What Does it Take for a Man to Set Himself on Fire? A Look at the Horrific Death of Charles R. Ingram

 
What does it take for a man to set himself on fire?

Clearly it is much easier for somebody to take a bullet to the head or swallow a bottle of pills.

But 51-year-old veteran Charles R. Ingram recently decided to set himself on fire outside a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in New Jersey. Clearly he was willing to go through an agonizing, horrific death to make a statement about his treatment (or lack of treatment) by the US Veterans Administration. The VA is supposed serve Veterans and help them receive medical treatment.

Almost 2 years ago it was revealed that a Veterans Health Administration in Phoenix was keeping a secret list that allowed people to die by creating lengthy appointment times for treatment of Veterans.

...Despite investigations pointing to widespread mismanagement, the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, the installation of his successor, Robert McDonald, and the passage of a $16-billion law that promised to expand care and make it easier to fire errant employees, little has changed for veterans still forced to wait for months for care...(source: USA News.com)

Here in the US, we give lip service to our Veterans. When they were sent off to fight in the Afghanistan and the Iraq War, most people were cheering them on and tying yellow ribbons on trees. But after years and years of wars that required endless occupation, Americans became used to war. When Veterans were brought home in caskets or as paraplegics, the media turned a blind eye to the horror. Now Americans muster a "thanks for your service" and somehow believe that helps the Veteran cope with the post traumatic stress disorder, the physical ailments, the economic hardships, the alcohol and drug addictions, and the other hardships serving in wars brought them.

So here we are today. Trillions of dollars spent on unnecessary wars that continue, deaths and injuries of Iraqis, Afghanis, Libyans, and Syrians add up to millions of people, well over one hundred thousand mental and physical injuries and deaths of our own soldiers, and civil wars that rage throughout the region, a plethora of terrorist armies in the Middle East not only attacking each other and the governments there but also hitting at the heart of Europe, and mass waves of desperate refugees being forced to leave their homelands.

All of this horror we see arose from the actions of war criminals (like Bush, Cheney, Blair, Rumsfeld, and others). Those war criminals live in wealth and ease and claim to have no regrets for their dishonor and lies. Sure there were millions of people throughout the US and Europe that tried to stop the attacks and invasions, but their protests made no difference. The Military Industrial Complex wanted the oil and the control of the Middle East. Their wants became our nightmare.

So Charles R. Ingram gave his life in a horrific fashion to call attention to the way Veterans are treated. But he gave his life long ago when he went off to service, not knowing how little care his own government had for him and those like him.

Rest in Peace Mr. Ingram. Your death has not gone unnoticed.

Grant