Martyr Tommy

I sat yesterday and watched the video of Trump dodging at the rally, with Secret Service agents protecting him, and taking down some guy charging the stage area.

The guy?  Thomas Dimassimo.

For some reason, the guy's image and name stuck with me.  So this morning, I went studying up on this young guy.

He's a college student....at Wright University (a public college in Dayton).  Field of study?  Theater.  Yeah, it'll be a money-maker in life....I'm sure.

The guy's theme?  He says he wants to be a Martyr.

Martyrs are typically people who will stand up in some crowd (they rarely do this in some anonymous way).....then let everyone know that they are willing to suffer persecution and possibly death for taking on the bad guys, the thugs, the government, the church, or such.

This typically goes along with the idea that you refuse to accept something or go along with a cause.  Naturally, the fact that you have a cause on your side, and some counter-Martyr might exist to Martyr themselves against your persecution....well, it doesn't look good.

Being a Martyr typically meant hero status.  You were the guy who died in some fight or got executed by the bad guys.  In Greece.....they'd throw up a big statue on a side-street and write some weepy words on how you were a great Martyr.  In Germany from the 1970s and the anti-establishment period.....there are so many Martyrs that they can't even keep track of who did what or what evil establishment thugs they suffered under.

In Tommy Dimassimo's case?  The cops arrested him.....took him off to jail.....did some charges....then allowed the guy to get bailed out.  Judge so-and-so will get the case and probably have some court appearance in thirty-odd days with Tommy.

Tommy will meet with some lawyer.....probably hired by his Mom or Dad.  The lawyer will tell Tommy that guilty Martyrs end up in a Dayton jail.  That will be several weeks of hanging around druggies, serious criminals, and thugs.  It's not a pleasant Martyr environment.

So, he'll urge Tommy to be humble....be nice.....be open to maybe a mental exam or beg for mercy with the judge.  Tommy will be in disbelief......he thought that Martyrs got some pat on the back or such.

Eventually, Tommy's parents will ask if he's been doing dope or drinking too much because they don't believe anyone would be stupid to rush some stage and take on Secret Service agents.  It may even be the case that Dad is a Trump-enthusiast, and he'll have harsh words with the son over his stupidity.

Twenty years into the future.....someone will walk into a Dayton bowling alley and find some guy handling the front desk.....and ask....aren't you Thomas Dimassimo, the guy who rushed Trump in Dayton.  Yeah.....will be the response.  What happened to you....why the bowling alley?

There'll be some slow response, and finally Thomas will admit.....the Martyr thing didn't really pay off.  You don't get resume points for that.  So other than two goofy monster movies where he played the number six character, or the TV ad for the local quickly lube shop.....things didn't go that well.

Maybe I'm wrong about this and there's some great future here for the kid.  But typically, Martyrs only get a big name or statue.....if they were buried five days later.