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Rest in Power is Trending on X
…and I’m troubled
At the time of this writing (February 26, 2024), “Rest in Power” is trending on X (formerly Twitter). And I’m troubled.
What seems to be driving this most recent trend is the death of 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell who set himself on fire in a self-described “extreme act of protest” in front of the Israeli embassy.
Today, he is being hailed as a hero on social media for his defiant and suicidal protest.
I’m not going to dive into the weeds of the Israel-Hamas war in Palestine — a conflict that has tragically claimed many innocent lives. There is little I can add to what continues to be said on the topic. But let me say this…
Violent extremism and suicidal desperation in the face of complex crises with no easy solutions is not something we should hail.
Yet this is what we’re effectively doing by associating the phrase “Rest in Power” with Bushnell’s tragic act.
Are we truly at the point where we are praising suicide?
The phrase “Rest in Power” is a modern deviation from the traditional “Rest in Peace.” It infuses a socio-political activist edge to what has long been a benign expression of sympathy and respect to the deceased (and that person’s loved ones). “Rest in Power” is especially…
