If you think that self-immolation would be a significant way of making a protest statement in this country [usa], then think again... America is largely a
Christian nation, it lacks the cultural historic background to make such a form of protest affective.
"Self-immolation has been tolerated by some elements of Mahayana Buddhism and Hinduism, and it has been practiced for many centuries, especially in India, for various reasons, including Sati, political protest, devotion, and renouncement."
"Self-immolation as a form of protest or for the purposes of martyrdom or suicide has centuries-long traditions in some cultures...
Self-immolations are often public, dramatic, political, and thus newsworthy. They can be seen as a type of altruistic suicides for the collective cause. Unlike suicide attacks, self-immolations are not intended to inflict physical harm or material damage.[1] They attract attention and become glorified as martyrdom...
A new wave of self-immolation protests is currently ongoing in the MENA region, with at least 14 recorded incidents.
These actions have helped inspire the 2010–2011 Arab world protests, including the Tunisian uprising, the 2011 Algerian protests (including many self-immolations in Algeria), and the 2011 Egyptian protests and there have also been self-immolation protests in Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, and Syria.[9][10]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-immolation