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swawesome-wow · 7 years ago

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If you wanted people to be informed, you'd have mentioned Palestinian terrorists and Hamas. You'd have mentioned the suicide bombings and hundreds of murdered innocent Israelis. You'd have mentioned the Palestinian leadership that first declined coexistence in 1948 and rejected every offer of peace since then. You'd have mentioned lies and propaganda and blood libel against Jews, thought in Palestinian schools. You care about playing the victim. But it's an old game. And you'll lose.

I wasn’t going to take the time to respond, but it’s summer break, and I refuse to let you hide behind anonymity and not learn a little something while you’re there.

1. “If you wanted people to be informed, you’d have mentioned Palestinian terrorists and Hamas. You’d have mentioned the suicide bombings and hundreds of murdered innocent Israelis.”

Oh yes, how could I forget to talk about Palestinian terrorists and Hamas. The thousands upon thousands of innocent Israelis killed. Wait, what’s that? 1,213 Israelis have been killed since September 29, 2000. 9,478 Palestinians have been killed since September 29, 2000. I have never claimed that Palestinians have not killed innocent Israelis. Those numbers are only since the year 2000. Israel has occupied Palestine for 50 years, give or take, as you yourself aptly admitted by bringing up the conference in 1948. There is immense loss on both sides, though one has lost nearly 9x as many lives. However, comparing it numerically is extremely reductive, not only are you wrong numerically, you’re ignoring why people have been slaughtered on both sides, and what brought everyone to this point. There is no “justifying” the murder of Israelis by Palestinians, there is only understanding why these killings happened, holistically, and understanding the context.

People refer to it now as the Israeli-Palestinian “Conflict, Divide, etc.” But before recent, heavy political and monetary support of Israel, it was called the Palestinian Genocide, for good reason.

2. “You’d have mentioned the Palestinian leadership that first declined coexistence in 1948 and rejected every offer of peace since then.”

Let me make this very, painfully clear.

Palestine does not owe coexistence to Israel. Israel is an occupying state, an oppressive state, and one that has committed genocide against the Palestinian people.

To bring it down to your level of understanding, the Palestinians were there first. Palestinians of EVERY religion, including Judaism, though I’ll touch on that later. The Palestinian leadership has been lamentable, no one is denying that. But let me put it this way:

Let’s say America was invaded today, by, say, Canada. (Sorry Canada, you were the first country to pop into my head, since I owe half my citizenship to you.) After things calm down enough for the leaders to meet, Trudeau says to *shudder* Trump (or even Obama, in this fake scenario, would make the same decision), “Hey man, I know you were here first and everything, and I know we bloodily invaded you, but like, let’s just coexist, like on that bumper sticker you guys are so fond of.” Do you honestly think the President of the United States of America, would EVER agree to something like that? Seriously? Of course not, that would be ridiculous. Even 50 years later, America would still be fighting for its freedom from its maple-drenched oppressors. So why are you holding Palestine to such ridiculous standards?

I am truly saddened by the violence that has stemmed from this entire situation, but until Israeli soldiers stop wrongfully arresting, imprisoning, and killing Palestinians, even children, I don’t think you can possibly hope for “peace.”

My grandmother, a few years back on a return visit to Palestine after she fled so many years ago to Canada, was stopped at the border wall (yes, there is a wall there, in case people were unaware) for eight hours, for no reason. She was not charged with anything, neither were her daughters, my aunts, that were with her. Her crime was being Palestinian. I wonder what that sounds like.

Oh yes, and because of that wall, the already pitiful economy of the Gaza Strip has crumbled, and they have no way of rebuilding it. Even if Palestinians find jobs in Israel, they’re backed up for hours each day just trying to get processed through the wall in either direction. They’ve been economically choked off from the rest of the world, yet Israel continues to receive monetary aid as if they’re in desperate need.

3. “You’d have mentioned lies and propaganda and blood libel against Jews, thought in Palestinian schools. You care about playing the victim. But it’s an old game. And you’ll lose.”

Once again, I need to make something crystal clear. So listen up. \

Palestinians do not hate Jews. They hate the Israeli government. Not Israelis, not Jews, the Israeli government, because that is the body that is responsible for Palestinian suffering.

Since I was in elementary school, any time someone found out I had Palestinian parents, they immediately made quips or even stated directly that I must hate Jewish people. I had someone say “oh, so you’re anti-Semitic.” I’ve had people ask me if myself or my parents are terrorists (and I used to be Christian, now I don’t practice anything, my point being that I can’t imagine how hard it is for any Muslims). This misconception is so widespread that it’s toxic, killing any reasonable discourse on the subject by people stamping me with the anti-Semite sticker. So, I’m sorry, I haven’t had the chance to play the victim. Let me know how that goes for you.

What I said earlier, about all religions coexisting? Let me elaborate.

For the thousands of years that Palestine has existed, Christians, Muslims, Jews, ~whatever~ lived side by side, happily and comfortably. Another misconception is that the Israeli movement came from within Palestine, which is just plain misinformation. This is a very, very reductive explanation of what actually happened, forgive me for not being more detailed:

When the second World War ended, there were thousands upon thousands of displaced European Jews (mostly German as you might imagine, but elsewhere as well). When Europe (and America) tried to figure out where to help these people relocate, no one wanted to take them in, deciding it would be too difficult to reintegrate. Palestine had the room and the kind heart needed to take them in, so that’s where many were relocated, en masse. But it was a finite time that Palestine agreed to host these refugees as refugees, they would eventually need to either integrate with the Palestinian people (gain citizenship, etc), or decide where they would want to move, if not stay there. But the relationship began to change, as some began to perpetuate the idea that they belonged there all along, and that the Palestinians were the ones that needed to leave or integrate elsewhere. As with most conflict, religion took a match and set it to kerosene, as suddenly Jerusalem was the center of the occupier’s claims to the land. While I won’t try to argue about it as I’m not informed enough on religious history, I will say that it is entirely possible to create a religious homeland without literally invading the country and creating a religious state. Church and state are separate for a reason, and have to cooperate, not override one another.

So there are plenty of Palestinian Jews that understand and are outraged at the Israeli government, though they have been left out of intentional eviction, arrests, torture, and killings.

COMIC RELIEF BREAK that is actually somewhat related but I promise it’s funny:

One time my mom was telling me about something that happened over in Palestine to friends of our family so word made it back to us. Like I said, the three major religions were living pretty happily together, especially where these friends lived. The IDF was evicting all the Palestinians from a neighborhood to allow Israeli settlers to take over. Our friends were one of the families kicked out, and they were best friends with the Jewish family next door! So when the IDF came knocking on the Jewish family’s door to offer them the keys to their best friends’ house, (they were Jews so they were allowed to stay with the new Israelis coming in), the husband of the family was FURIOUS. He started to back-talk, offended at the very thought, but his wife (the really clever one in this story) shut him up and took the keys. The husband couldn’t believe his wife would betray their best friends like that, but she just rolled her eyes in a “you idiot” fashion. They had the keys now, and they promptly gave them back to their best friends so they could reclaim their property! I always thought that story was hilarious :D

While I am disgusted at the thought that you could somehow compare this entire subject to a game, if that’s the only way you can comprehend such a vast discourse, I’m happy to oblige the metaphor: The only “loser” here is the one who can’t think for themselves and hasn’t done a little goddamn research, you soggy walnut.

Speaking of research! Here are a couple of resources for those who have been following along! I honestly can’t say that the second is an unbiased source, however if you’re looking for straight statistics and numbers, check out the first link! It’s where I got the exact numbers I used above. If you want the international law/human rights perspective, check out the third link. Thanks y’all!

http://ifamericaknew.org

http://www.globalresearch.ca/israels-genocide-towards-palestinian-arabs/5591341 (thanks canada)

https://ccrjustice.org/genocide-palestinian-people-international-law-and-human-rights-perspective (really good source explaining the international law and human rights perspective on the issue)

#palestine #israel #palestinian #palestinian genocide #israeli occupation #international law #human rights #anon #swawesome is pissed right off

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eitherandor-blog · 8 years ago

Text

Weary

Tongue tied.

It’s hard to articulate the words- and the actions and decisions made- to recap the past few months. Particularly, the recent political happenings in the US. I will always remember where I was on November 8th, 2016. Now, I don’t need to relive the specifics of that night, or the morning after. However, I can say that in the immediate aftermath, I was in a daze. That stupor lingered, for quite a while.

When I came back to earth, or resurfaced, or came to face reality, Donald F. Trump was the new President (Note: The “F” is intentional). In some respects, this is completely baffling to me. Like one of those moments in a movie or TV show, where everything seems to be horribly awry (or positively, unrealistically perfect) but then the protagonist wakes up. It was all a farce...If only.

Now it’s not hard to fathom that in a country of 330+ million, we would not all think the same. And that’s good (mostly). I relearned that last November. Frankly, it’s an essential reminder that the self-selective bubble that I- and I know many others- have created is just that: a bubble. A limited, insulated fragment of a larger, fuller reality. Sometimes my social world- and definitely the one I’ve created over social media (perhaps some readers are unfriending me as they read..)- is not exhaustive nor inclusive of all viewpoints. The world is much bigger than any one person’s bubble. I learned that in a YUGE way..

I also know that while I certainly was disappointed, there were millions of people who were applauding this (somewhat) unexpected victory. That does not necessarily make them evil, awful, Satan worshipers. It does not mean that they support everything that Donald F. Trump says or stands for. Maybe they don’t support the extra curriculars, as Aziz Ansari laid out on Saturday Night Live.

However, it also meant that among several multiple choice options on election day (vote for a third party candidate, vote for Clinton, don’t vote, or E, hope for Armageddon), they thought that A: vote for Trump, was their best selection. “Best” may be up for debate, but they undeniably chose him as a presidential candidate.

These are maybe not the people you see, the people you know, or interact with on a daily basis. In the school district where I work, students were polled and given the option to cast a ballot, as a way to learn the voting process and participate in the monumental November day. We know that for some students, they may vote, and think politically, similar to the views they are surrounded by (family, teachers and community). In this mock election, 82.7% of the 2,146 students surveyed voted for Hillary Clinton, 4.2% for Donald Trump.

What does that mean? Well, obviously for many of these students, there was a clear favored choice. There were also students who even in what is presumed to be a progressive, equitable community, voted for Trump (as well as alternate candidates). We also know that even if these votes were to be counted, with little more than two thousand, they make little impact in the larger whole. The story they tell is infinitesimal in comparison the larger, national picture. However, in this bubble, everyone seemingly thinks the same. How comfortable that can be- as well as misleading.

What I also saw- and what I know has been true for many young people- is how damaging this election result felt, how personal and how confusing. For some students, the principles of kindness and respect (and frankly, humanity) are instilled and at times, reinforced, in formative years. These are ideals we implore our young people to uphold, even if we lose our way abiding them ourselves. We try, though we often cannot control, to keep our young people safe. With the result of this election, and the campaign that preceded it, the lessons learned communicated some different takeaways for students. I can only speak for my school.

In the immediate aftermath, my school of students were perplexed. I never could have imagined that this group (at a K-8 school, to be clear) were so aware and consumed with the election results. Furthermore, there were many who were scared or sad, uncertain what this meant for the future. In the weeks that have followed, there have been an abundance- and according to staff, more than usual- of student conflict and bullying. This summary overlooks the ongoing division between staff and students; we are still navigating this as we go. To sum up, it’s been an unsettling time for our young people. As an adult, I hate that there is little direction to give.

...

I was not bewildered to see many people, in the days, weeks, even years leading up to the election, proclaim that they would not, could not vote for Hillary Clinton. Some of them were staunch Republicans, others were Berning reallll hard. Some wanted to deviate from the career politician in Clinton, while others still could not overlook some of her past actions, inactions, and decisions of consequence. Then there are the ‘handful’ who- despite her credentials and pantsuits- who because she is a woman, would not, could not bring themselves to vote for a woman as leader of the “free world” (what a tease we are, ‘land of the free’).

Many could have predicted this is where we/the US were headed. Tensions flared in Obama’s final term, even down to Congress’ proclamation that it would not consider any nominees to the Supreme Court’s vacant seat.

LIKE SERIOUSLY?!

So here we are now, stuck with Donald F. Trump. We’ve got a racist, xenophobic, sexist, perpetrator, ableist (that can’t be all, right?) with the gall to spend his Black History Month remarks discussing polling and his diverse voter turnout, rating Fox better than CNN news, and big league Ben Carson. Seriously, THIS GUY??

Now we are left with a byproduct of our storied, troubled past as a country. Today, many white people can reside to the comforts and cushiness of their privilege. In the midst of a changing country, a politician tapped into that fear- which Trump so creatively reverberated- led him all the way to the White House.

Somehow, in 2017, we have the most discriminatory politician most anyone can recall. We have an entire regime that seems to make up and rewrite the news ad nauseam. Be it alternative facts about the ills committed by immigrants in this country, molding statistics and numbers to fit an agenda (such as a report on Chicago violence), or simply mocking, threatening, and offending virtually every minority group one can think of- it’s okay white men, you’re safe (for now)- this, this is your president.

I could go on, truly, on the appalling man we have elected and enabled to become president. But it doesn’t stop there! There are a laundry list of folks who (to generalize) are significantly under qualified for their positions and responsibilities. From the well-documented, questionable (or racist) history of Jeff Sessions in Coretta Scott King’s letter- and nearly read by Senator Elizabeth Warren- to the inconceivably unqualified Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary, we are truly being led by band of misfits.

While we are left to stomach the disheartening cabinet appointments, we have to (somehow) digest executive orders that run rampant to undo our democracy. Attacks waged (commonly over Twitter) that permeate every sector: to department stores, the environment, the media, and many, many immigrants. In particular, the ‘Muslim Ban’ stands out as one of (because there are multiple, even after 3 weeks in office) divisive, misguided, and ass-backwards acts under the 45th.

And while I wholeheartedly disavow this has any legal or moral founding, no one can say they are surprised. We should have seen this coming with Trump. When people have voiced displeasure and protested, one of the resounding arguments has been that we, the United States of America, are a nation of immigrants. Though I know the intent of this argument, and know that I find myself on this side of the debate, I could not disagree with these people more on their point.

The USA was founded under the guise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, some Disney fable of the American Dream. In actuality, the leader of the free world was made on the backs of the transatlantic slave trade, on the land of American Indians, and furthered by systematic and intentional dehumanization, internment camps, and genocide foreign and domestic. Do not pretend that things were utopian from the start for this country nor in its more recent history. Our hands are blood-stained and our pages littered with lies to help people in power sleep at night.

While I am so shattered by the position we find ourselves in, Trump is a President elected by (some) of the people for all of the people (theoretically). The US deserves such a candidate, born and raised, until we acknowledge the pedestal we declare our birthright. By the looks of it, Trump appears happy on a throne. What did you expect?

(My latest installment, entitled “Weary” is after one of the hits of Solange’s album from the fall, A Seat at the Table. I encourage you to listen to the full album; you can get a taste with the title track of this post here.)

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