Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDragon
I have a hard time feeling sorry for someone who intentionally lights themself on fire, other than a bit of embarassment for them that they thought they'd be proving a point by doing so.
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http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=114902
In another time and place someone setting themselves on fire had an effect on the population in a soviet occupied country, Czechoslovakia. They made his grave site a shrine and the Soviets had to take his remains away because people would flock to his grave. I went to the Czech Republic and this was still brought up by our teachers there as a major political act in a very important time in the Czech Republic as they thought they had shaken off some of the reigns of communism only to be re-occupied by tanks in the late 60's and brutally repressed.
Some of the jokes were funny but some of these comments about people setting themselves on fire just aren't very open minded towards situations where something like that could be an act that "proves a point" or makes a political statement.
But yeah, Calgary in today's world isn't quite the same as Soviet Occupied and terrorized Czechoslovkia. I'm sure that isn't the only example where it did make an impact. But some of you who lightly mock "anybody who sets themselves on fire" should take a few history lessons.