There are many different ways to protest and strike. So that the people in points of authority are forced to change the system they are presiding over. Things like hunger striking and self-immolation have always struck me as Nuclear options. Only to be used when the people under a boot heel have no other option and are forced to use harm to their own bodies as a message for change, For hunger striking it’s pretty evident of what you’re doing. And also how you’re putting your life at risk. But a hunger strike I feel, is only able to be effective when you lack bodily autonomy in the same way a prisoner might. But self-immolation always works, but in a lot of ways it works far too well, to the point where the original message is secondary to the amount of dedication an individual has to the cause itself.

Take Arron Bunshel; he self-immolated in front of the Israeli Embassy in D.C. to protest the Genocide occuring in the Gaza Strip. But when the Media talks about him, it’s only about the fact he self-immolated instead of the cause he was fighting for. But we also don’t really recognize him as a Martyr. I won’t speak confidently on his state of mind. But he clearly wanted to be seen as a a Martyr in opposition to the Genocide occuring right now. But we just don’t care. Could it be because we have grown so numb to shit like this happening? In some ways, yes. But in a lot of ways, no. I truly believe the reason we don’t hear about cases of people martyring themselves more is that it’s dangerous to the establishment. It truly scares them shitless to the fact that people can be so courageous or stupid, depending on your viewpoint to the validity of martyrdom. But I think if the establishment doesn’t want you to hear about it. I think it speaks volumes to it’s strengths as a weapon for change in the name of the people the establishment are supposed to protect.