This is why we are in this place. I ask everyone to dedicate their energy, time, and effort into fighting this genocide. The time is upon us to break from our comfort zones and take action for humanity. It is terrifying to think of what the world will look like if we do not. I don’t entertain these thoughts because I have seen so many inspiring people in Gaza and worldwide to know that there is enough of humanity to fight and prevail. More is needed. More is needed of you and myself.
These are defining moments in history. These are the moments that there has to be a choice made between good and evil. As much as evil wants to shake the classification and instead charge others for the very deeds they commit, actions define and their actions are rooted in evil. Their justifications for genocide are evil. Their attempts to delegitimize and silence any opposition to their genocide and war crimes are evil. Their withholding of aid, water, food, and electricity is evil. Their indiscriminate, incessant bombing of Palestinians is evil. Their targeted attacks on journalists are evil. Their imprisoning innocent Palestinians and Israeli’s is evil. Their closure of the border is evil. Their targeted attacks on hospitals, mosques, churches, and refugee camps are evil. What Israel is doing is evil. Their actions define them. Our actions define us. If we choose to support any of these atrocities, that is choosing to support evil. There is a choice to be made.
Such as our actions define us, our inactions define us too. Choosing silence, choosing apathy, choosing complacency, that is also siding with evil by default. That is agreeing with the person who wants to silence because you have chosen the silence they wanted to enforce. Even those who are fearful also side with evil. What are these people fearful of? Losing followers? Losing friends? If either followers or friends side with evil, they are dangerous to have in your life. Those are not friends, those are people who subscribe to evil and will enforce it. Lives are at stake right now and this is not the time for us to lose sleep over follower counts or fair weather friends who would never have had your back. Lose sleep over the death toll in Gaza.
We as a society need to reprioritize. What truly matters? Can we empathize? Can we show compassion? Can we sacrifice things or people in our life that support evil? Why is it so hard for society to embrace these ideals? We need to reprioritize.
There is such rampant suppression, and attempts of suppression, toward people caring for those who are suffering. People are being attacked for showing humanity. That is absolutely disturbing and hurts my heart to its core. I feel a pain so deep from this it is hard to shake because the ramifications to these actions are sickening. How can any human being justify attacking another person for caring over the suffering of others? How is that humanity? Speak up and defend these people who are upholding human rights. Show them the same compassion they are showing the people they defend. Showing compassion, empathy, concern, awareness, unceasing support for the people of Palestine and for their suffering, and demands for unmitigated peace, these are the actions of a person with humanity and moral conscience.
Our complacency has affected us, not just socially, but also politically. We have all elected these officials and we are now dealing with the real time repercussions of our complacency. Now that we know the truth of where they stand, it is our choice to either continue complacent denial or deal with the horrors we have chosen and remove these people from power.
No one wanted to think our leaders would lead us down this path of death, violence, and hatred. Yet our leaders have never actually done anything truly reformative toward any of their constituents to suggest otherwise, and this can be said across the world. That is unacceptable. For instance, abortion rights should have been a solidified right under the Clinton or Obama presidencies, but neither championed for these rights to be enshrined for women. Both campaigned as pro-choice and neither followed through with their actions to protect women’s reproductive rights. We had this evidence but we ignored their inaction, and we also wanted to believe the promises. It is time we accept the reality that history has laid before us, as harsh as this reality is. There is no faith in many of those who are elected because they have been corrupted by both party and through campaign donation fealty. Now that these leaders have fully unmasked and are representing their true character, one that supports genocide and war crimes, the constituents have a hefty choice, but a very simple one because human rights are imperative for all.
It is time for some reform and it is going to have to come from the people. We are the people. We do have the power to elect new officials in our government (and all countries with a system of elections). This is a message for the entire world, not just the US. An elected official that has supported the siege of Palestine by Israel is supporting genocide, war crimes, and human rights violations. They are irredeemable. If that hurts to process, that is understandable, but these elected officials have shown that they will watch as thousands die and feign impotency. Who else has the power but elected officials? No one else does. They have the power to act. They have the power to stop the genocide in Palestine. These same leaders raged against Russia who also committed war crimes. Russia did commit war crimes and these world leaders held Russia accountable. Human rights isn’t a concept that is applicable to one group over another, it is applicable to every human being. The fact that these leaders are denying the human rights of Palestinians when they have shown their outrage and action over war crimes in Ukraine, it proves these leaders hypocrisy and why they should no longer be in office. They cannot be trusted. They have proven that. Human rights apply to all. Our elected officials have a job to uphold human rights. If they do not, they are dangerous to have in office and should be voted out.
We need a greater pool of candidates for elections. I urge anyone who is an activist, has the passion, the drive, and compassion, to run for office. This is the time we need you.
Complacency is a concept for the past. Complacency is for those who will be forgotten or trodden on because this world is on a course that is dark and violent, it’s truly terrifying to even conjecture anything remotely in the future if this path of evil is not stopped. If we chose complacency we choose to watch people die and suffer in silence because personal comfort matters more and then we lose our humanity for personal comfort. If we choose complacency we choose to lose further rights. Complacency is what the oppressors want of you- your silence, apathy, and fear. Silence is a death sentence. Oppressors want people to think their voice is a death sentence because they fear your voice. Silence becomes a death sentence when everyone gives into it.
Resist! It is time for a world revolution in the name of human rights.
Protest! Volunteer!
Contact your elected officials and let them know they lost your vote, but also demand a call for a ceasefire in the name of humanity.