As you know, an airman has died after setting himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. Sunday. "Rest in power" was trending for Aaron Bushnell, which caused a slight controversy over whether or not "Rest in power" belonged to the black community exclusively.
Slate writer Mark Joseph Stern tweeted this:
I strongly oppose valorizing any form of suicide as a noble, principled, or legitimate form of political protest. People suffering mental illness deserve empathy and respect, but it is wildly irresponsible to praise them for using a political justification to take their own life.
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) February 26, 2024
I’m genuinely surprised by the response to this tweet! None of us—but especially journalists—should glamorize or glorify suicide as a heroic or noble act. That’s a bedrock rule in Reporting on Suicide, a set of best practices developed by expert groups: https://t.co/YAT90WhUel pic.twitter.com/vqycbkAzLR
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) February 27, 2024
As we reported, Wajahat Ali claimed there was no evidence that Bushnell suffered from mental illness, aside from the setting himself on fire part. Self-immolation is just the "most extreme" sort of protest, Ali argued, adding that Bushnell's final words were, "Free Palestine."
A self-described mental health counselor called Stern's tweet "cowardly, dishonest, and dehumanizing."
Hi i'm a mental health counselor and I find this cowardly, dishonest, and dehumanizing on a basic level. Do you think a therapist could have "helped" Aaron? with mindfulness and cognitive reframing? or medication? should he have been involuntarily committed? Fuck you, dude https://t.co/8dqRlkCR1K
— comeback jack (@meanunclejack) February 26, 2024
Yes it is actually in the job description of a therapist to help people deal with suicidality
— Avery Allison 🫐🌺 (@FembyPhilosophy) February 27, 2024
https://t.co/AhNum8cDFK pic.twitter.com/0uDjPDkTGr
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) February 27, 2024
Please I beg you, change careers, you are a danger to your clients
— Bumface מיסטר באמפייס (@misterbumface) February 27, 2024
that's not even close to what the guy said and you should not be in the profession you are in because holy sh*t you are a danger to anyone's mental health if this is your response
— 🙏🌧🌍 (@godblesstoto) February 27, 2024
You’re also not a counselor you’re an intern getting a little head of yourself there, Mr. Walden
— Lieconoclast 🇮🇱 🟦 (@lieconoclast) February 27, 2024
You must be great at your job. “Oh you want to kill yourself? Is it in service of terrorism? Hell yeah!”
— Shaiel Ben-Ephraim (@academic_la) February 27, 2024
You are affirming what Matt Walsh (and I) think of therapists.
— Sour Patch Lyds 🐊 (@sourpatchlyds) February 27, 2024
Either join Aaron on his personal journey or choose a different field because you are a menace.
PATIENT: "I'm thinking of setting myself on fire in protest."
MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR: "That's awesome, here, take my lighter!"
“should he have been involuntarily committed?”
— Dave (@DavePunFun) February 27, 2024
Um, yeah! That’s a pretty fundamental reason to do that; someone is going to do serious harm to themselves.
It’s quite worrying you’re a therapist and don’t have a grasp of the basics. Suicidal client? 🤷♂️ “Not my problem”
Absolutely he should’ve been involuntarily committed. You should you lose your license if you believe otherwise.
— Lieconoclast 🇮🇱 🟦 (@lieconoclast) February 27, 2024
What is your standard operating protocol when a patient comes to you and says “I’m going to go set myself on fire to protest the war in Gaza?”
— Blake Stovall (@mstrofbass) February 26, 2024
That’s weird, I have to answer questions about thoughts of self harm every time I talk to my therapist. She seems to feel like that’s part of her job.
— Jen Monroe (@thatjenmonroe) February 27, 2024
✍️uh✍️oh✍️ pic.twitter.com/UHVIARxOMV
— The List (@ListComesForAll) February 27, 2024
“Evil social worker”
— Brad Brown (@rbradbrown) February 27, 2024
Profile checks out. pic.twitter.com/wOp31TJzg8
Social worker pretending to be a therapist....
— 5PointSlo (@5PointSlo) February 27, 2024
Yes, I think any human should have helped him in any way necessary to avoid suicide, up to and including every single thing you said.
— Entropyrian (@entropyrian) February 27, 2024
Holy shit. I’m not gonna do it, but this feels like something that gets screenshot and sent to a licensing board.
— MeatyDiogenes (@meatydiogenes) February 27, 2024
So your job is useless? Thanks for letting us know. 👍
— Dread Pirate Darin (@ddogsbbq) February 27, 2024
Yeah. Someone should have told him that he can leave the military. He can do other acts of service to help the people of Palestine. There are other ways to be “non complicit” in genocide*.
— Overload (@lOverload) February 27, 2024
So... it's more "humanizing" to let someone set themselves on fire than to try and stop them?
— George From NY (@GeorgeFromNY1) February 27, 2024
Just to be clear: That IS what you're saying?
"Do you think a therapist could have "helped" Aaron?"
— Queerhawk 🏳️🌈 | 🇺🇦| 🛡 (@alwaysadorecats) February 27, 2024
That would be their job description, yes.
Perhaps a competent counselor could have steered Bushnell to express his feelings on Palestine in a more productive, less lethal way. Let's not pretend his death (or "act of protest") changes anything anywhere.
Yes, of course a therapist should have helped him avoid committing public suicide. Do you generally affirm your patients if they tell you they plan on setting themselves on fire?
— Finnegans Take (@LittleMammith) February 27, 2024
If you’re actually a counselor you should have your license revoked. So if a client comes in and says they’re feeling suicidal, but will do it for a political cause, you’re not going to report that? Not going to give them the resources that you’re legally obligated to give?
— yurp (@TheBerticusL) February 26, 2024
Are you really helping, though, by trying to prevent someone from setting themselves on fire because it's the right cause?
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