. . . my double post from the thread about the following article.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/979766/posts
GREAT ARTICLE, Mr Junod.
THANKS enormously. It has moved me more than any other 911 message or image.
I was sitting in Taipei in my apartment watching CNN and FREEPING on FreeRepublic.com when it started happening. I watched it all live as long as I could stay awake [Where I was teaching English as a self-supporting missionary; 55 years old then, PhD clinical psych].
PERSONALLY, I believe that ALL the photos of ALL the jumpers need to be collected into a viewable collection--probably on the net. Those not wanting to view them, needn't.
I think it would be a grand project for some university or college class--perhaps of photo journalists or detectives or some such--historians.
COLLECT ALL THE PHOTOS AND ALL THE AVAILABLE INFO ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS.
It probably doesn't matter enormously whether people jumped as a last dying flame of despair or as a last flare of freedom and choice. I suspect more often, it was the latter.
Flying free for 10 seconds vs dying excruciatingly from burning or gasping for unbreathable breath--I can understand that.
Regardless, the phenomenon is a VERY HUMAN ONE. It is a blazing, brazen testimony of HUMANNESS.
And, in a sense, it is a blazing, brazen, bold . . . beautiful . . . leap into eternity
rather than a passively futile whimper into the ashes piling up so inexorably.
If anything, it seems to me, their courageous flights into eternity need to be celebrated, broadcast, held up
as beacons of personhood . . .
beacons of seized CHOICE in the face of satanic theft of choice . . .
beacons of audaciously firm grips on their selected mode of Graduation from one sphere to another . . .
beacons of soaring, regardless of gravity, in an eternal arc into the arms of God.
It seems hideous, to me, to try and stifle such courage. It seems a travesty, to me, to hide such away as though it's less than exalted glory.
Yes. I understand the horror--the supreme horror. I understand the pain of loved ones--as well as one can, not part of it--though we are all part of it.
But what right does anyone have to squelch such outrageous acts of terminal, blazing LIFE?
What right does anyone have to squelch such outrageous acts of very personal, very individual, terminal, blazing acts of FREEDOM in the face of unspeakable terror, horror?
They flew the flags of their lives as best they could with the options left. Let us that remain give wind to their sails with soberness, with respect--but also with our own meager boldness in the face of their skies full of it. Let us honor them with a vivid publication of the whole tableau.
How can we do less in behalf of such courage?
How can we do less in behalf of such furious flames of life?
How can we do less in behalf of such exaltant moments of fanatical freedom?
How can we do less than to display, to look and to applaud?
. . .
. . .
I have compassion for the relatives. But the relatives were not presented with the horrid options. The jumpers were.
And, I, for one, believe that their AWE-FUL choice well deserves a fitting, sobered, loving celebration.
THANKS Tom, Thanks tons, for touching me so deeply with your article [tears].
God's best to you and your family,