Talk:Malachi Ritscher

Untitled

Ritscher seems to have a fair number of studio credits (see this link). The article might benefit from expansion in this area, if anyone with knowledge about jazz feels like doing so. -Hit bull, win steak^(Moo!) 23:32, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Death

My father was born Mark David Ritscher in 1954. I was born Malachi Ritscher in 1971. In 1981, after a casual discussion between my father and I, he changed his name to Malachi Ritscher. I do not know if or when he legally changed his name to Malachi. It's an irony that my parents gave me such a unique name. In all the United States, I was the only Malachi Ritscher. Then my father took that. Ok, it's a little wierd, but I can deal with that. Now my name is in Wikipedia with my father's unusual suicide as the subject. I can deal with this also, as long as it is very balanced. I don't want to use this venue as my own personal soapbox and damage what very little good might come of his death. That said, I personally believe that my father suffered from severe mental illness starting at least in my early childhood, and that this played a big part in his death. Malachi Ritscher 11/27/6

OK

That makes a little more sense, however, the article by Roeper is important since it is the only person who seems to have acknowledged M.R.s musical contributions and artistic work as important... AND to treat him as a human being, rather than Rachel Corrie come again... complete with bad operas started by excellent actors (Alan Rickman). It is far more enclyopedic (and, I believe, just) to remember M.R. as a good musician who never quite found his niche, and chose to make a kind of history by choosing self-immolation as protest agaisnt an unpopular war (or rather, as a war he was opposed to). Rather than with hagiographies and hossannas, which tell us far more about the people hagiographicing and singing praises than they do about our subject. Cheers V. Joe 15:36, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Dude

1)I am not an employee of wikipedia... although it might seem so by my number of contributions. Further, it is not libelous/slanderous to say "Mr Roeper says "****", provided Roeper says so, even if he is wrong or being slanderous himself. Even in the U.K, repeating gossip is not cause for slander/libel.

2) If you are indeed M. Ritscher, I apologize for jumping the gun... however, my objection to your edits stand. The fact that Mr. Roeper and others stated thier opinion of the incidence is a fact, as is the possible attempt on Mr. Rumsfeld. (Which I am opposed to the assasination of political figures you disagree with, its extremist and its stupid. Also, it almost invariably ends up killing ordinary policemen and soldiers instead, and "perfect crime" assasinations like the Kennedy ****(bullshit the Kennedy was an inside job everyone knows it. You cant even see the road properly from the window never mind hit anyone)**** one are as rare as hen's teeth. (Far more typical is the attempt on Harry S. Truman where two secret service men died... protecting thier principal and leaving wives and children, mom's and dad's behind.)

3) I am not an enemey to the memory of Ritscher or anyone else, but what important people feel about a deceased person is important. Let us consider raw facts, if you like... M.R. commited suicide by immolating himself, claiming it to because of the war in Vietnam Iraq, although others have raised doubt about his motivation (such as Roeper of the Trib). M.R. was a notable artist and was survived by (various family, relatives and friends). His story was covered in (the Trib and other mainstream and left-wing publications)

4) Let us also understand the nature of your indenity. Who, precisely, are you claiming to be? Are you claiming to be the deceased or are you claiming to be Malachi Ritscher (nee Mark Ritscher) or are you claiming to be some other person altogether? I am quite sure I do not understand. V. Joe 01:49, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

5) I forgot also to mention, the subject being dead, libel laws do not apply to deceased subjects... something which the relief of both historians and celebrity biograpers, which is why we see such a flurry of biographies when someone like an American President or a noteworthy PM pass on. There were a number of biographies of Reagan that leap to mind.

V. Joe 15:31, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Sir!

You aren't Ritchser, so you aren't fooling me or anyone else. Further, it is customary to DISCUSS and reach consenus before making radical edits. As for what you well, or will not tolerate, myself and another editor COULD lean on the revert key... but I don't care THAT much. M. R. is dead, obviously, and if he isn't than well, you can call me a Monkee's uncle. Since I am not, well...(since such a scenario would involve time travel), I doubt you are a dead guy, since that is the plot of a bad science fiction movie V. Joe 15:37, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

Final statement and obituary

To the anoymous editors who continue to add "his own words" to the article, please stop. These words are a possible copyright violation since neither Mr. Ritscher (obviously) nor his heirs have granted these rights to either wikipedia or to the public domain. Wikipedia could be sued for copyright violation. So please, stop, get a handle so we can refer to you by something other than a number and make some constructive edits. Cheers V. Joe 18:02, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

"His own words" where emblazoned all over several publicly available Web sites. Excerpts like quotes would be covered under "fair use" laws, wouldn't they? People and "their own words" are quoted all the time in the press and on Web sites like Wikipedia. Very few Web sites and newspapers sued for "copyright violations" of this type because they probably are not sued for copyright violations. It’s rather obvious he wanted people to read "his own words". Jake b 05:08, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Quite

I think that would be permssion... That said, I still don't think quoting whole pages from his "obit" is particularly enclyopedic, so I would prefer a link.

Creating a name

M.R., If you are willing to adopt a wikiname, I'd like to put this page on semi-protection... which would block most anoymous editors... since they all seem to want to add random slogans.. and not contribute to the facts. Unfortunately, i am not an admin, so I can't do it myself... If you could adopt a name... (very easy to do), it would mean that I could spend time on my main wikiproject, which is millitary history and new-page patrolling (which is how I came across this page)... and would also protect this article. (I am entirely aware that I am unable to spell worth a damn!) V. Joe 20:23, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I created the name malachiritscher. I would be willing to watch this but don't know the protocols. M.Ritscher 11/27/6

Criticism?

From the quote you have in the article, it doesn't sound like Roeper was criticizing Ritscher, but rather lamented the fact that his sacrifice was largely ignored by Americans. Knowlto 15:57, 28 November 2006

Unknown Conspirator of Kennedy Assasination

Even if that were true (a declaration I'm not prepared to make), the Kennedy assasanation really was a "perfect crime" in that the killer (or killers) got away and only the later murder of a Dallas Police Officer enabled Oswald to be got in the first place. Not to mention, this is far afield of M.R. and you can question or bloviate on my talk page. V. Joe 16:20, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

I believe it would only be apropriate...

Shouldn't his suicide note be included in this article? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.193.131.215 (talk) 03:00, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

I do not see why not. Maybe if its too long it can be shortened. Piercetp 03:21, 10 April 2007 (UTC)

Major problems in article

This article needs some love to meet wikipedia's standards of quality and objectivity. Firstly, the biographical introduction should be only a summary and its bulk a separate heading. As per the section titled "death", I think this rather qualifies as "reaction to death". This section's impartiality and encyclopedicness require cleanup as well. I am going to go ahead and do this, so please tell me what you disagree with or think should be done differently. Jasper124c41 02:50, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Additionally, the article seems weirdly biased towards the "cause" this man died for - when it is fairly obvious from his writings and actions that he was suffering from some sort of severe emotional distress and/or mental illness. This is a POV problem.70.171.52.233 21:01, 29 October 2007 (UTC)

The above poster apparently did not know Malachi Ritscher and if he/she did would know that any emotional distress was caused by the actions of the Bush administration as he and many people perceive it. To lump emotional distress with mental illness is making a diagnosis that probably beyond his professional capabilities. That the article seems biased is only a personal view point and doesn't represent the hundred thousand plus bloggers who discussed and continue to discuss his meaningful act in the months after his death. [(Paul Ritscher, Malachi's brother)]

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• Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20061115035037/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/39663/Malachi_Ritscher_19542006 to http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/39663/Malachi_Ritscher_19542006
• Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20061206032510/http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/programs/2006/12/02/a_protest_delayed.html to http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/programs/2006/12/02/a_protest_delayed.html
• Added archive https://archive.is/20130414190910/http://www.gabino.org/blog/2008/03/do-what-now.html to http://www.gabino.org/blog/2008/03/do-what-now.html

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