On this day in 1965 — exactly 50 years ago — Roger Allen LaPorte set himself on fire in front of the Dag Hammarskjold Library at the United Nations. He was part of the Catholic Worker Movement, and he was protesting the Vietnam War. He did not die immediately. He was taken to the Bellevue Hospital where he died the following day. He had 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 95% of his body. Of his act, he said, “I’m a Catholic Worker. I’m against war, all wars. I did this as a religious action.” He was 22 years old.

I’ve long had a fascination with Thích Quảng Đức — the first Vietnamese Buddhist to similarly kill himself in protest against the Diệm regime. Many monks followed in his wake. I did not, however, know that there were people in the United States who did the same thing — although regarding the war and not the Diệm government. On 16 March 1965, Alice Herz set herself on fire to protest the war. She died ten days later. And exactly a week before LaPorte’s act, Norman Morrison burned himself to death at the Pentagon.

Nothing terrifies me like fire. So these acts have a profound effect on me. I admire the commitment of these people. At the same time, I think they are insane. Regardless, they are appropriate. They are an interesting contrast to those who murder in the name of saving unborn babies. Murder in the name of stopping murder does not make sense to me. But setting oneself on fire to show how strongly you feel about something is at least coherent. And I salute that.

On this day in 1605, Guy Fawkes was arrested for his part in the Gunpowder Plot. What I don’t really understand about him is how he became a symbol of freedom. I mean, he wanted to kill the protestant king and replace him with a Catholic. I guess time heals all wounds. Or something.

James VI managed to survive the plot, but his son, King Charles I, was not so lucky. The “people” took control of the government and executed him. That didn’t go too well and eventually Charles II was put back on the throne. Maybe the timing was wrong. Or maybe the country was wrong. Regardless, Oliver Cromwell is a much better symbol of freedom.

Not that any of them are. They’re all a bunch of people who were looking for power. The only people who do anything for the people are the people.

On this day, exactly 20 years ago, the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. It’s interesting that he was murdered by a right wing Israeli extremist. But it is hardly surprising. The truth is that for a long time, the Israeli government has suffered from the same thing that the modern Republican Party here suffers from. They cried wolf so much that they’ve created a huge base of the population that actually believes their extremist rhetoric. In fact, as far as I can tell, Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the those true believers. And that makes him (and Israel) very dangerous.

Here in the United States, the behavior of Israel doesn’t make much sense. They continue to allow (encourage, actually) the building of illegal settlements. I don’t think this is primarily because they are interested in destroying any chance of the two state solution. I think that — just like the Republican elites and their crazy base — the Israeli government is afraid of their settlers. They are afraid (with good reason) that if the government holds the settlers accountable, the settlers will start to commit acts of terrorism.

I know this seems unthinkable here in the United States. But there is a long history of Israeli terrorism — and I’m not even talking about the government attacks on Palestinian civilian populations. As bad as that is, it isn’t technically terrorism. But before Israel was officially recognized and in its early days, Zionists most certainly did practice terrorism. And there is little doubt that the settlers — who are among the most extreme and racist people in Israel — would use terrorism if they weren’t simply given everything they want.

Rabin was murdered because of his part in the Oslo Accords. And although his murder was given a life sentence, people in Israel still campaign to get him released. I’m all for mercy, but this is just nonsense. There is a sizable portion of the people of Israel who would simply commit a genocide to get rid of the Palestinians to get control of the whole region. I’m not saying that there aren’t Palestinians who think the same thing. But in this country, it is never the Israelis who are presented in this way.