Aaron Bushnell who was a member of the US Air Force stationed at the Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas, unable to bear the anguish of the tragedy in Gaza during the last week of February set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC.
He sacrificed his life in protest against the genocide that Israel is carrying out with the help of the United States in Gaza. In the past few days, Israel has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians in the tiny encircled Gaza Strip.
Aaron Bushnell is heard saying in the video footage he is no longer with genocide before setting himself on fire. He said he was going to ‘make an extreme protest, but the consequences that he is going to bear are little compared to the suffering of the Palestinians who were oppressed by the colonial powers.
Placing his smartphone on the ground to livestream his protest, he shouted “Free Palestine” as he ignited himself. The extreme act of self-immolation is an act of protest, as it is an act of utter self-sacrifice for a cause. It was an act of exemplary courage, an act of defiance.
After the deafening silence over the atrocities in Gaza including attacks on hospitals, refugee camps, and shelter-less refugees in their homeland led one to believe that the world has been shorn of its conscience, Aaron Bushnell’s act of self-sacrifice makes us rethink all of that. At least he had a conscience left in him.
The pangs of conscience and an analytical and critical mind drove Aaron Bushnell to commit suicide. He was fully aware of the unconditional support of the US for Israel, which is why he saw him as partly responsible, thus he stated, that he did not want to be complicit in genocide.
His associates described him as one of the most dedicated and principled people they had ever known. Self-immolation in protests expresses deep convictions and has a long history as an act of protest. Individuals have chosen extreme acts to draw attention to protest oppression or injustice.
The legal deliberations and the self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell call on the world’s powers to be held accountable for their complicity and callousness to a mind-numbing humanitarian crisis.
The New York Times ran the most garbled headline of all time after Bushnell’s suicide: ‘Man dies after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, police say’.
Downplaying Aaron Bushnell’s suicide, the US political-media establishment also seemed to be doing its best to vilify him even after his death. As an article in Time magazine stated, the US Department of Defense policy states that active-duty members of the armed forces may not engage in any biased political activity.
In their writings, it would seem as if actively aiding in genocide does not amount to any political partisanship. Not only that, but the Time magazine article specified that, according to US military regulations, uniforms are prohibited during speeches, interviews, and other activities in informal public gatherings. It appears as if Aaron Bushnell’s remains should be tried in a court-martial.
It shows Aaron Bushnell’s attempt to portray what he did as a mere mental derangement, bemoaning the deeply uncomfortable and disturbing political reality and desiring the liberation of oppressed people.
But at the end of the day, anyone who doesn’t suffer from serious mental health problems can be safely classified as mentally ill, despite the series of massacres carried out by Israel in Gaza with US military support.
Certainly, Aaron Bushnell’s suicide is very horrible. However, genocide is more frightening. As Aaron Bushnell said just before his death, his suffering was nothing compared to the suffering of the Palestinians.
Aaron Bushnell’s act of courage
15
0
24.03.2024
Aaron Bushnell who was a member of the US Air Force stationed at the Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas, unable to bear the anguish of the tragedy in Gaza during the last week of February set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC.
He sacrificed his life in protest against the genocide that Israel is carrying out with the help of the United States in Gaza. In the past few days, Israel has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians in the tiny encircled Gaza Strip.
Aaron Bushnell is heard saying in the video footage he is no longer with genocide before setting himself on fire. He said he was going to ‘make an extreme protest, but the consequences that he is going to bear are little compared to the suffering of the Palestinians who were oppressed by the colonial powers.
Placing his smartphone on the ground to livestream his protest, he shouted “Free Palestine” as he ignited himself. The extreme........
© The Patriot
visit website
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Andrew Mitrovica
Mort Laitner
Nikkei Editorial
Rami G Khouri
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
