Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Music / Post No Bills Malachi Ritscher's apparent suicide
Posted by Peter Margasak on 11.07.06 at 04:06 PM
On Saturday the Sun-Times ran a small item about a man who had set himself on fire during rush hour Friday morning near the Ohio Street exit on the Kennedy. His identity has still not been officially determined, but members of the local jazz and improvised music community say they are certain it was Malachi Ritscher, a longtime supporter of the scene. Bruno Johnson, who owns the free-jazz label Okka Disk, received a package yesterday from Ritscher that included a will, keys to his home, and instructions about what should be done with his belongings. Johnson, a former Chicagoan who now lives in Milwaukee, began making calls. Police are still awaiting the results of dental tests, but Johnson says an officer told one of Ritscher's sisters that all evidence pointed to the body being his; his car was found nearby and he hadn't shown up for work since Thursday.
Buried on Ritscher's web site Chicago Rash Audio Potential, a compendium of invaluable show postings, artwork, and photography, are a suicide note and an obituary. Both indicate that he was deeply troubled by the war in Iraq and pinpoint it as a motive for suicide (no method is specified), though there are indications that he may have had other issues as well. "He had a son, from whom he was estranged (at the son's request), and two grandchildren," reads the obit. "He had many acquaintances, but few friends; and wrote his own obituary, because no one else really knew him." Ritscher was a familiar face at antiwar protests, and he was arrested more than once for his involvement, including this time this past May. A note found at the scene of the immolation reportedly read "Thou Shalt Not Kill."
Although Ritscher, who was in his early 50s, had played music off and on over the years, he was best known for his devotion to documenting other people's shows. Several nights a week for at least the last decade he could be found at places like the Empty Bottle, the Velvet Lounge, and the Hungry Brain; by his own count he recorded more than 2,000 concerts. Over the years he invested more money in equipment and as his skills improved, many of his recordings went to be used on commerical releases--by Paul Rutherford, Gold Sparkle Band, Isotope 217, Irene Schweizer, and Ken Vandermark among others. Ritscher was fiercely modest about these pursuits--I once tried to do a piece on him for the Reader but he declined, saying he didn’t want publicity.
Feel free to contribute your own comments or memories below.
Photos courtesy of Joeff Davis
Comments (662)
Showing 1-50 of 662
Wow this is powerful, shocking and ultimately quite sad. While I never knew Ritscher, I am going to assume he was one of the people responsible for taping a lot of the Tuesday/Wednesday free and cheap jazz nights at the Empty Bottle which I used to frequent regularly. Ritscher's suicide, personal problems aside, is a strong commentary on how the war in Iraq can and does affect many people on a very personal and humanist level. It's sad, not only because he felt compelled to take his own life as a stance against the war but that so little has been written about it in the mainstream media. Thanks, Peter, for sharing this with all of us and hopefully something ultimately positive, aside from Ritscher's recordings, come from all of this sadness and madness.
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Thanks, Peter, for posting this item. This is shocking and sad news, indeed. I spoke to Malachi numerous times, not just about music, but also such passions as food and travel. Whatever personal problems he was experiencing, I found him always upbeat and enthusiastic about these passions. His outrage at the war in Iraq, and his willingness to speak out (on this and many other international and local issues), is one more reason why he will be missed.
It's gonna really feel empty not seeing Malachi at the shows with his recording gear set up in the corner of the room. After years of e-mail dialogue about show postings and checking his site a couple times a week, I finally met him in person a few months ago when he recorded our show at South Union Arts. I was taken by the selflessness of his act of coming out to the show, paying admission, recording, and then sending off the cd-r (a fine live document which isn't easy to do) of the result within days of the show. He wouldn't accept reimbursement for any of it either. We chatted about Elvin Jones' last days on the drum throne...man I just can't believe this. Thanks for posting this Peter.
This has been tearing me up all day. I didn't know Malachi but I referred to his website almost daily, and his contribution to Chicago music seems invaluable. The saddest part of this whole affair is the thought that Malachi's profound, while difficult to swallow, statement will fade in poignance and import if it is not heard by enough people. Peter, I thank you for posting this, and hope that perhaps the Reader could devote some space to this complex, conflicted story, if only to ensure that Malachi didnt die for nothing.
Peter, thank you so much for posting this. I was acquainted with Malachi through working with 2 performance spaces a few years back, and he was always there at every show, really supportive, and so friendly and a real pleasure to talk to. I feel that this story is larger than Chicago, and needs to be discussed broadly. This sort of act does not happen everyday, at least not here. I'm truly saddened by this news and thank you for giving this due attention. Some other news outlets that have covered this, albeit with cursory attention, boil it all down to mental illness. It's so much more than this.
I deeply empathize with Malachi's discontent. It's a heartbreaking situation. Peter, thanks for sharing this.
i second all of evan's points. i only knew him informally, but our circles were exponentially concentric. let's please not let this fine and developed person die in vain.
Malachi was a devoted supporter of the Chicago music scene. He will be missed dearly. I hope he has found peace.
Thanks for writing about this Peter. I must have seen Malachi record dozens of shows, many of them performances that I still treasure in my mind. It was always a comfort to know that they were being recorded by someone who appeared to care so deeply about what he was doing. I never really met Malachi, but after looking through the galleries on his savagesound site I regret that I never had the chance to. It's heartbreaking that on a night that seems to offer some small hope for people who disagree with the way this country is headed we have to mourn another casualty of the callous nation we've become. I'm sure Malachi had other issues...but for most people I know art, music, and politics are all different sides of the same thing, in a way. I agree with Evan...people should know more about Malachi. It's a powerful story.
I just foundout tonite from 2 people that didn't know him at all, and they were very sad by the news. I can't claim to know him that well, but I was in contact with him constantly concerning shows at my cafe, and we would talk at our events, when he recorded, or at other venues. As a passionate politically minded person myself, I shared in common in beliefs as Malachi, except I didn't know it until now. I am very saddened by this loss. The savagesound page is a gem to chicago, amongst his countless recordings, presence on the scene, and beautifully discreet personality. The savagesound.com page was a major reason for me to move from baltimore to Chicago back in 02', holding a tight aware schedule of the happening jazz/experimental scene here. I have emailed him dozens of times, and talked about the advent of myspace to the jazz scene, to my cafe and beyond. I can't say that I knew him that well...but I feel his message in the manner that he left this world..."something must be done to take a stand and wake people UP!!!" Much love to you Malachi, wherever you are... from chicago
So are we going to just let this happen and do nothing to memorialize this man? Are we too going to accept the unstable, depressed angle some will attach to his act? A humane individual is affected by these things. Few people act. True spiritual conviction is rare. This last flame of a life flares to awaken us to action. Let not let his sacrifice be in vain, let it not be trivialized. What are WE going to do?
I met Malachi last fall when touring the East coast. He is one of the few people I met (musicians set aside) that I kept in contact with eversince. It is not very often that I meet an american who would appologize for what his country was doing to my part of the world so spontaneously. We went into a pretty powerful discussion about politics, that then lead us to music... indeed two sides of the same coin. Later I found out about his great contributions to both anti-war protests and improvised music through his website. Although I am impressed by the whole scenery around his act, I still think he was more useful to humanity alive and will miss him profoundly.
Wait, WHY IS THIS NOT MAKING NATIONAL NEWS? He immolated himself, iraq being one of the causes given? That is not something to be buried in a small local indie paper. i'm going to have to post this article around on the web.
Yeah, I'm with Jazzman. A friend forwarded this to me in NYC, and I'll forward this to others--but this REALLY DESERVES NATIONAL PICKUP.
Malachi seemed to be a given in the Chicago music community, which made it easy to overlook his enormous generosity and vitality. In his roles as a fan and expert documenter, he enabled relationships (interpersonal/social and formal/artistic) and fueled creative energy that radiates across the world from Chicago. I'm deeply saddened by his passing. Like Sharif, I'm concerned that Malachi's death might be a victory for entropy. In Malachi's memory, let's vow to be thorns in the asses of those who act as if US ascendancy is divinely ordained, and let's fill the void created by his passing and do our part to sustain creative life. Thank you, Malachi. Peace.
Yes, I work in New York, and i'm sending letters to local newspapers, in addition to ones i've sent to the Trib, which apparently didn't cover the story at all, and the Sun Times. Its true, this needs to be recognized.
It's our loss; I would encourage people to read Malachi's last words and take them to heart; he died for something he believed in, and I respect that decision though the price was so high. Thank you Malachi, you tirelessly documented and publicized our art form to a degree that made it clear you truly were a great lover of new musics. If no one truly knew him, the face he showed us was still one of virtue.
The fact that the mainstream media hasn't made mention of the action(s) of this obviously sensitive and intelligent man, merely lends 'support' to the frustration that he, and many like him, feel with regard to the circumstances of our world today. I certainly appreciate the sentiment in Floyd Webbs' comment with his post.
It does sound like Chicago, and the world, lost a very important part of the local activist, arts and music communities. But people who are psychologically healthy don't set themselves on fire for any reason. So while I don't think what he did was really politically motivated, I do admire his attempts to make a statement with what was, ultimately, the self-centered end result of serious medical problems.
How ironic that he was willing to make a sacrifice for his ideals that of course Bush, Rumself, Cheney, etc. (all service dodgers) would never make. I hope people see this for what it is.
I didn't know Malachi, but this truly is something sad. I know that he will be missed, and I do think that his message needs to be heard on National News ... This war has deeply affected all of us, and truly Malachi was the first one to step out and make a HUGE statement about it. Let's not let his message get buried under bullshit stories about celebrities and fashion designers, or other bullshit fluf. RIP Malachi.
you have to wonder why police sat on his death and releasing info--it happened on friday and there was a videotape next to his body? did the tape ID him? this should have been in sunday's paper, with his note/mission statement. this took too long to get out and you have to wonder what he had in mind in terms of impact and size of coverage...
cynthetica, according to Richard Roeper here: http://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/126361,CST-NWS-roep07.article He was videotaping himself as he committed the act, so I don't know if he would have identified himself on that tape or not.
From what I've learned, his body was charred beyond recognition--gender couldn't even be determined--and while all circumstantial evidence indicates that the body is Ritscher's, the police are waiting for dental records to make sure it's him--results apparently due later today. It took until Monday before anyone in the jazz community realized it was he, so I don't know how the mainstream media would've solved the case before the police or friends
thanks for the roeper link tim, tho he said nothing of MR's mission...just implied he was mentally ill. i know they need dental records and all that for a proper ID--but MR was methodical, i am sure he ID'd himself on the tape--said something liek who he was and what he was about to do--before all the destruction began. anyway police need to go through lots of hoops before they ID. all i was trying to say is that i have a feeling, tho i could be wrong, that he wanted this in the news bigger and sooner than it has been.
This is very sad. But I don't believe his suicide note. I think he killed himself because he was lonely and depressed. As an intelligent guy he was, of course, opposed to the Iraq War but that's hardly a reason to kill yourself in the middle of the street during rush hour. No, I think life is imitating art... watch Taxi Driver and see if you get what I'm talking about.
Really? I think he was probably more inspired by this-> http://www.geocities.com/tcartz/sacrifice.htm Than by Taxi Driver. It's history repeating itself.
How can you dishonor this man with your numb cynicism? Doesn't his memmory deserve the benefit of the doubt?
when did this happen? i wish there was more news of this to splatter it all over america. enlightment i call it. enlightment for those to realize. enlightment to us all for all. enlightment for our earth and all who inhabit. shit. we are a bunch of fucking parasites in a shape of monkees. PEACE
I'm sad about the loss of a friend (yes, Malachi: friend), and about the loss of a vital contributor to the local and global community. I hope Malachi's life will continue to inspire others to be responsible citizens and passionate advocates for creative arts and progressive politics. "Look you have a life--use it! No one ever works alone!" (Kenneth Patchen)
Peter, thanks for covering this. Malachi's death affects the creative music scene throughout the entire country and beyond. His support and generosity towards musicians has helped literally hundreds and hundreds of people over the years, including myself. He will be missed.
Thank you for telling the world about this. It is overwhelmingly sad. It not only says a lot about war and peace but also about how isolated many are through no fault of their own. Our culture is sick. Empathy is dead.
To AW and others who feel that this was only the action of a depressed person, I would refer you to Malachi's own "mission statement" which begins by stating, "My actions should be self-explanatory, and since in our self-obsessed culture words seldom match the deed, writing a mission statement would seem questionable. So judge me by my actions. Maybe some will be scared enough to wake from their walking dream state - am I therefore a martyr or terrorist? I would prefer to be thought of as a 'spiritual warrior'. Our so-called leaders are the real terrorists in the world today, responsible for more deaths than Osama bin Laden. " Furthermore, the act of self-immolation has only happened 4 times in the entire history of the USA. Malachi makes 5. Not a very typical method of suicide... The other times were protests against the Vietnam war. Of course, Buddhist monks have been doing this to protest various situations for quite a while. Here is an excerpt and explanation of the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc. "...the self-immolation can be seen as a "political act" aimed at calling attention to the injustices being perpetrated against the South Vietnamese people by a puppet government of Euro-American imperialism. In this context, Thich Nhat Hnah describes the act of self-immolation as follows: "The press spoke then of suicide, but in the essence, it is not. It is not even a protest. What the monks said in the letters they left before burning themselves aimed only at alarming, at moving the hearts of the oppressors, and at calling the attention of the world to the suffering endured then by the Vietnamese. To burn oneself by fire is to prove that what one is saying is of the utmost importance…. The Vietnamese monk, by burning himself, says with all his strength and determination that he can endure the greatest of sufferings to protect his people…. To express will by burning oneself, therefore, is not to commit an act of destruction but to perform an act of construction, that is, to suffer and to die for the sake of one’s people. This is not suicide." Thich Nhat Hanh goes on to explaining why Thich Quang Duc’s self-immolation was not a suicide, which is contrary to Buddhist teachings: "Suicide is an act of self-destruction, having as causes the following: (1) lack of courage to live and to cope with difficulties; (2) defeat by life and loss of all hope; (3) desire for nonexistence….. The monk who burns himself has lost neither courage nor hope; nor does he desire nonexistence. On the contrary, he is very courageous and hopeful and aspires for something good in the future. He does not think that he is destroying himself; he believes in the good fruition of his act of self-sacrifice for the sake of others…. I believe with all my heart that the monks who burned themselves did not aim at the death of their oppressors but only at a change in their policy. Their enemies are not man. They are intolerance, fanaticism, dictatorship, cupidity, hatred, and discrimination which lie within the heart of man." (full article) http://www.buddhistinformation.com/self_immolation.htm I am moved more than I can say by Malachi's action. It's very easy to play dime store psychologist at a time like this, but I prefer to take Malachi at his word and try to make sure this action is as widely reported as possible. Also, this videotape that he apparently made of the self-immolation should be made public as soon as possible. peace, Michael Zerang
Thank you Mr Zerang for saying that so I don't have to. The least we can do is take Malachi at his word.
I agree with everything Michael said above. Suicide is rarely for one single reason. Certainly depression and lonliness were part of Malachi's life, as they are parts of all of our lives. However, if they were his main reasons for his suicide, he would have chosen a different, less public and less painful method. I am certain that the method, the setting and his explanations were all carefully thought out as an act of love and protest. Whether we see them as such or not is up to us. Malachi was not one to call attention to himself and this act was meant to call attention to the situation that he so strongly believed was unsupportable that he would make the ending of his life his ultimate act of protest. Regardless of what anyone thinks of him or his mental state, do not lose sight of what he wanted this act to signify. We should be coming away from this asking ourselves if we have done all we can (politically - globally and locally, and also in interpersonal relationships) and what we have learned about love, freedom, patriotism and how we treat our fellow man. I feel that Malachi might have better got these points across if he had stayed with us, he clearly felt otherwise. Hopefully, his sacrifice will ultimately have the meaning that he intended.
Thank you for that, MZ. It helps to put his act in historical perspective: there is a history and a tradition to what he did. I do think we have a cultural tendency to pathologize acts like this: because the West fears death--especially a painful death--so much, mental illness is the conclusion jumped to. Which has the effect of negating his own powerfully stated reasons, which is a gigantic disservice to him and those powerful pieces of writing he clearly worked to put a lifetime's worth of meaning into. I'm going to miss him and I'm still struggling to wrap my brain around it in all sorts of ways, of course, but this was no "run-of-the-mill" suicide (if there is such a thing).
Many thanks to Michael Zerang and Rob Pleshar for their eloquent responses to AW. Almost any action for social change can be interpreted as irrational and therefore a symptom of mental instability. I do believe in treatment for serious mental illness, but sensitivity to injustice is NOT mental illness. To deprive this man's death of the meaning he obviously intended is one last act of the kind of violence that he was revolting against. I didn't know him, but I just read his mission statement. He said he felt called to serve his country. Chicago Area Veterans for Peace is having a rally to end the war this Veteran's Day (Saturday Nov. 11) at Wacker and Wabash (at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial) at 11am. It seems appropriate to honor Malachi Ritscher there, where those so moved can meet others who wish to continue his mission by working peace.
Thanks Michael. You said it better than I could. We need to respect this action, whether or not we can understand it. Peace
I hope that he will not be lost in our past like many, just HUMAN as he was. War is hell.
I knew Malachi to be unfailingly friendly and amiable and his work as a documentarian speaks for itself. He will be missed. I can't answer to his state of mind and I don't care to speculate. Brendan stated it so well. The deluded people are the ones who have plunged Iraq into a living hell where the pointless loss of life is an everyday occurrence.
"The monk who burns himself has lost neither courage nor hope; nor does he desire nonexistence. On the contrary, he is very courageous and hopeful and aspires for something good in the future. He does not think that he is destroying himself; he believes in the good fruition of his act of self-sacrifice for the sake of others…." Michael Zerang's post really brings home that this is an intensely spiritual act. I am not second guessing the man. I am moving my ass to action, to be more active, to make sure his sacrifice is known around the world. I redouble my own efforts to resist and come out of my own slumber. I have spread news of Malachi to India, Australia, Brazil, England and France. I am contacting every press preson I know everywhere. Democrats are back in power or sorts. Rumsfield is out...so what? Time to clean up the bushit left behind. Time to hold those Democrats who followed Bush to war to account for their actions. In the Bambara culture there is the Komo, a society of magical blacksmiths who see fire as transforming matter from one form to another...it about light...and letting ones light shine, to burn, to bring about transformation. Let his act transform us. If you not feeling it. No problem...just move back and stay out of the way...
Yes, unfailingly friendly, supportive and loyal. He will be missed. I am blown away by this whole story. Good bye Malachi!
Most people posting here no doubt knew Malachi through his art and political activism. I knew him through work and although I knew he was a very creative person, he was also a very self-effacing person; I didn't know the depth of his creativity and activism. We worked in different divisions of the U of C, and would chat when we ran into each other in the hall. Mostly Malachi wanted to talk about computers (what I do at work). I hadn't realized I hadn't seen him in awhile, and I did not make the connection with the story on the news Friday and Malachi until I saw his name this evening. His death is extremely sad, and if this is the right place to add condolences, let me add mine. Malachi was one of the nicest persons you could ever hope to meet.
may everyone without exception be happy. may respect and love be ordinary actions of vast benefit.
I didn't know Malachi well, but it was always a joy to talk with him at shows. I used to ask him about recording equipment; he was incredibly knowledgeable, and was utterly unselfish about sharing his expertise. His passion for the music, and for documenting it, knew no bounds. This is incredibly sad news. He will be missed.
I am trying to be comforted by the fact that Malachi took his life in his own way, his choice and his decision, on his own terms.... but I am terribly shaken by this. I am also very saddened by it. I like Malachi a lot and liked seeing and chatting with him at shows and I will miss that and miss him.
http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/74806/index.php A Chicago activist burns him self alive for the cause of peace. During the Viet Nam War, Buddhist monks in Saigon set themselves on fire to protest the war. The whole world watched as these martyrs for peace went up in flames. Last Friday, a man approached the "Millenium Flame" sculpture on the Kennedy Expressway near the Ohio Exit, and set himself aflame, leaving a not stating: "Thou Shalt Not Kill." The local media just wrote this off as another unfortunate case of mental illness. But it wasn't mental illness. It was an anti-war protest. Malachi Ritscher was a martyr for peace. Here is his testament: My actions should be self-explanatory, and since in our self-obsessed culture words seldom match the deed, writing a mission statement would seem questionable. So judge me by my actions. Maybe some will be scared enough to wake from their walking dream state - am I therefore a martyr or terrorist? I would prefer to be thought of as a 'spiritual warrior'. Our so-called leaders are the real terrorists in the world today, responsible for more deaths than Osama bin Laden. I have had a wonderful life, both full and full of wonder. I have experienced love and the joy and heartache of raising a child. I have jumped out of an airplane, and escaped a burning building. I have spent the night in jail, and dropped acid during the sixties. I have been privileged to have met many supremely talented musicians and writers, most of whom were extremely generous and gracious. Even during the hard times, I felt charmed. Even the difficult lessons have been like blessed gifts. When I hear about our young men and women who are sent off to war in the name of God and Country, and who give up their lives for no rational cause at all, my heart is crushed. What has happened to my country? we have become worse than the imagined enemy - killing civilians and calling it 'collateral damage', torturing and trampling human rights inside and outside our own borders, violating our own Constitution whenever it seems convenient, lying and stealing right and left, more concerned with sports on television and ring-tones on cell-phones than the future of the world.... half the population is taking medication because they cannot face the daily stress of living in the richest nation in the world. I too love God and Country, and feel called upon to serve. I can only hope my sacrifice is worth more than those brave lives thrown away when we attacked an Arab nation under the deception of 'Weapons of Mass Destruction'. Our interference completely destroyed that country, and destabilized the entire region. Everyone who pays taxes has blood on their hands. I have had one previous opportunity to serve my country in a meaningful way - at 8:05 one morning in 2002 I passed Donald Rumsfeld on Delaware Avenue and I was acutely aware that slashing his throat would spare the lives of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of innocent people. I had a knife clenched in my hand, and there were no bodyguards visible; to my deep shame I hesitated, and the moment was past. The violent turmoil initiated by the United States military invasion of Iraq will beget future centuries of slaughter, if the human race lasts that long. First we spit on the United Nations, then we expect them to clean up our mess. Our elected representatives are supposed to find diplomatic and benevolent solutions to these situations. Anyone can lash out and retaliate, that is not leadership or vision. Where is the wisdom and honor of the people we delegate our trust to? To the rest of the world we are cowards - demanding Iraq to disarm, and after they comply, we attack with remote-control high-tech video-game weapons. And then lie about our reasons for invading. We the people bear complete responsibility for all that will follow, and it won't be pretty. It is strange that most if not all of this destruction is instigated by people who claim to believe in God, or Allah. Many sane people turn away from religion, faced with the insanity of the 'true believers'. There is a lot of confusion: many people think that God is like Santa Claus, rewarding good little girls with presents and punishing bad little boys with lumps of coal; actually God functions more like the Easter Bunny, hiding surprises in plain sight. God does not choose the Lottery numbers, God does not make the weather, God does not endorse military actions by the self-righteous, God does not sit on a cloud listening to your prayers for prosperity. God does not smite anybody. If God watches the sparrow fall, you notice that it continues to drop, even to its death. Face the truth folks, God doesn't care, that's not what God is or does. If the human race drives itself to extinction, God will be there for another couple million years, 'watching' as a new species rises and falls to replace us. It is time to let go of primitive and magical beliefs, and enter the age of personal responsibility. Not telling others what is right for them, but making our own choices, and accepting consequences. "Who would Jesus bomb?" This question is primarily addressing a Christian audience, but the same issues face the Muslims and the Jews: God's message is tolerance and love, not self-righteousness and hatred. Please consider "Thou shalt not kill" and "As ye sow, so shall ye reap". Not a lot of ambiguity there. What is God? God is the force of life - the spark of creation. We each carry it within us, we share it with each other. Whether we are conscious of the life-force is a choice we make, every minute of every day. If you choose to ignore it, nothing will happen - you are just 'less conscious'. Maybe you are less happy (maybe not). Maybe you grow able to tap into the universal force, and increase the creativity in the universe. Love is anti-entropy. Please notice that 'conscious' and 'conscience' are related concepts. Why God - what is the value? Whether committee consensus of a benevolent power that works through humans, or giant fungus under Oregon, the value of opening up to the concept of God is in coming to the realization that we are not alone, establishing a connection to the universe, the experience of finding completion. As individuals we may exist alone, but we are all alone together as a people. Faith is the answer to fear. Fear opposes love. To manipulate through fear is a betrayal of trust. What does God want? No big mystery - simply that we try to help each other. We decide to make God-like decisions, rescuing falling sparrows, or putting the poor things out of their misery. Tolerance, giving, acceptance, forgiveness. If this sounds a lot like pop psychology, that is my exact goal. Never underestimate the value of a pep-talk and a pat on the ass. That is basically all we give to our brave soldiers heading over to Iraq, and more than they receive when they return. I want to state these ideas in their simplest form, reducing all complexity, because each of us has to find our own answers anyway. Start from here... I am amazed how many people think they know me, even people who I have never talked with. Many people will think that I should not be able to choose the time and manner of my own death. My position is that I only get one death, I want it to be a good one. Wouldn't it be better to stand for something or make a statement, rather than a fiery collision with some drunk driver? Are not smokers choosing death by lung cancer? Where is the dignity there? Are not the people the people who disregard the environment killing themselves and future generations? Here is the statement I want to make: if I am required to pay for your barbaric war, I choose not to live in your world. I refuse to finance the mass murder of innocent civilians, who did nothing to threaten our country. I will not participate in your charade - my conscience will not allow me to be a part of your crusade. There might be some who say "it's a coward's way out" - that opinion is so idiotic that it requires no response. From my point of view, I am opening a new door. What is one more life thrown away in this sad and useless national tragedy? If one death can atone for anything, in any small way, to say to the world: I apologize for what we have done to you, I am ashamed for the mayhem and turmoil caused by my country. I was alive when John F. Kennedy instilled hope into a generation, and I was a sorry witness to the final crushing of hope by Dick Cheney's puppet, himself a pawn of the real rulers, the financial plunderers and looters who profit from every calamity; following the template of Reagan's idiocracy. The upcoming elections are not a solution - our two party system is a failure of democracy. Our government has lost its way since our founders tried to build a structure which allowed people to practice their own beliefs, as far as it did not negatively affect others. In this regard, the separation of church and state needs to be reviewed. This is a large part of the way that the world has gone wrong, the endless defining and dividing of things, micro-sub-categorization, sectarianism. The direction we need is a process of unification, integrating all people into a world body, respecting each individual. Business and industry have more power than ever before, and individuals have less. Clearly, the function of government is to protect the individual, from hardship and disease, from zealots, from the exploitation, from monopoly, even from itself. Our leaders are not wise persons with integrity and vision - they are actors reading from teleprompters, whose highest goal is to stir up the mob. Our country slaughters Arabs, abandons New Orleaneans, and ignores the dieing environment. Our economy is a house of cards, as hollow and fragile as our reputation around the world. We as a nation face the abyss of our own design. A coalition system which includes a Green Party would be an obvious better approach than our winner-take-all system. Direct electronic debate and balloting would be an improvement over our non-representative congress. Consider that the French people actually have a voice, because they are willing to riot when the government doesn't listen to them. "Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government... " - Abraham Lincoln With regard to those few who crossed my path carrying the extreme and unnecessary weight of animosity: they seemed by their efforts to be punishing themselves. As they acted out the misery of their lives it is now difficult to feel anything other than pity for them. Without fear I go now to God - your future is what you will choose today. www.savagesound.com/gallery99.htm His biography is here: www.savagesound.com/gallery100.htm Let's not allow this sacrifice to be written off as just another unfortunate tragedy. The tragedy is in Iraq, and Malachi Ritscher died to tell us all that. Malachi Ritscher is entitled to at least as much respect as those Buddhist monks in Viet Nam.
Along with myself in Los Angeles, Jon Luini in San Francisco, Margaret Davis and Keiko Uenishi in New York City and Seth Cluett earlier on the Chicago Now list, Malachi was one of the few members of a fraternity of dogged individuals doing relatively lonely work: spreading the news about difficult music to a farflung and remote public. His work was nothing less than an elevation of consciousness and shall be missed very deeply for a long time to come. We are all smaller because of his absence.
