[Diamond]

Says who? Maybe he was under stress and not right but maybe he did it for a cause? Fighting government infringment on our rights.

The defintion of the word, "martyr" presupposes that the killing or suffering is not self-inflicted:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

mar·tyr      /ˈmɑrtər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mahr-ter] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1.	a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion.

2.	a person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle, or cause: a martyr to the cause of social justice.

3.	a person who undergoes severe or constant suffering: a martyr to severe headaches.

4.	a person who seeks sympathy or attention by feigning or exaggerating pain, deprivation, etc.

–verb (used with object)

5.	to make a martyr of, esp. by putting to death.

6.	to torment or torture.

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[Origin: bef. 900; (n.) ME marter, OE martyr < LL < LGk mártyr, var. of Gk mártys, mártyros witness; (v.) ME martiren, OE martyrian, deriv. of n.]

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
martyr 

O.E., from L.L., from Gk. martyr, earlier martys (gen. martyros) in Christian use "martyr," lit. "witness," probably related to mermera "care, trouble," from mermairein "be anxious or thoughtful," from PIE *(s)mrtu- (cf. Skt. smarati "remember," L. memor "mindful;" see memory). Adopted directly into most Gmc. languages, but O.N. substituted native formation pislarvattr, lit. "torture-witness." Martyr complex "exaggerated desire for self-sacrifice" is attested from 1931.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

So, if a member of the City Council had pulled out a pistol and shot him for his re-zoning application then you might have a martyr.

dying or sacrificing one's life for a belief or just cause is admirable.

It might be; it might not be. Depends on what the cause is, I suppose. I cannot think of very many instances where deliberately taking one's own life for a cause is admirable, but certainly not over a zoning decision. Hitler took his own life too, for a cause. Was he a martyr?

I think skimask is probably on the right track with #91 regarding indicators of suicide. I would guess that this man had other issues going on mentally and emotionally, rather than his killing himself purely out of fighting what he may have thought was government tyranny.

Cordially,

[NativeSon]

It might be; it might not be. Depends on what the cause is, I suppose. I cannot think of very many instances where deliberately taking one's own life for a cause is admirable, but certainly not over a zoning decision. Hitler took his own life too, for a cause. Was he a martyr?

Hitler did it not for a cause other than denying his soon to be captors justice.

I think skimask is probably on the right track with #91 regarding indicators of suicide. I would guess that this man had other issues going on mentally and emotionally, rather than his killing himself purely out of fighting what he may have thought was government tyranny.

I've read other definitions of the word but my opinion remains the same. I have no religous objections to his choice and value his sacrifice. Many have died to create this great nation of ours but in last 50 years we have surrendered so much of what it means to be American. Maybe he was pushed to the breaking point and made his stand, his last stand.

Thank you for the rational debate. ~NS