Man Sets Self On Fire At White House

[dissention]

Originally Posted by amber

well, I'm sad that he's all burned, but that was a bit idiotic, you have to admit...right? Or do intelligent normal people set themselves afire near the whitehouse nowadays? Tell me if i missed the memo...

That wasn't the point. The point was that it's pretty heartless to be disappointed that an obviously disturbed man didn't die.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

I did say seemingly... Nancy wanted Ronnie to win a Nobel Peace prize and to that end she encouraged him not to come off as a warmonger. When our Marines were killed in Lebanaon, we left.
Reagan appointed many, many conservative judges. He also appointed Kennedy, O'Connor and Rehnquist. They were three of the five in the 5-4 decision that selected our current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

O'Conner is far from a conservative, especialy in comparison to people like Scalia - who are against things like zoning - its just too liberal She really is neither liberal nor conservative when her voting record is examined. She is the classic middle of the road or the Swing vote. That is why she is widely considered to be the most important member of the Court.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by greatdarkwing

She'll defend him until shes blue in the face

~Alex

I didn't know that defending the actions of a disturbed individual was the same as simply taking issue with someone saying that they're disappointed he didn't die. That's **** logic, if you ask me.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by amber

you probably already saw my feelings on this, but no, of course not. did you know Reagan randomly let out all the crazy people in Berkeley, and i think elsewhere, when he was governor (I think). Without money or anything. Just closed the loony bins...and said get out. isn't that bizarre Sorry, you just reminded me of my immense, all consuming hate of Reagan... Worst President Ever.

He did more than that. He initially kicked them all out onto the streets and then cut funding even more for the people still in the hospitals. He was a cold bastard.

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Yes, I know.
Here's some irony. They're going to release John Hinckley because they say he's no longer mentally ill.

Is this true? And I had no idea about Reagan doing that to the mentally ill, that's horrible. I know someone who is ill and in and out of the system out there, it would be really bad if she were just kicked out when in crisis. She is schizophrenic.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by dissention

He did more than that. He initially kicked them all out onto the streets and then cut funding even more for the people still in the hospitals. He was a cold bastard.

Here is a pretty cool article on it - note there were many, many written, but this one I thought was interesting because it provides an overview and the tenor of the times.

http://www.sociology.org/content/vol003.004/thomas.html

Happy Reading!!!!!

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I disagree. W is the worst President ever in the history of the U.S. - and we have had some pretty bad ones

That's what I was saying.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

That's what I was saying.

I am sorry mea culpa - I thought you were replying to Amber by saying RR was the worst ever. I got confused. I was like, well RR was not bed of roses, but when compared to W

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

O'Conner is far from a conservative, especialy in comparison to people like Scalia - who are against things like zoning - its just too liberal She really is neither liberal nor conservative when her voting record is examined. She is the classic middle of the road or the Swing vote. That is why she is widely considered to be the most important member of the Court.

I never said O'Connor was a conservative. I said she was one of the five Justices who voted in Bush's favor in Bush v. Gore. Having problems with your comprehension this morning?

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I am sorry mea culpa - I thought you were replying to Amber by saying RR was the worst ever. I got confused. I was like, well RR was not bed of roses, but when compared to W

No harm done.

[dissention]

Man Who Ignited Self at White House an Informant
Tue Nov 16, 1:08 AM ET Top Stories - Reuters
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...m/bush_fire_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A man who set himself on fire outside the White House on Monday was a Yemeni federal informant on terrorism upset over how the FBI (news - web sites) had managed his case, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

Mohamed Alanssi, who had recently discussed his work as an informant in interviews with The Washington Post, told the newspaper by faxed letter and telephone on Monday he intended to "burn my body at unexpected place," the newspaper reported.

He told the newspaper that he suffers from diabetes and heart problems and that his wife suffers from stomach cancer. Alanssi said he could not travel to Yemen because he has no money and because the FBI, which expects him to testify at a terrorism trial in New York, was keeping his Yemeni passport.

Alanssi said he became a major informant for the FBI after the 2001 al Qaeda attacks on the United States. He said he was paid $100,000 in 2003 but had expected much more and had not received the permanent residency status he was promised, the newspaper reported.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

You are assuming that is the case. From what I have read, this guy never said anything about Bin Laden or being pissed at the world.

I think it remains to be scene whether this was a political protest - I mean lighting yourself on fire at the White House while screaming Allah and while essentially the entire Muslim population of the world at the least is displeased with the current occupant of the WH does at least hint at a political protest on some level Again, I am not saying that it was a political protest. I am just saying nothing I have read has 100% ruled that out.

But and in any event, I was not assuming this act was a political protest nor was I saying this guy knew OBL, etc. That is why I mentioned this guy first and then started the next paragraph specifiocally with "in other situations" and then referenced OBL and one of the other situations

Also, while I am sorry this apparently mentally ill person injured himself, I am not sorry he did not injure anyone else - that is what I was saying initially. Perhaps it would have been better termed by "I am glad no one else got hurt"

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

I never said O'Connor was a conservative. I said she was one of the five Justices who voted in Bush's favor in Bush v. Gore. Having problems with your comprehension this morning?

Apparently

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

That is why I mentioned this guy first and then started the next paragraph specifiocally with "in other situations" and then referenced OBL and one of the other situations

And that's why on rereading you post I deleted mine.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

And that's why on rereading you post I deleted mine.

Opps - I did not see that Ummmmm - nevermind