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Monica Barto's avatar

I fight every day to want to be fully alive in a world that forces me to perpetuate this heinous crime of humanity by using the forced payment of the filthy tax money used to fund these actions. My forced involvement takes me to hell daily. Yet I persevere because I have a daughter I brought into this mess before I was awakened to America and its inhumanity. Thank you for your words, your insight. You are a blessing!

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Amymerime's avatar

Same. I stick around because I have kids.

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Diana van Eyk's avatar

Agreed, Frederick.

There are no words. Our leaders are rotten to the core.

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Vidya's avatar

Thank you for putting into words so eloquently what I and many others are feeling. This past year has destroyed my faith in humanity and that any higher power exists. There’s no other explanation for how such cruelty could prevail.

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Jennifer's avatar

I hear you. I see it as human beings committing these atrocities using free will. I believe our higher power is pure unconditional love and the atrocities committed are those of incarnated humans of their own choosing and in my opinion it’s horrific and heartbreaking. The writer is on point in that this genocide and the horrific treatment of Palestinians has been going on for decades and unfortunately our nation has not only turned a blind eye, but has enabled a level of destruction that Netanyahu could not have done without our arming his genocide. Yet, for the humanitarians that have been in Gaza to help the Palestinians, many who’ve been murdered their, and humanitarians worldwide that we may never see in interviews on tv or read about, give me faith and courage to continue. The unsung heroes and sheroes I continue to salute and honor. They’re the ones that give me faith for humanity as well as this writer and those touched by his words. Sending you love and light, dear, compassionate, carrying being that you are.

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Guy MacKenzie's avatar

This is a characteristically eloquent and emotionally charged essay sure to garner plenty of sympathetic outrage. Perhaps some perspective is warranted - to be condemned by many who read it but if enlightening to even a few it is worthwhile.

The civilian casualties of this war (and of all wars) are a tragedy. It is not ‘ethnic cleansing’. Wars do not ‘require equals’ (what does that even mean?). And you say ‘they paint Hamas as an evil to be eradicated but what about the evil of occupation?’.. Are you denying the evil of Hamas? I don’t see a single criticism of Hamas in the essay.

Israel left Gaza in 2005. Hamas was then elected in 2007. The Hamas charter called for the destruction of Israel. Hamas diverted billions of dollars in international aid towards developing its tunnel network from which it could plan and to wage attacks on Israelis. Hamas is a murderous death cult who, like all Islamic extremists, contribute nothing but death and destruction. Hamas is the reason Palestinian civilians are suffering.

Hamas’ explicit strategy is to maximise civilian deaths. They launch missiles from schools and from hospitals. They do this to exploit western compassion, garnering support for their cause and inciting hatred towards Israel amongst naive and embittered leftists. Their success is easily identified through essays such as this one - which condemn their enemy as the cause of this misery. Just as sympathisers in the 1930 saw Jews as oppressors (through their wealth and financial success) and nazis were seen to as defenders of the victims (suffering from economic carnage and hyperinflation after reparations imposed through the Treaty of Versailles). In this world the moral high ground lies with he who can be seen as an underdog, irrespective of the values held.

Israel’s response has not been perfect. Their recent targeted attacks - including the annihilation of Hezbollah leadership with relatively limited civilian casualties - demonstrate their outstanding military capabilities. It is indeed a tragedy they could not have been more targeted in their response to the barbaric Oct 7th massacre (or as you very sickly describe it, ‘resistance framed as aggression’. Perhaps it was too difficult with Hamas leadership hiding amongst the hostages. And perhaps they were affected by rage and fury in the wake of the Oct 7th massacre. But warnings were given before Israeli attacks with a view of minimising the civilian toll. Did Hamas warn Israel ahead of Oct 7? Or were they trying to maximise terror and suffering amongst civilians, and to bait Israel into a response, knowing it would cause further civilian carnage? It is clear that nobody attaches less value to the life of a Palestinian than the leadership of Hamas. That is where the primary responsibility for this horror surely lies.

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Nina's avatar

And the expansion into Lebanon?

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Nina's avatar

And the apartheid state?

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Nina's avatar

What about the Dahiya doctrine?

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Chris Chambers's avatar

Two types of terrorism= …terrorism. Both sides would rather murder than help their people. Building and living is complicated. Inflicting death, using the dead as recruiting tools is insufferably easier. Hamas is a terror group, murderers, liars. Full stop. Netanyahu’s gang, same. Iran murders its own women who protested hijabs bc again, building is complicated. Holding onto power is not. So you are either incredibly naive or suborn horror.

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

There is no justification for America's involvement in this genocide. Thank you for writing about this.

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Karen's avatar

Beautifully written about how ugly our behavior is.

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Joy Harris's avatar

So many gems of wisdom in this piece. You are not alone in your feelings of horror. The cognitive dissonance I feel daily in going about my life is strangling me. It is so hard to keep any hope, but knowing there are many like you who recognize what is going on helps. Thank you for continuing to raise your voice! 🤎✊🏾

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Sadie E.'s avatar

Beautifully written and spot on!

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nichole's avatar

Thank you fornexpressing the words I have balled tightly inside me like fists.

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VHFD's avatar

I too am sickened by the criminal destruction and death Netanyahu has brought to Gaza and the people there. Yet as I read your words I couldn't help but think about "not what was said but what wasn’t." Just as the the MSNBC commentators made no mention of the horrors that Netanyahu has inflicted, you make no mention of the horrors Hamas inflicted on Israeli (and other) civilians a year ago today.

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Heidi Bailey's avatar

I would say the BILLIONS and BOMBS “in the name” of October 7 show no shortage of what is a bombardment of the explicit messaging.

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VHFD's avatar

I too am sickened by the criminal destruction and death Netanyahu has brought to Gaza and the people there. Yet as I read your words I couldn't help but think about "not what was said but what wasn’t." Just as the the MSNBC commentators made no mention of the horrors that Netanyahu has inflicted, you make no mention of the horrors Hamas inflicted on Israeli (and other) civilians a year ago today.

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Denise Conroy's avatar

No words. And yours are as good as it gets. ❤️‍🩹🇵🇸🇱🇧

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Amymerime's avatar

Thank you for stating the truth. I’m Hopeless.😔

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Jan's avatar

A good 'antidote' to the e-newsletter I received today from Michael Schermer.

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Monica Barto's avatar

❤️

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