence7521 @alissaazar Solidarity requires integrity and courage.

You seem to understand neither.

What makes you say that?

@Coherence7521 @alissaazar nihilism isn't something to be proud of.

And if your reaction to self immolation is to feel threatened enough that you want to make it meaningless, you're obviously not capable of understanding what MAKES something meaningful

(in)coherence

How would I feel threatened when 1. I’m not Israeli nor am I affiliated with the Israeli government or any of its international backers, so I’m clearly not the target and 2. I am a supporter of Palestine who is increasingly slipping into despair?

I may be proud of the first fact: that I’m not engaged in this genocide myself, but I am certainly not proud of slipping into despair. I’ve simply been expressing it and all I get in response is hostility for seemingly no reason. I would have thought that there would be more understanding and caring given that it’s not exactly uncommon in the face of such horrific things for hopelessness to set in. I basically put out what amounts to a cry for help and I get told to “shut the fuck up” and that I’m somehow an imbecile who doesn’t understand. Well, I’m sorry but this is simply how I feel. Is it necessarily good to feel this way? Most certainly not! I’m just acknowledging and expressing that.

@Coherence7521 @alissaazar i apologize for jumping to conclusions.

My answer to despair is that you're buying into the idea that nothing can be done.
It isn't true.

At the VERY least you can give doom the finger.

Aaron Bushnell decided to make a statement that plausibly will have an impact.
One that is resonating with a LOT of people.

It CAN plausibly work simply because he was exactly the kind of "normal" white cis guy that society sees as credible

i guess I’m fucked then cuz I’m neither white nor cis nor a guy. There’s even less hope for anything I do to be impactful because nobody would willingly listen to me.

@Coherence7521 @alissaazar i wasn't suggesting you emulate him.

The point is that moat Americans want the genocide to end.
And his sacrifice has the potential to become a rallying cry.

A rallying cry for what? More of the same bullshit rallies with chanting and peace police and assholes with megaphones ordering us around? I’m sick of that shite

@Coherence7521 @alissaazar among other things convincing liberals to stop being ostriches.
Like i said, genocide is EXTREMELY UNPOPULAR.

MEANWHILE.
Being relentlessly negative because you're feeling sorry for yourself, doesn't help.

And it comes across as a self absorbed pose.

I am not trying to chew you out for being depressed but i also am not feeling like humoring people who react to self immolation by trying to diminish it.