AKVMA

Le sigh.  So, I guess this is a thing I do now.  The original, original idea was to write an autobiography about a brown kid born in Cleveland, Ohio.  He didn't amount to much in the “traditional” sense, but I feel like maybe I'm a bit clever and at the end of the day this is for future me and not anyone else. (TY Donald Glover.)  What I wrote for Palestine was referred to as a chapter, but I feel I still have to more to say until this can truly be put to rest.

I've recently realized why seeing the suffering this time seems to cut so deep.  As I'm in the final lap of my 30’s.  My paternal instincts must be rampant.  When my dad was my age, I was 12.  I only have to take care of cats.  Seeing these children, especially babies, brutally murdered day after day after day is crushing.  How can any human see the suffering, even one of the unfortunate hundreds of videos that have been released, and not want it to cease immediately?

The fact that children, and adults, and babies are injured being treated in hospitals without running electricity, clean water, or medicine.  Gaza, the originator of gauze, has no medical supplies left.  And this includes anesthetics.  Births, surgeries, amputations, cauterizations, and I dare to imagine what else done with patients + doctors feeling every moment in very different ways.  I can't deal with headaches, so I take ibuprofen.  Let's also not forget these hospitals, especially in the last few days, are part of the battlefield.  Beginning with Al-Quds, then twenty others hit with mortars + missiles, and finally capping off with the raid on Al-Shifa.  We can only imagine the atrocities that have occurred under the veil there.  Given the inhumane treatment openly posted by Is(not)real’s faux news.

Honestly their propaganda machine has been pretty lackluster.  With the advances in AI, ChatGPT, Dall E, Midjourney, and others, I was a little concerned with the future of propaganda.  I've seen what AI can do, even hands these days, and honestly that's getting scary.  What we've seen is comical.  Dragons may have been the wrong term, dinosaurs feels more apt.  From October 7th, even that day in particular seems to have been staged to a degree.  The world's fourth most funded army with fences + cameras that they themselves have claimed “can see a cockroach crossing their border.”  They were attacked by men in jeeps + as one put it “guys with leaf blowers on their backs.” 

 Seems like a small incident was allowed to help with Bibi's approval rating + to justify a crusade against Palestine in response.  Now the tale is already unraveling, from 1,400 to 1,200 victims, many having been killed by IDF's indiscriminate fire + helicopters.  Stories are rolled back.  40 babies that existed until ire was drawn, then they ceased to.  When tweets went out stating IDF hit Al Quds (a Hamas HQ of course) but then were quickly redacted.  Replaced with a video of Islamic Jihad shooting a rocket at a building, but unfortunately the timestamp clearly present shows it was not when the missile hit Al-Quds.  Following the attack on Al-Quds, 20 additional hospitals have been destroyed in Is(not)real’s annexation of Gaza.  IDF's propaganda assignment is an F.  No Hamas at Al-Shifa, no tunnels, no rockets, ten rusty AK's in an MRI machine, a calendar in Arabic, an Israeli actress turned fake nurse, clearly empty boxes labeled in English “medical supplies,” and a “Hamas” laptop oddly possessing an Israeli power plug.

Meanwhile reality is being broadcast, at least what little can be trafficked out.  Hundreds of patients are dead + dying.  ICU patients + incubators have no electricity.  No clean running water is leading to the spread of further disease + duress.  The shells and casings of illumination rounds + anti-tank munitions were found at Al-Shifa.  Weapons the Hamas does not possess, and which frankly are criminal to use against what we now clearly know were sick + injured civilians and their doctors.  One of the last hospitals in Gaza, which was also sheltering thousands of innocent men, women, and children, and babies...

In the most bizarre + twisted report I've read (Given the brazen callousness of Is(not)real that's saying a lot)  Dead bodies buried at Al-Shifa are being unearthed?  Haven't they been through enough?  Are they for your “skin bank?” (seriously WTF)  By dehumanizing Palestinians, the Zionists have no issue handling them as animals.  Script flipped again, copying the N@zis homework as they compared Jews to rodents to justify their actions.  Clearly the soldiers believe this, as they happily show the suffering they inflict.  Cheerfully throwing a grenade into a mosque where prayer is being called.

Hospitals part of the battlefield.  I cannot imagine what occurred at Al-Shifa, and we may never know the full extent of what happened as press was removed and kept at bay by IDF snipers.  Only escorted press were allowed to see a poorly prepared presentation.  They've gotten away with it for so long, they got fat, dumb, and lazy.  The slip ups like “we are only targeting civilians” have Freud spinning in his grave like the lead in my kuru toga.  (Can't help a pencil joke.)

Since 10/7/23, the only loss of life has been Palestinian.  If is(not)real had any actual proof of any aggression it would have been shared many times over.  Posters of hostages from 10/7/23, but nothing more.  Only videos of dancing, baking, sunbathing, singing, and planting flags on stolen land.  Speaking of hostages, how many have been rescued?  How many killed alongside children in Palestine?  How many starved + thirsty in the dark?  How many negotiated for?  How many sick did Hamas release even after bibi refused to trade supplies for them?  How many, when released, shook hands with their captors and said Shalom, to then praise their kindness + hospitality + respect at a press conference?  Who are the aggressors here?  Who are the oppressed?  Who are the monsters committing monstrosities during an expulsion/annexation/genocide?  How is this complicated?  Do you need more help choosing a side?

It's also strange to see universities labeling student groups hateful or even as terrorists and attempting to silence and shutter them.  Pillars of education + growth for youth.  A place of learning + finding one’s voice.  One of the first in the world, established by Fatima al-Fihriyaal: The University of al-Qarawiyyin opened in Morocco in 895.  Now these institutions are stifling free + peaceful speech made in opposition to a literal genocide using the same old labels dragons gave us.

“Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth.”  Oppressed around the world have used their words to ask, beg, plead, and eventually demand equality + justice.  The world has failed them, but the dragons particularly lead that charge.  As their words fail, actions follow.  Protests, marches, nonviolent resistance, and eventually, as those continue to maintain the “status quo” more extreme measures are taken.  As OBL very clearly + eloquently (If I dare say) stated in his letter to the world for his reasoning behind 9/11.  I was shocked to learn of this letter + read it for the first time only recently.  Shocked especially because I watched that chaos unfold live in the cafeteria (good ol’ ISTEP) & AP Gov where our teacher stated we were living through a historical event.  One of OBL’s main qualms was the continued mistreatment of Palestinians and the US’s financial + military backing of Is(not)real.  Again, I feel I must clarify I abhor all forms of violence, as brown folk often have to do.  However, people pushed to the brink + backed into a corner will lash out.  The voice of the oppressed is incendiary because that is the only language they have left to speak.

As with the infamous burning monk, Thích QuAng ĐUc.  Who when words had failed him, as well as other Buddhists, from US-backed persecution performed by the southern Vietnamese government.  ĐUc Sat down in a street in Saigon, proceeded to meditate, lit himself on fire, and sat motionless as flames engulfed him.  JFK stated at the time “No news picture has generated so much emotion around the world as that one.”  As a Congolese man has also done only days ago to protest + draw attention to the genocide occurring there.  Self-immolation for self-preservation.  One image of a monk in 6/11/63.  As of 11/17/23, the video of the Congolese man + countless videos of Palestinian men, women, children and sadly babies, seems to spur less emotion around the world.

Actually, I have to step that back.  The world is marching for Palestine.  I am happy to see so many out demanding change, not for money, but for humanity.  I was proud to be a part of the 15,000 in Austin recently.  Baby Dragons tried labeling this as a “mob,” but as a participant I know the diversity of that crowd included mothers pushing strollers, toddlers sitting on shoulders, and grandparents who have seen too much ugly in their lives.  There was sadness, passion, anger, and rage.  Some of which was shouted by the smallest women with disproportionately large voices.  I can personally attest there was no hate, violence, or calling for death.  Only for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

In closing, I again have to thank all of those who are marching, sharing, and messaging me about what's going on as well as what I've been writing.  As a brown kid from Ohio, seeing minorities dying, especially brown children like I once was, cuts deep.  And to those who remain silent, I see you too.  I know life takes a lot, but you cannot remain neutral in this chaos.  Be the lawful good against Goliath + against genocide.  Myself I feel like a madman, witnessing a genocide play-by-play and the world spins merrily along as if nothing is going on.   Well like Roddy Piper, I have my sunglasses + I'm all out of bubble gum.

I have an assignment for you space monkeys today.  One I have made my modus operandi as well.  Go out into the world + spread some beauty.  I took a picture of an older couple at Jo's in Austin (IYKYK) and told them they looked so cute as I took their picture.  Their faces lit up, as did mine.  You can give + receive in one simple act.  Show kindness to your fellow humans, we’re all dealing with a lot.  Some other ez actions are holding doors, picking up dropped change, and using emojis IRL.  Thumbs up 👍🏽, peace ✌🏽, and thanks 🙏🏽 are some of my personal favs.

Salaam (✌🏽)