A Burning Sensation

There are some days when my biases seep through so transparently and so completely, that even I cannot deny their existence and their influence in my daily thinking.  Yes, it is a handicap that I can control with regular reading and liquid medication, but it is a disability I must endure, and if you are a regular visitor to MSRP, then you must endure it as well.  Fortunately for you and for me, this disability makes us both smarter, so there is an upside.  Good news for everyone!

This morning, my inherent bias reared its genius while I was reading the following article:

Report: 21 treated for burns in 'firewalk' during Robbins motivational seminar

By NBC News staff and wire services

Nearly two dozen people were treated for burns on their feet after walking on hot coals during a motivational seminar conducted by self-help expert Tony Robbins in San Jose, California, local media reported.

Firefighters treated at least 21 people for burns to the soles of their feet, several of them second- and third-degree, on Thursday night, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News. At least three people went to the hospital, although none of the injuries was life-threatening, the report added.

It was the first night of the motivational seminar called "Unleash the Power Within," a four-day Robbins event attended by some 6,000 people, the Mercury News reported.

Close to midnight after the main part of the event, participants walked to a park where 12 lanes of hot coals measuring 10 feet by two-and-a-half feet lay on the grass, the newspaper reported. 

"I heard wails of pain, screams of agony," one of the attendees, Jonathan Correll, 25, told the Mercury News. 

One woman seemed to be in so much pain "it was horrific," he added. 

"It was people seriously hurting, like they were being tortured," the newspaper quoted Correll as saying. "First one person, then a couple minutes later another one, and there was just a line of people walking on that fire. It was just bizarre, man."

Robbins could not be reached on Saturday through his media contacts.

In a written statement reported in the Mercury News, Robbins Research International defended the "firewalk," a regular part of the Unleash seminar.

"We have been safely providing this experience for more than three decades, and always under the supervision of medical personnel ... We continue to work with local fire and emergency personnel to ensure this event is always done in the safest way possible."'

Indeed, others who walked on hot coals said the experience was extraordinary.

"Overcoming something like that, it's a breakthrough," Henry Guasch, 19, told the Mercury News. Guasch added that he got a minor burn when he slowed his pace in the middle of the field.

Guasch and another participant, Andrew Brenner, told the newspaper that faith and concentration were the keys to not getting singed.

The firewalk is presented on Robbins' website as a way to conquer fears and "other fires in your life" by walking across a bed of coals heated up to 2,000 degrees. It is not a requirement of the seminar.

Nevertheless, the San Jose Fire Department did not recommend people engage in the activity, Capt. Reggie Williams told the Mercury News.

"We discourage people from walking over hot coals," Williams said.

It was unclear how many people participated in the firewalk.

Considered one of the world's most successful self-help experts for nearly three decades, Robbins oversees an empire of self-empowerment seminars, books and tapes, life coaching and motivational presentations.

Now while reading this seemingly benign retelling of a tragic event at a motivational seminar, this is what went through my mind:

Report: 21 treated after being burned by trusting GOP policies

By MSRP News staff and wired services

Nearly two dozen people were treated for being burned by believing that GOP policies would improve their lives.  The injuries occurred during the Republican National Motivational Convention conducted by help yourself expert Mitt Romney in Tampa, Florida, local media reported.

Liberals treated at least 21 people for GOP burns to their intellect, several of them second- and third-degree, on Thursday night, according to a report in the Mercury News. At least three people went to the hospital, although none of the injuries was life-threatening, the report added.  Another hundred burn victims were denied care at the hospital for failure to prove the ability to pay their bills.

It was the first night of the motivational seminar called "The Republican National Convention," a four-day Romney event attended by some 6,000 people, the media reported.

Close to midnight after the main part of the event, participants walked to a park where 12 specific GOP policy prescriptions were explained in greater detail, the newspaper reported. 

"I heard wails of pain, screams of agony," one of the attendees, Jonathan Correll, 25, told the Mercury News.

One woman seemed to be in so much pain "it was horrific," he added. 

"It was people seriously hurting, like they were being tortured," the newspaper quoted Correll as saying. "First one person, then a couple minutes later another one, and there was just a line of people beginning to grasp what the GOP was actually proposing. It was just bizarre, man."

Romney could not be reached on Saturday through his media contacts.

In a written statement reported in the Mercury News, the Republican National Committee defended the "truthwalk of reality," a regular part of the convention.

"We have been safely providing this experience for more than three decades, and always under the supervision of medical personnel ... We continue to work with local liberals and emergency personnel to ensure this event is always done in the safest way possible."'

Indeed, others who understood the devastating impact of GOP policies before the event said the experience was extraordinary.

"Overcoming something like that, it's a breakthrough," Henry Guasch, 19, told the Mercury News. Guasch added that he got a minor burn when he found out that Romney planned to raise his taxes to pay for additional benefits for hedge fund managers and other so-called ‘job creators’.

Guasch and another participant, Andrew Brenner, told the newspaper that faith and concentration were the keys to not getting singed.  “If you ignore the truth, you can survive the presentations.”

The truthwalk is presented on Romney’s website as a way to conquer fears and "other fires in your life" by listening to a true accounting of how these same policies that Romney promises to reintroduce to America led to the attendees current economic misery. It is not a requirement of the convention, and many attendees skip the truth segment, preferring not to experience the searing pain of being burned.

Nevertheless, the Tampa Republican Party did not recommend people engage in the activity, Capt. Reggie Williams told the Mercury News.

"We discourage people from learning what the GOP is really trying to accomplish," Williams said.

It was unclear how many people participated in the truthwalk, but it is safe to say that not enough did.

Considered one of the world's most successful help yourself experts for nearly three decades, Romney oversees an empire of self-empowerment seminars, books and tapes, life coaching and motivational presentations designed to convince people that everything bad in their lives is all their own fault and that the past failed policies of the Republican Party will worked this time, if only you have faith and the ability to make a contribution to his campaign.

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I may be biased, but that doesn't make me wrong.