Self-Immolation
(New Age Thích Quảng Đức)
as i walked outta my dorm i seen a dark form
it was a guy.... in a shirt and tie i'd never seen before
he had a bible in his hand and next to him a gas can
i wasnt shocked i simply thought he was just a stranded man
he started reading scripture and praising his lord
above me came on the light fixture i turned facing the door
more and more people stopped to listen to his praise
i looked at my friend and said "it's just one of them days
it was cold so i zipped up my coat and pulled the colar to my neck
this guy was bold he flipped through folds and stopped to reflect
he read things i never heard before some in different dialect
then he began to speak of his religion and how people defile it
(He said)
"people are afraid of what they do not know
i would never tell anyone that my beliefs are the way to go
i only tell them what good it does for me
i explain to them the joys of my beliefs
i pray that people would have some understanding
but all we get is a descriminative underhanding
from the citezens and the government that dont like who we pray to
i come here to say this.... and say this to you"
He stated that he is loyal to his god and loyal to his church
i thought it was odd but i never imagined this getting any worse
he said he was here to express his love in a protest
like Thich Quang Duc (Theeck Kwang Duck) a vietnamese buddhist
i saw that picture from siagon, i remember the scene
in fact it was an album cover for Rage Against The Machine
in a bergade Roman Cathlics degrade the monks religion
they didnt share the bare esintials or the same religous vision
burning himself to death was Thich's decsion
just as it was in this situation of hate and religous collision
the guy poured gas from his head to his feet tonight
he pulled from his pocket a device to light
himself ablaze it was a horrific sight
then he climbed on top of his mountain bike
never screamed never cried never asked for help
i stood shocked and shaking tryin to imagine what he felt
the bike stopped and toppled people gocked and oggled
the site of a suicide that seemed unstopable
he knew his death he was facin for his cause it was a life not wastin
for him it was pride inside for him it was self-immolation
(Self-immolation refers to setting oneself on fire, often as a form of protest or for the purposes of martyrdom or suicide. It has centuries-long traditions in some cultures, while in modern times it has become a type of radical political protest. Michael Biggs compiled a list of 533 self-immolations reported in Western media from the 1960s to 2002)
check out this link to see who Thích Quảng Đức is!!!