#Destruction of Organic Family Unit

[gazafreee]

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has had a devastating impact on civilians, with the United Nations reporting that nearly 70 percent of the deaths are women and children. This alarming statistic highlights the severe humanitarian crisis affecting families in the region. The widespread destruction and loss of life have drawn international concern, as innocent people continue to suffer amid the escalating violence. As a woman without an income, I struggle to provide food and clothing for myself and my family. I urge those who can help to donate and support those in need during this difficult time.

The situation in Gaza is particularly tragic due to several key factors:

1. High Civilian Casualties – A significant portion of the victims are non-combatants, including children and the elderly.

2. Vulnerable Populations – Women and children are disproportionately affected, with little means to escape the violence.

3. Humanitarian Crisis – Limited access to food, water, and medical care worsens the suffering of survivors.

4. Generational Impact – The psychological and social consequences of war will affect generations to come.

As the conflict persists, calls for an immediate ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid grow louder. Organizations around the world are urging world leaders to take action to prevent further loss of innocent lives. But beyond political solutions, the people of Gaza urgently need direct support. Without income, I struggle to access basic necessities.

I ask for help from anyone who can donate food, clothing, or any form of assistance to help us survive this crisis.

Donate now Here

[redbuddi]

Hi my name is Suezean, I am a co-founder of the www.texas4ukraine.com support group in Austin, Texas. Join me in supporting Vikoriia, Oleksander, and their young son Slava as they begin their journey out of war-torn Odesa, Ukraine. Nightly shelling and drone attacks have turned their once-beloved city into a battleground, leaving them with no choice but to seek refuge elsewhere. The family has obtained Travel Authorization through the Uniting for Ukraine program to come to America and will be living with my family in Austin, Texas until they are able to launch out on their own.

Their decision to journey to the United States is fueled by a profound desire to provide a safer and more secure future for Slava, shielding him from the constant threat of violence and destruction. Leaving behind everything they know is a heart-wrenching sacrifice, but one they are willing to make to ensure their child's survival.

With limited resources and few opportunities for employment in the war-torn region, they urgently need our help to cover the cost of airfare. Every contribution brings them one step closer to safety and freedom, away from the looming danger of Russian rockets and the uncertainty of tomorrow.

Let's come together to offer hope and assistance to this brave family. Your support could mean the difference between life and death for Slava and his parents. Please donate today and help them embark on their journey to a brighter future.

[ahmedwahdann]

"Today, January 27, 2025, we continue working together to provide support to those in need in Gaza. Although the war has ceased, hunger, destruction, and water shortages are still devastating the lives of many families. The end of the fighting doesn't mean the end of suffering, as many families are still facing hardship and need our help.

Water stations have been destroyed, and there is a severe shortage of food and basic resources. Families who lost their homes are now facing immense challenges in securing daily necessities. The situation is dire, and they need us now more than ever.

We need your continued support. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a significant difference in the lives of those suffering. Every share of this campaign helps spread awareness and reach more people who can contribute.

If you are unable to donate, you can still support us by sharing this post on your social media platforms. Let us unite in supporting our people in Gaza and make their hope stronger than ever. We need you now more than ever, and together, we can make a difference

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #440 )✅️

@leclecarchie @tippytanpies @he-butch @mysteriousrainsworld @twinsarekeepers @saturngalore @omega-red @taetheists @bitronic @lunathejaguar @endy-boi @shutterlens @bunny-the-bunny @trivial-writing @zuuz-dot-chr-exe @lopiditty @ftyeonjun @cryingweeb @nextbigaiello @eve-123456 @claydoves @stewieonxbox360 @pickledangel @abyssal-sylph @schizoaffectively @fictionandescapism @thehumanarkle @error-core-animations @butchmagicalboi @dreamicus @lordzannis @tim-the-rat @bi-worm @cantsayidont @mistress--kanzaki @theinsomniacindian @ambidextrousarcher @fresh-bed-old-sheets @virovac @oursapphirestars @fitzfunnymoments @fliptop @ragingbullmode @rodent178 @apocalyptic-dancehall @caseys-soup-corner @whoopsiedaisy20 @squidie-tittie @dreamingamongthestars

[mutasim1242]

Since the beginning of the war on us in Gaza, we have seen nothing but loss, destruction, and the death of friends and relatives. Since October 7, 2023, until this moment, the war is still ongoing. We lost our home. We have been displaced more than 10 times. Each displacement costs a lot of money due to the high prices in Gaza. I lost my car and was injured more than once during these difficult days. Please contribute to helping me through my campaign link. We cannot bring food due to the high prices. I really need help, please.😭

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - February 22-28

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles! (This month’s doodles will be a little delayed since I wasn’t able to work on them throughout the month)

1. City trees absorb much more carbon than expected

“[A new measurement technique shows that trees in LA absorb] up to 60% of daytime CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion in spring and summer[….] Beyond offering shade and aesthetic value, these trees act as silent workhorses in the city’s climate resilience strategy[….]”

2. #AltGov: the secret network of federal workers resisting Doge from the inside

“Government employees fight the Trump administration’s chaos by organizing and publishing information on Bluesky[…. A group of government employees are] banding together to “expose harmful policies, defend public institutions and equip citizens with tools to push back against authoritarianism[….]””

3. An Ecuadorian hotspot shows how forests can claw back from destruction

“A December 2024 study described the recovery of ground birds and mammals like ocelots, and found their diversity and biomass in secondary forests was similar to those in old-growth forests after just 20 years. [… Some taxa recover] “earlier, some are later, but they all show a tendency to recover.””

4. Over 80 House Democrats demand Trump rescind gender-affirming care ban: 'We want trans kids to live'

“[89 House Democrats signed a letter stating,] "Trans young people, their parents and their doctors should be the ones making their health care decisions. No one should need to ask the President’s permission to access life-saving, evidence-based health care." "As Members of Congress, we stand united with trans young people and their families.”“

5. Boosting seafood production while protecting biodiversity

“A new study suggests that farming seafood from the ocean – known as mariculture – could be expanded to feed more people while reducing harm to marine biodiversity at the same time. […] “[… I]t’s not a foregone conclusion that the expansion of an industry is always going to have a proportionally negative impact on the environment[….]””

6. U.S. will spend up to $1 billion to combat bird flu, USDA secretary says

“The USDA will spend up to $500 million to provide free biosecurity audits to farms and $400 million to increase payment rates to farmers who need to kill their chickens due to bird flu[….] The USDA is exploring vaccines for chickens but is not yet authorizing their use[….]”

7. An Innovative Program Supporting the Protection of Irreplaceable Saline Lakes

“[… T]he program aims to provide comprehensive data on water availability and lake health, develop strategies to monitor and assess critical ecosystems, and identify knowledge gaps to guide future research and resource management.”

8. EU to unveil ​‘Clean Industrial Deal’ to cut CO2, boost energy security

“The bold plan aims to revitalize and decarbonize heavy industry, reduce reliance on gas, and make energy cheaper, cleaner, and more secure. […] By July, the EU said it will ​“simplify state aid rules” to ​“accelerate the roll-out of clean energy, deploy industrial decarbonisation and ensure sufficient capacity of clean-tech manufacturing” on the continent.”

9. Oyster Restoration Investments Net Positive Returns for Economy and Environment

“Researchers expect the restored oyster reefs to produce $38 million in ecosystem benefits through 2048. “This network protects nearly 350 million oysters[….]” [NOAA provided] $14.9 million to expand the sanctuary network to 500 acres by 2026 […] through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”

10. Nations back $200 billion-a-year plan to reverse nature losses

“More than 140 countries adopted a strategy to mobilize hundreds of billions of dollars a year to help reverse dramatic losses in biodiversity[….] A finance strategy adopted to applause and tears from delegates, underpins "our collective capacity to sustain life on this planet," said Susana Muhamad[….]”

February 15-21 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[palestinian-from-gaza-and-proud]

My friends in Europe and America, let us look at Gaza with different eyes, with eyes that see the common humanity that unites us. It is not just a spot on a map, but a home for people like us, who dream, love, fear, and hope.

Imagine waking up every day to the sound of bombing, to the ruins of your homes, to the loss of your loved ones. Imagine living in complete darkness, without electricity, without clean water, without hope for a secure future.

This is the reality of Gaza, a reality experienced by more than two million people, half of whom are children. Children born in wars, growing up in wars, dying in wars.

Gaza is not just numbers and statistics. Gaza is a human story, a story of resilience and hope, of loving life against all odds. Stories of mothers who lost their sons, fathers who lost their families, and children who lost their childhood.

Let us not be silent. Let us raise our voices against injustice, against the blockade, against war. Let us demand justice and peace for Gaza, for the children of Gaza, for the future of Gaza.

Let us remember that humanity knows no borders, and that justice is a right for all. Let us be part of changing this bitter reality, let us be a voice for the voiceless.

Gaza deserves life, deserves hope, deserves peace. Let us be part of making this dream come true.

Facts and Figures:

More than two million people live in the Gaza Strip, half of whom are children.

The Strip has been suffering from a stifling blockade for years, leading to a deterioration in humanitarian and economic conditions.

Repeated wars have caused massive destruction to infrastructure and displaced thousands from their homes.

The Strip suffers from a severe shortage of clean water, electricity, and medical services.

More than one million people in Gaza are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Call to Action:

Share this message with your friends and family.

Support humanitarian organizations working in Gaza.

Demand that your governments take action to stop the war and lift the blockade.

Be a voice for the voiceless....!!!!!!!

By @90-ghost

[the-daily-bugle-official-blog]

It has been ten years since the brutal attacks by the rogue AI Ultron that plagued the world, and we at the Daily Bugle believed a retrospective was in order, a look back at what we assumed was the worst event ever in human history. And at the time, it was.

Though the Avengers swooped in and saved the day, 177 civilians were killed and $474 billion in damage was caused to the Sokovian capital. regular people lost their homes and livelihoods, and many of the remaining survivors died of injuries or the rampant disease in refugee camps from Ukraine to Hungary. Furthermore, beyond an initial donation from Tony Stark and the US government, no great effort has been made to rebuild the Sokovian capital beyond dumping money into the hands of the government and leaving them to it.

This has caused a new corrupt Sokovian government to hoard the donation money and leave its people in shambles, even ten years on many Sokovians still live in tents or makeshift homes in the crater that used to be Novi Grad. The death rate is high, children are uneducated, many having to dig through the still piled high ruins for salvageable materials to sell and provide for their families. So far, no major world governments besides the ones directly bordering Sokovia have made an effort to provide needed aid and support.

Does this mean we want someone like Tony Stark to provide aid to Sokovia? In my opinion, no. He, his daughter Serena Stark-Potts and Bruce Banner, the infamous Hulk, were the ones who unleashed Ultron on the world in the first place, and the people of Sokovia do not want him anywhere near their country again. A better solution would be more direct support from the United Nations to the people of Sokovia and not their government, who have so far misused their power and made Sokovia the poorest European nation as of today and in the top 20 poorest countries in the world.

So what do the people of Sokovia think? We sent an intern on a trip and he came back 2 weeks later than expected, since his transfer flight through Amsterdam was delayed, but we finally got our reports:

"We have nothing left, the destruction of our home left us in a refugee camp and we still haven't been allowed back into Sokovia. My youngest can't remember his homeland, he only knows the tents." - Anya, 35, mother of 2, currently lives in a Romanian refugee camp "I lost my whole family in the fight. When do they get their justice?" - Helmut, 47, ex-baron, currently incarcerated "I was only a child and lost both my parents. Me and my brother were stuck under the rubble waiting. No one came for five days" - Emilia, 21, refugee camp volunteer

The long and short of it is that what happened at Sokovia was irresponsible and deadly, and with the Sokovia Accords never being brought to fruition, many feel justice was never found for those still suffering thanks to Ultron's attack, even after a decade. Many would simply prefer to dust off their hands and tell themselves "Ultron was stopped, the day was won, nothing more is to be done." Well not here!!! At the Daily Bugle we always strive to tell the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or problematic. To join our daily newsletter comment underneath one of our posts to be added to the list. Be sure to comment your thoughts about the handling of the Sokovia situation, or leave an anonymous submission to get potentially featured in a later news story.

– J Jonah Jameson

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Editor's note: This is one of the very few instances where me and Mr Jameson agree: Sokovia was handled poorly and its people are still suffering. However, there are still many positives to be found in a story like this. Countless refugee and volunteer organizations have been supporting the Sokovian people, several funded by the Starks themselves. This does not absolve them of blame but it is more than nothing, and hopefully this article will bring the plight of the Sokovian people into the public eye at last And before anyone asks, intern Peter had a great time in Amsterdam – J.E. - Lead Editor

@official-buckybarnes @serenastark-official @under0-0s @officialironman @the-ironman @imnothulk

[ficsinhistory]

I'm legitimately shaking like a chihuahua with all the potential of the Amy-Metal-Sonic trifecta.

It's about how they are intrinsically linked and no duo in this isn't haunted by the third part. Seriously, I'm going to spontaneously combust!!

Starting with Sonic and Metal who are the definition of the "man vs. self" trope! Metal is Sonic without empathy and mercy, abilities at his peak and an almost perfect copy. Telepathy with Sonic too if they take the OVA material. He doesn't have the "weaknesses" that emotion brings and that disturbs Sonic, I know it does. Because Sonic's emotions almost ruined everything in the third film. The Earth's almost destroyed and the moon is permanently scarred. Sonic's greatest vulnerability is what Metal uses to exploit... at the same time he wants to imitate. Have his history, mind or even family relationships.

But Metal doesn't have free will nor the ability to unite like Sonic, who pushes his limits not out of hatred or spite but to protect his loved ones, for something greater than himself. How they fight because they're equals and both haunt the other's weaknesses with their strength. They fight because there can only be one and the contest is very even because both in the end are literally the same person. Not a Shadow and Sonic who are foils. No they're the same person...except one has already come into existence fundamentally wrong and flawed. Metal could never be Sonic because he lacks his freedom and empathy.

And Amy is there for both of them, in different ways. Her powers are nothing more than a resource for Metal - if he is empowered with a quill from the pink hedgehog - and her very existence is a plague that the robot cannot shake. She is the embodiment of what Metal detests most after Sonic: emotion and love. She is possibly one of the few differences from the organic Sonic because Metal can't stand this girl...but his faker likes her. Metal loves everyone Sonic loves except her. And he doesn't know if he wants her dead for getting in the way of his plans or for being a walking reminder that he's not Sonic because Metal doesn't feel even a shred of affection for her like Sonic does.

To Sonic, Amy is valued precisely for this. She is love and emotion personified. She understands him. She is a breath of fresh air in this madness, proof that he's not a faker because he has affection for her. He loves his family, people in general and he loves Amy (the type here is not relevant at the moment). Something Metal can't do because he's a copy and she helps Sonic remember that.

We have Metal and Amy who is the "robot destroyed over and over again vs the girl who destroys him but who he only needs to kill once". It's about how it's an extremely destructive dynamic. Since Amy isn't even his main adversary, on the contrary, she's at a disadvantage. She's not who Metal was made to look like, Amy isn't fast enough, agile enough. She should be weaker, easier to defeat, but she's not.

She's persistent and unstoppable. At the same time, they both know she's mortal. Metal doesn't die. He comes back, adapts and gets better, just needing a slip-up. And Amy has to go through this over and over with several of them. It's a hateful killing machine vs. organic life based on love and perseverance. His fight, unlike Metal and Sonic's, is about concepts.

It's personal for different reasons. It's about their underlying ideologies. Metal wants Amy dead because she's everything he hates most after his bitterest rival. Metal is the weapon that destroyed everything Amy loves, using her own abilities against him to hurt more people. Metal and his army distort everything she loves and wants to protect. They fight because they're opposites. Amy, annoyingly like the indomitable human spirit and Metal, the creature made to adapt and create new problems.

Sonic is the straw that breaks the camel's back when it comes to ideological differences. Amy values Sonic and sees him as precious because of the hope he brings, she sees and enhances his empathy, love and emotion. She values this above all else, this vulnerability while Metal wants to destroy it. To strip Sonic of something he thinks belongs to him...but that he doesn't even have to begin with. How this relationship between Amy and Sonic is proof that Metal has to destroy and Amy has to protect. How ironically his hatred for her is one of the few original ones he has and that Sonic will not have.

And then there is Amy and Sonic. How they are inevitably each other's anchors. Sonic reminds Amy that she has support and someone equal to her, that in this fight where the numbers are not in her favor, there is support. How there is comfort in the equality between her and Sonic. Even with the possible differences in personality because they are similar where it matters: love and empathy. He's hope and a good future.

Sonic clings to Amy because his feelings for her are proof of his difference from Metal. Not only that, it brings out his fundamental distinguishing trait and shows that it is not a weakness. Metal would never have affection for Amy because she is a nuisance, someone It's what keeps her from achieving what he wants. He can't forge feelings for her. And that makes her a safe haven, where Sonic can be vulnerable no matter how much he hates it. A place to fall apart and rebuild himself.

And of course, Metal haunts these two. It's like Sonic is the face of the enemy that Amy destroys every day but that she can't hate because they're not the same. Even though Sonic notices the way Amy sometimes looks at him or that she stares too much. It's about how Amy might see him feeling bad because he knows she cares, but Metal is made in his image and that gets to be too much sometimes. But in the end, they overcome it. Because their bond - strong, firm and real - always wins.

Just...these three haunt each other so much, so vehemently through narrative that you can't see one without the other two.

I make no apologies for the person I'll become when this movie comes out.

[bandzboy]

"Here’s what you’re not being told: The most pressing threats to our safety as Jewish students do not come from tents on campus. Instead, they come from the Columbia administration inviting police onto campus, certain faculty members, and third-party organizations that dox undergraduates. Frankly, I regret the fact that writing to confirm the safety of Jewish Ivy League students feels justified in the first place. I have not seen many pundits hand-wringing over the safety of my Palestinian colleagues mourning the deaths of family members, or the destruction of Gaza’s cherished universities.  I am wary of a hysterical campus discourse – gleefully amplified by many of the same charlatans who have turned “DEI” into a slur – that draws attention away from the ongoing slaughter in the Gaza Strip and settler violence in the occupied West Bank. We should be focusing on the material reality of war: the munitions our government is sending to Israel, which kill Palestinians by the thousands, and the Americans participating in the violence. Forget the fringe folks and outside agitators: the CUAD organizers behind the campus protests have rightfully insisted on divestment as their most important demand of the Columbia administration, and on sustained attention to the situation in Palestine. And we are not alone. College campuses across the United States have followed Columbia’s lead.  And so, it is my hope that we can all learn from their examples to remain clear-eyed about the stakes of this crisis and focus on the actual violence being perpetrated in all of our names."

[kittykat299]

As a character one of Piccolo's strongest values is and has always been family despite that never being addressed explicitly. His desire for a family, a place to belong, drives him even before he realizes he wants it. He grew up isolated from others with only the memory of his father urging him toward destruction, and despite being noncanon the filler bits of OGDB depicting his childhood only emphasize this (seriously though I could write an essay about the episode where he finds the family having a birthday party. I dont care if it's "noncanon" it's fucking heartbreaking). I think this is best illustrated by the contrast between OGDB and Super, where in OGDB he's isolated and destructive, always on the outside and viewed as a monster (the monster his father wanted him to be, the only approval he ever got for years was a dead man's wish for him to become a monster) in Super he's actively part of a family unit- he's heavily involved in the Son/Satan families' lives and despite putting on a show of grouchiness he clearly places a high value on his place in their dynamic.

Of course the road to this wasn't perfect, his early friendship/mentorship with Gohan is a clear replication of his own traumatic childhood. "It made me strong, so it'll make you strong too" beliefs which were directly harmful (this is the real reason he's Gohan's second dad, he literally gives the kid generational trauma).

If my thoughts were more organized I might start a tangent about how his apparent general distance from Gohan in the Buu saga could have been an attempt to rectify that mistake by distancing himself, before ultimately apologizing and making a concerted effort to be better resulting in them being close again in Super but at that point I might as well be writing fanfiction.

In any case I fully believe family is one of Piccolo's strongest character motivations whether he acknowledges it or not.

Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk

[noctivagantpodcast]

I Live On Stolen Land

Consider donating to one of these wonderful charities dedicated to preserving the cultures, livelihoods, rights, and dignity of Indigenous peoples.

First Nations Development Institute. Information taken from their 'Our Programs' page: Grantmaker dedicated to addressing financial inequality and its many, many negative impacts. In additional to financial aid, FNDI provides job training and participates in policy-making and advocacy, often focusing on environmental concerns, food insecurity, and tribal sovereignty. Some examples of current projects include "Fortifying Our Forests" AKA restoring and protecting sacred land in partnership with the Forest Service, Native Language Immersion Initiative AKA ensuring the survival of Native languages, and Native Farm To School AKA connecting Native youth with traditional means of growing and harvesting food.

Native American Rights Fund A registered non-profit that provides legal representation in matters of Native interest, be that a single individual or an entire tribe. Since their inception, they have won cases that made critical contributions to the advancement of Native rights in the United States. Their efforts have helped uphold tribal sovereignty, compelled museums, universities, and other institutions to return the remains of Native ancestors, and protected the voting rights of pretty much everyone.

Redhawk Native American Arts Council This organization's primary focus is on the preservation of Native American arts through educational programs. We can also thank them for granting scholarships to Native students seeking higher education, and for running a youth program which aims to help Urban Indigenous youth connect with their heritage through the arts.

Seventh Generation Fund A "fiscal sponsor" for smaller community groups that are run by and for Native tribes/individuals, with the focus of preserving heritage and defending tribal sovereignty, as well as continued survival post-genocide. One example of their work is the Flicker Fund, a disaster fund dedicated to supporting Indigenous communities during times of crisis, be that a pandemic, extreme weather, or a severe drought. Another is the Traditions Bearers Fellowship, which provides financial support to tribal community members who carry on pre-colonization traditions.

Quiluete Move To Higher Ground Stephanie Meyer committed a serious of egregious acts of cultural appropriation and exploitation, and made a very large fortune off a very real tribe. This very real tribe now finds themselves living in a tsunami zone and unable to afford a move to a safer area. As of 2022, the move of the Tribal School, the most important phase, is complete, but there's much more work to be done.

Indigenous Women Rising Abortion Fund A fund to provide Native individuals and family access to abortion care, menstrual hygiene supplies, and midwifery. Here are two separate articles verifying their status as the ONLY indigenous specific (and Indigenous led) abortion fund. For more information on how the destruction of Roe V Wade has negatively impacted Indigenous women, look here and here.

South Dakota Historical Society Foundation So, this isn't a Native led or Native specific organization, but, they work closely with Indigenous communities in South Dakota to preserve their heritage alongside the state's history. I recently had a lovely conversation with one of their representatives about the Ghost Shirt their society is sheltering until such a time as the tribe it rightfully belongs to can house it safely. Article about the shirt's repatriation with some cool info on the shirt's history is here.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Municipal authorities in Gaza have accused the Israeli army of deliberately destroying thousands of books and historical documents. They have also called for the intervention of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to “intervene and protect cultural centers and condemn the occupation’s targeting of these humanitarian facilities protected under international humanitarian law.” As was the case in Sarajevo in 1992—when Bosnian Serb forces, stationed in the hills above the city, razed the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the ground—the targeted destruction of Gaza’s primary public library is a stark reminder that genocide is about more than just the premeditated mass extinguishing of human life; it’s also about the calculated, and often vindictive, destruction of a people’s culture, language, history, and shared sites of community. Like the purposeful wiping out of entire families, a tactic employed by the Israeli army long before this latest assault began, the deliberate destruction of cultural and historic sites is a way for Israel to erase all evidence of Palestinian life, Palestinian humanity, from Gaza. To turn the besieged enclave—with its ancient mosques and archeological sites, its labor-of-love bookstores and meticulously-curated libraries, its pesky health care workers and journalists and sole survivors—into an empty soccer field.

[readingsquotes]

"Here’s what you’re not being told: The most pressing threats to our safety as Jewish students do not come from tents on campus. Instead, they come from the Columbia administration inviting police onto campus, certain faculty members, and third-party organizations that dox undergraduates. Frankly, I regret the fact that writing to confirm the safety of Jewish Ivy League students feels justified in the first place. I have not seen many pundits hand-wringing over the safety of my Palestinian colleagues mourning the deaths of family members, or the destruction of Gaza’s cherished universities. 

I am wary of a hysterical campus discourse – gleefully amplified by many of the same charlatans who have turned “DEI” into a slur – that draws attention away from the ongoing slaughter in the Gaza Strip and settler violence in the occupiedWest Bank. We should be focusing on the material reality of war: the munitions our government is sending to Israel, which kill Palestinians by the thousands, and the Americans participating in the violence. Forget the fringe folks and outside agitators: the CUAD organizers behind the campus protests have rightfully insisted on divestment as their most important demand of the Columbia administration, and on sustained attention to the situation in Palestine.

And we are not alone. College campuses across the United States have followed Columbia’s lead. 

And so, it is my hope that we can all learn from their examples to remain clear-eyed about the stakes of this crisis and focus on the actual violence being perpetrated in all of our names. "

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Sean Durns

It is deeply troubling that well-known reporters would offer apologetics for political violence, the very definition of terrorism. But this too is unsurprising, as a recent Washington Post headline reveals.

Police recently visited the home of two leaders of a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at George Mason University, Jena and Noor Chanaa, who allegedly led a group of vandals that caused thousands of dollars in damage to campus property during pro-Hamas rallies. As the Washington Free Beacon noted:

When officers entered the Chanaa family home, they found firearms—modern weapons, not antiques—as well as scores of ammunition and foreign passports, all of which sat in plain view, according to court documents obtained by the Free Beacon and sources familiar with the investigation. They also found pro-terror materials, including Hamas and Hezbollah flags and signs that read “death to America” and “death to Jews,” according to court documents and sources familiar. Police seized the weapons under Virginia’s red flag law, arguing that Mohammad Chanaa, the students’ brother and a George Mason alumnus, was “linked to destruction of property in connection with a large group of people with like-minded rhetoric” and posed a danger to others given his possession of “terroristic” materials.

It should be national news that students at an American university seemingly possessed weapons and pro-terrorist propaganda. Yet, The Washington Post’s headline portrayed these miscreants with sympathy: “Campus ban for two pro-Palestinian activists sparks outcry at George Mason.”

The subhead added: “Two student activists with ties to GMU protesters were given four-year trespass notices for alleged vandalism.”

According to the Post, the real story isn’t that, at a time of rising antisemitism and violent attacks on Jews, two college students were found with weapons and materials celebrating US-designated terrorist groups. Rather, the “real story” is that some were upset that the two SJP leaders received trespass notices.

Indeed, at nearly every turn Post reporter — Dan Rosenweig-Ziff — cast the two in a sympathetic light. This is evident from the opening paragraph: “A coalition of organizations, representing faculty, staff, students and other advocacy groups at George Mason University and beyond is alleging that university police acted inappropriately in banning two pro-Palestinian students from campus and searching their family’s home for reasons authorities have yet to describe publicly,” the Post writes.

Tellingly, the newspaper provides readers with no details about Students for Justice in Palestine.

[ghelgheli]

From Domestic Heteropessimism, Sarah Brouillette, 13/07/23:

Some number of the performative disaffiliations that characterize domestic heteropessimism, which critique patriarchal norms shaping the household, fail to look beyond the couple-based household of "equal partners" toward any fuller social reorganization, just as they ignore the material determinants of patriarchy and couple-based romantic and domestic forms. In this light, domestic heteropessimism is perhaps one of the contemporary cultural forms that, in trying conditions, help reconcile people to the idea that the relationships and family situations that they are in simply cannot be reordered in any deeper way. This is the heterofatalism, as Seresin calls it, underlying everything else, combined often enough with what Hannah Wang elsewhere in this cluster terms "anesthetic feminism," a shielding of oneself from seemingly inescapable "quotidian indignities of misogyny." Heterofatalism would have us accept that teaching men how to live up to your heterosexual desire for them is enough, the only real goal, itself sufficiently utopian, because scarcely imaginable. Meanwhile, the destructive force of the industrious, resource intensive, isolating, often lonely, exhausting, harrying, single-family household — the very institution through which heterosexual misery is perpetuated — remains obscured.

Of course, the couple-based heterosexual household, built upon a gendered division of tasks, not least via the naturalization of particularly intensive mothering, may very well be improved by teaching men to be more attentive partners and more active participants in the organization of the home. But equality in orchestrating what is an increasingly untenable way of living hardly seems sufficient, as it will leave in place a serious constraint on any kind of contended coupledom, heterosexual or otherwise: the simple reality of being overburdened with work and worry about financial security and children's unfolding lives in isolated homes that are incompatible with planetary futurity.

Far from imagining the possibilities for human connection and intimacy that might unfold in totally new conditions, domestic heteropessimism seems designed to help people want what there is, it would seem, no choice but to have: a heterosexual partner and children in a family home. It evinces a form of longing for equitable couple-based interpersonal relationships that eschews the promise and necessity of communizing care via overcoming capitalist social relations.

My simple point again, then, is that heteropessimism is limited to the extent that it stops at "reinforcing the privatizing function" of the couple, to return to Seresin's language, by treating the puzzle of women's desire for men as the main issue, by failing to identify the role that the couple-based family household itself plays in personal and planetary misery, and then by fathoming transformation within the tiny unit of the couple as the only grounds for any progressive activity. One can identify with aspects of heteropessimism and still be engaged in looking toward the revolutionary horizon, of course. Yet so many of its expressions do the opposite, rooting people even more in the social worlds that they already inhabit, offering the consolation of complaint about what is hardly, actually, unmovable.

From Domestic Heteropessimism, Sarah Brouillette, 13/07/23. In the Heteropessimism essay cluster.

[ankle-beez]

To Our Guild Leadership and Staff: We are proud rank-and-file union and trade association members from every corner of our industry — working on screen, stage, set, and in the field — united in solidarity with the global call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and a just, lasting peace. As artists and storytellers, we cannot stand idly by as our industry refuses to tell the story of Palestinian humanity. Following SAG-AFTRA’s statement in sympathy with Israel regarding October 7, many SAG-AFTRA and sister guild members have watched in horror as the Israeli government wages a war of collective punishment on the civilian population of Gaza — killing over 40,000 Palestinians, injuring over 90,000 more, forcibly displacing 2 million people, and openly targeting members of the press and their families. As the IDF continues its assault on “safe zones,” schools, and hospitals, and as civilians in Gaza die from starvation, dehydration, and lack of medical supplies and fuel, major human rights groups have labeled these acts as war crimes, human rights atrocities, and even genocide. The UN has described Gaza as a “graveyard for children” — and estimate that by mid-July “half of the population — more than a million people — could face death and starvation.” As of now, there is no end in sight — only escalation, death, and destruction.

Despite these clear violations of human rights and Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land and lives, our union leadership has remained silent. Thus, they have made conditional which atrocities we choose to condemn and which innocent lives we choose to acknowledge and mourn. Moreover, SAG-AFTRA and nearly all our sister guilds have remained silent in the face of flagrant and unprecedented attacks on freedom of the press, including the deliberate targeting and murder of Palestinian journalists and their families by the IDF. The Committee to Protect Journalists has declared the war on Gaza “the deadliest period for journalists covering conflict since CPJ began tracking in 1992.” Some of those journalists were members of news organizations whose domestic affiliates are represented under SAG-AFTRA contracts. While SAG-AFTRA issued a public statement at the outset of the Ukraine war demanding that “journalists of all nations working in the war zone are kept safe,” its words now ring hollow if they only apply to some journalists of certain identities.

On December 13, 2023, Israeli forces attacked The Freedom Theatre in the Jenin refugee camp and kidnapped several of its members — fellow actors and directors, who have called for solidarity from theatre workers worldwide. Palestinian trade unions have called for international labor solidarity, reminding us that “the struggle for Palestinian justice and liberation is a lever for the liberation of all dispossessed and exploited people of the world.” Worldwide labor has heeded that call, including major Australian, British, Belgian, Indian, and American unions. On Nov 15, our British peer union, Equity UK, called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, stating: “We send our solidarity to Palestinian artists suffering in the horrendous conditions created by Israeli bombing, occupation, and apartheid.” Since then, UAW International has called for a ceasefire and announced the formation of a Divestment and Just Transition working group; The Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) became the first Hollywood union to call for a ceasefire in Gaza; five of the 10 largest American labor unions and federations have officially called for a ceasefire including the NEA (National Education Association), SEIU (Service Employees International Union), and the AFL-CIO; and unions collectively representing a majority of organized workers in the US formed The National Labor Network for Ceasefire. In July, 7 major unions representing over 6 million workers published a letter to President Biden demanding an arms embargo on Israel.

The global call for a ceasefire — from organized labor, artists and fellow SAG-AFTRA members, human rights groups, world leaders, and the majority of the American public — grows louder every day. And yet, our government continues to sponsor the Israeli forces’ assault on Palestinian civilians, and our industry union leadership still refuses to speak out. We reject this silence. Our calling as artists, news reporters, and storytellers is to bring truth to the world. To fight the erasure of life and culture. To unite for justice in the name of the most vulnerable among us. It’s exactly what we did during our historic strike in 2023.

We are the labor that built and sustains this business. When our leaders can’t stand up publicly for peace and justice, then we must do what we always do: organize, fight for change, and win. Our guild leadership must join the largest and most diverse peace movement in a generation — the integrity of our legacy demands nothing less. When confronted with genocide, oppression, and injustice, let us ring the bell for humanity and liberation. An injury to one is an injury to all. We, the undersigned members of SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, WGA, Teamsters, DGA, AEA, AFM, Hollywood Basic Crafts, CSA, PGA, and more, demand our leadership issue a public statement calling for a permanent ceasefire, release of all hostages — both Palestinian and Israeli, and immediate funding and delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid; to speak out against the targeting and killing of innocent Palestinian civilians, health workers, and our journalist colleagues; to condemn our industry’s McCarthyist repression of members who acknowledge Palestinian suffering; and to eliminate any doubt of our solidarity with workers, artists, and oppressed people worldwide.