Wal-Mart worker burns self to death in parking lot

[Belial]

Source: Chicago Breaking News

A 58-year-old Wal-Mart employee who said he "couldn't take it anymore" lit himself on fire outside the Bloomingdale store where he worked late Thursday night and was later pronounced dead at a hospital, authorities said this morning.

In an interview, his son said his father went to work last night with nothing seeming out of the ordinary. "This had nothing to do with the economy. I want to make that clear," he said, adding that the family may never know the reason for the public suicide.

The Carol Stream man, who worked the overnight shift, was in a parking lot of an adjacent sporting goods store in the west suburban strip mall when he set himself on fire with lighter fluid around 10 p.m., said Randy Sater, a watch commander with the Bloomingdale Police Department.


Read more: http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/02/wal-mart-worker-immolates-self-in-parking-lot.html

[liberal N proud]

1. How bizarre

[mitchtv]

4. I hope you mean Bizarre

nt

[liberal N proud]

11. I had it spelled close to that originally

I hate when I misspell words that are either spelled correctly in the wrong context or spelled close enough that they select the other in the spell check.

I am terrible at spelling, always have been.

[mitchtv]

19. I'm an alright speller

I just can't type. Some words like alright can be tricky for me tho

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[marylanddem]

3. cold. very very cold.

no matter how bizarre the circumstances, suicide is a tragedy.

[CoffeeCat]

5. Why would the son specifically say...

...that this had "nothing to do with the economy"? and then say, "I want to make that perfectly clear."

How in the hell does this son know, for sure, that it wasn't about the economy?

And why the specific need to make that clear to everyone?

[jobycom]

12. Maybe people were asking him that, and all we heard was the answer.

Good God, I hope no one here is petty or sick enough to turn this into a political thing, or an anti-Walmart thing, unless there is some evidence that it was.

[Jeep789]

17. Guess I am sick then

because any thing having to do with WalMart makes me assume the worst. And WalMart is political period.

[jobycom]

22. You are, then. Using a horrible tragedy to push an unrelated political agenda

is just not right.

[Jeep789]

23. You are assuming you are correct about it being unrelated

I think you're misguided. (Notice how even though I don't agree with you, I refuse to stoop to the level of calling you sick?)

[jobycom]

24. You are the only one assuming, and that assumption is what I'm saying is sick.

I'm reading the article, which clearly says the family doesn't believe it had anything to do with Walmart or the economy. You are saying they are lying, protecting an organization that you believe--completely without any hint of evidence--contributed to a loved one's death. That's despicable.

[Jeep789]

25. Love fest for WalMart? I find that despicable

Oops, now I did stoop to your level. All we did was question why the son would say what he did or how he knew. Obviously the man was very upset about something. (Setting one's self on fire is usually a political statement.) Either nobody knew him very well or they aren't telling the truth.

[Jeep789]

6. Nothing to do with the economy, loved his job???

Either nobody knew the man very well or they are covering something up.

[CoffeeCat]

7. That's exactly what I said in a previous post...

...in this thread.

Why was the son so insistent that this had absolutely nothing to do with the economy?

How in the hell can that son be so sure?

The guy was was elderly, and was working at Walmart. How could economic circumstances or worries be
immediately ruled out like that?

[Jeep789]

10. Maybe he couldn't stand going home to his son

but I'm betting it had to do with the job since it happened at work. And NOBODY loves working at Wal Mart.

[CoffeeCat]

13. He was also an overnight stocker...

The overnight shift is tough on anyone, let alone a 58-year old man.

This guy wasn't working there because he was bored. He was doing it to make a living.

The son does a disservice to his father, if he is covering up the fact that this
suicide was due to the economy or money problems.

[madmom]

18. Well I kinda enjoyed my job there.

[Jeep789]

20. Blasphemy lol nt

[Psephos]

15. 58 is not elderly

I am content to take the son at his word and leave this matter be. Were it my parent I would be dismayed to know strangers were picking apart my statements and my father's death, looking for political fodder.

[tinrobot]

8. Buddhist Monks burned themselves over Vietnam...

Is this implying that working at Wal-Mart is as horrific as going to war?

[jobycom]

14. It implies a tremendous personal tragedy.

Beyond that, we know nothing but random snippets that our tabloid media felt would titillate us.

[The abyss]

30. I saw that happen, more than once –

Interesting for me that you would recall those events.

Those monks actually “believed” their position. For them that was the ultimate statement of their belief in right to wrong.

An incredible amount of horror in those years.

I don’t think “Wal-Mart” has much to do with our south east asian travesty of the last century.

None the less thanks for the flash back, I think….

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. I read that a Buddhist monk burned himself in Tibet recently...

Chinese police shot him. :wtf:

[jobycom]

9. God, that's sad. What an angry way to kill yourself.

That's not a slit wrist or an overdose or a subtle cry for help. That's an angry, violent, destructive method that screams of pain and self-hatred, or self-disgust. He didn't just want to end it all, he wanted to punish himself in the process, and he wanted the world to witness it.

I hope his family can find some peace. Their grief and their inevitable feelings of horror and guilt over this will be devastating.

Shakes me up. I don't why. Too sad to dwell on.

[Mithreal]

16. This economy gives many few choices other than Walmart.

I am surprised someone didn't charge him with terrorism, maybe the freepers will.

[uppityperson]

21. RIP. While I respect self immolation for making a point, I feel sorry

for people committing suicide just to die.

[THUNDER HANDS]

26. just a point of information

the overnight people at walmart make considerably more than the regular day-shift people. Speaking as someone who used to work for WM.

[DainBramaged]

27. "considerably more "

Those two words, when used in the context of Wal Mart, is the difference in being able to buy low quality meat with your potatoes when you get your paycheck. The night differential for most big box stores is an astounding $2.00 an hour.

I am glad you think that is a lot of money.

[THUNDER HANDS]

29. even if it's that

that is an extra $4,000 a year. For someone making $23,000 a year, an extra $4,000 is a big deal.

[DainBramaged]

33. $4000 a year before state and federal taxes, withholding, etc.

It's not a big deal, and for you to make it as such is objectionable to me and many others who don't think supporting a family on $27,000 a year gross is acceptable. It becomes about $50 a week net more in a paycheck.

So kind of you to make the number seem so big for Wal Mart.

[readmoreoften]

28. Nothing to do with the economy? He could afford that good anti-depression medication, right?

With those excellent Walmart bennies...

[WriteDown]

32. Actually, anti-depression meds...

have been known to cause thoughts of suicide.

Also, prozac is 4$ at Walmart.


Just saying :).

[RandomKoolzip]

31. It's February in Chicago.

Have any of you ever been in this area this time of year? Not kidding; everyone I know is borderline crazy/suicidal at this point in the winter.

[AZCat]

35. It's February here, too.

Not quite the same thing, though. I'd guess there's less S.A.D. in southern Arizona than Chicago. None of that icky white stuff, either.

[DoctorMyEyes]

36. Good point

I'm in Pittsburgh and if spring doesn't arrive soon I'm gonna lose it.