I told myself, after October 7, that I will refuse to say "I am afraid". I will dig my heels in and stand tall. Go ahead, scream at me, call me names! I will become a mirror for you to see your face contorted with hatred. But this article broke me. I felt, the entire time reading it, that I must be reading something from the 1930's Nazi Germany, while at the same time knowing that I was in fact reading in real time. My thoughts kept darting to various family members who would not know when to leave, (and where to go) either because they are too old, or too young, or too much in denial. Who are we humans? Where are we now? What is happening to mankind? Is this some form of COVID of the soul? When I become the mirror in which people poisoned with hate must see themselves, I too am forced to stare at the faces reflected in this mirror. It is heartbreaking. It breaks the hope, the forgiveness, and the love that have guided my heart my entire life.
I take no side in what is going on in the Middle East. As an outsider it seems that massive wrongs have been perpetrated by both "sides". But I might be wrong. I have no first-hand knowledge, like most people who opinionate and/or compile government related to the Palestine and Israel situation. From a UK perspective, I do not value the opinions of someone like Michael Gove. Even in this piece, he seems to imply a connection between anyone who does not accept the official line on "safe and effective treatments" and so-called "right wing" thinkers, and people who get involved in anti-semitic speech and activities. Yet he speaks of "familiar tropes" regarding Jewish people. So it seems still okay to smear some groups, but absolutely not some others. To be clear: I do not wish persecution on any cultural/ethnic/religious groups. But for someone like Michael Gove to bleat on about "democratic values" after what the UK and most other Western governments have presided over since 2020 in a war against the populations who elected and pay them, is disgusting. Just an observation.
I told myself, after October 7, that I will refuse to say "I am afraid". I will dig my heels in and stand tall. Go ahead, scream at me, call me names! I will become a mirror for you to see your face contorted with hatred. But this article broke me. I felt, the entire time reading it, that I must be reading something from the 1930's Nazi Germany, while at the same time knowing that I was in fact reading in real time. My thoughts kept darting to various family members who would not know when to leave, (and where to go) either because they are too old, or too young, or too much in denial. Who are we humans? Where are we now? What is happening to mankind? Is this some form of COVID of the soul? When I become the mirror in which people poisoned with hate must see themselves, I too am forced to stare at the faces reflected in this mirror. It is heartbreaking. It breaks the hope, the forgiveness, and the love that have guided my heart my entire life.
I take no side in what is going on in the Middle East. As an outsider it seems that massive wrongs have been perpetrated by both "sides". But I might be wrong. I have no first-hand knowledge, like most people who opinionate and/or compile government related to the Palestine and Israel situation. From a UK perspective, I do not value the opinions of someone like Michael Gove. Even in this piece, he seems to imply a connection between anyone who does not accept the official line on "safe and effective treatments" and so-called "right wing" thinkers, and people who get involved in anti-semitic speech and activities. Yet he speaks of "familiar tropes" regarding Jewish people. So it seems still okay to smear some groups, but absolutely not some others. To be clear: I do not wish persecution on any cultural/ethnic/religious groups. But for someone like Michael Gove to bleat on about "democratic values" after what the UK and most other Western governments have presided over since 2020 in a war against the populations who elected and pay them, is disgusting. Just an observation.