AlBStern wrote:ABCNews.com now has a story about his death on their front page.

This AP story was released yesterday, and is pretty well distributed. Right wing blogs have picked up on the story as well.

I wish the story had been allowed to die. Honestly. This whole thing about people who didn't know him starting protests because they're "moved" by his "brave stand"... it depresses me.

They're seeing what they want to in it. The same could probably be said of me, but I think my views have some basis in experience. He was a complicated guy. And I think the reality is a lot more complicated than they want to admit. Ultimately, they're using him as their shill, which is an insult to his memory. Jennifer Diaz seems like an excitable grad student who's trying to make a difference in the world, but she's ultimately clueless. It's unfortunate that the AP didn't talk to Bruno, or Ken Vandermark, or Michael Zerang, or Tim Daisy... or anybody who actually knew him. Just the excitable, idealistic grad student, looking for a cause.

Uncle Ovipositor wrote:I wish the story had been allowed to die. Honestly. This whole thing about people who didn't know him starting protests because they're "moved" by his "brave stand"... it depresses me.

There's that, and then there's the 'crazy' angle put on it. I always hate it when people are described by the media as 'troubled'. It's a high-order insult, keeps minds closed, and insinuates that there is an even keel of some sort where we should all be. I think it takes wildly powerful self-control to not react in socially unacceptable ways if you merely pay a little attention to the world around you.

Then there's that 'ego projection into social mythology' thing, usually started when someone coins the term 'martyrdom'. I guess it's hard to buck that one.

rayj wrote:I think it takes wildly powerful self-control to not react in socially unacceptable ways if you merely pay a little attention to the world around you.

i agree.

The Chicago Tribune has an article about Ritscher today, read it here ( might need to register to view it ).

Not much new if you've been reading everything else- a few more family memories. Ritscher did win a judgement against the city in '05 for false arrest after an anti-war protest; I don't remember reading that in the earlier articles.

When this thread began, it didn't look like his suicide would get the attention that Ritscher wanted, but a month later, the picture looks 'better', if you want to measure the impact of his act.

Air America's Randi Rhodes lists the Ritscher suicide on her topic list for today's broadcast.

http://www.therandirhodesshow.com/live/

There was a piece on NPR yesterday, in the 5 o'clock hour, (closer to 5:30?) that I heard about 8 min. of - interviewing the lady from the website, MR's sister and John Corbet (sp).

You couldn't prove it by visiting the NPR/CPR websites, though.

Mr. Chimp wrote:There was a piece on NPR yesterday, in the 5 o'clock hour, (closer to 5:30?) that I heard about 8 min. of - interviewing the lady from the website, MR's sister and John Corbet (sp).

You couldn't prove it by visiting the NPR/CPR websites, though.

Here's a link to a Real audio stream.

newberry wrote:

Mr. Chimp wrote:There was a piece on NPR yesterday, in the 5 o'clock hour, (closer to 5:30?) that I heard about 8 min. of - interviewing the lady from the website, MR's sister and John Corbet (sp).

You couldn't prove it by visiting the NPR/CPR websites, though.

Here's a link to a Real audio stream.

apparently you could if you were newberry.

newberry wrote:

Mr. Chimp wrote:There was a piece on NPR yesterday, in the 5 o'clock hour, (closer to 5:30?) that I heard about 8 min. of - interviewing the lady from the website, MR's sister and John Corbet (sp).

You couldn't prove it by visiting the NPR/CPR websites, though.

Here's a link to a Real audio stream.

Never looked for an NPR stream clip of anything before, so thanks for the site info & link newberry.

A play about Malachi Ritscher opens tonight in Chicago:

Kevin Kilroy’s The Silence of Malachi Ritscher explores the compelling true story of Malachi Ritscher, an activist and Renaissance man that self-immolated at the Flame of the Millennium statue on the Dan Ryan feeder ramp on November 3rd of this past year in protest of the war in Iraq and the government that perpetuates it.

The Silence of Malachi Ritscher features: Brent T. Barnes, Cynthia Blakewell, Michael Gonring, Timothy McCook, Pamela White-Raines, and Michael Salinas and is directed by Lewis Lain. The Silence of Malachi Ritscher will open its VERY limited ten-performance run at Theatre Building Chicago at 1225 W. Belmont on March 23rd 2007 and will play Friday and Saturday nights at 11pm through April 21st. Admission is $5.00.