Self-immolation raises questions
Why wasn’t there in-depth coverage of the 37-year-old who set himself on fire April 19 opposite the N.Y. courthouse where the Donald Trump trial was taking place? For one horrified observer, it was reminiscent of those resorting to extreme protest during the Vietnam War.
Yes, he was suicidally depressed. He sought help at a psych center. They sent him home after three days. He threw pamphlets in the air, doused himself with fluid, and lit the match. He died in the hospital the next day. Police claimed it had something to do with “conspiracies.” That’s it?
A BBC article revealed that he had advanced college degrees with a deep concern for social justice. He was hopeful that the world could be a better place for the common person. He was upset that citizens were ignoring how little the rich and powerful cared. He believed that capitalist America had turned into a Ponzi scheme, with money concentrated in the hands of a few.
He was a registered Democrat. But with all the negative press against Biden, he feared that even Biden might be aligned with Trump in an eventual fascist takeover.
We know that Fox, Newsmax, One America News, Truth Social and the “dark web” lie, agitate and exaggerate, trying to rile people up about the Democrat “Deep State” and Hollywood elites. Those of us not prone to conspiracy hype can ignore those devious ploys. We turn to mainstream media to keep ourselves grounded in reality. But even then, the chaos and corruption is just another day in America. At some point for well-read and well-educated people, it gets exhausting to process the conspiracies, the illogic, the subterfuge, the propaganda.
The Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society (co-chaired by U.S.Supreme Court befriender Leo Leonard) operate behind the scenes to convince Americans that wealth trickles down to the working class, and Democrats waste money on programs that help lazy people. Being nonprofit organizations, they’re strictly forbidden to lobby or affect policy. But that doesn’t stop them.
Maybe it’s not obvious to Trump supporters, convinced he’s being unfairly picked on, but to the rest of us, it’s clear that laws can be ignored when you have enough money.
This despairing, thoughtful young man saw the government as “criminal” for its increasing focus on capitalism not people. No wonder that poor man felt no one was listening. Did he die in vain? Did the media explain what he was protesting? No.
Media doesn’t seem to take any responsibility for how their negative, adversarial political reporting (and their insistence on “bothsidism” when one side is repeating debunked lies) affects the mental health of factually informed citizens who are genuinely worried about the direction our country is going.
Martha Hodges
Kailua Kona
Complaints about Hilo Medical Center
It’s very nice that Marc and Lynne Benioff decided to give some of their money to Hilo Medical Center. However, now there is no parking for disabled persons near the entrance to the hospital while we wait for a new parking structure.
We couldn’t visit a friend in the hospital during the day because of this. And, I’m not understanding why the hospital administrators are choosing real estate over services.
I’ve been waiting almost two months to get a certain test I need that is only given once a day on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday by one lone technician. They finally called me, and now I’m told that I cannot come in for the test until August! Let me explain: When I first called, they said July and asked me to be on hold. By the time they got back to me it was August!
Can’t the clinic hire one more technician to do this since it is so booked ? Is this not more important than cement and little cubicles for people and cars?
Toby S Hazel
Hilo