1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

CONGRESS I write to you with a heart heavy with despair, but brimming with unyielding hope. We live in times where humanity itself seems to be on the brink of a precipice, staring at the abyss of crimes and atrocities, sometimes committed under the guise of foreign policies. It is not a political agenda, but the human agenda, that forces me to raise my concern about the U.S. funding of Israel's actions against Palestinian civilians and the arms supply that fuels the ongoing strife. The profounder value of humanity asks us to extend our hands to support, not our weaponry to annihilate. We, ordinary people with ordinary lives, mothers, fathers, and children, empathize deeply with the ordeal Palestinian civilians are confronting daily. We grieve for lives lost and futures shattered. Our taxes, taken from the sweat and blood of our hard work, are indirectly contributing to this violence. The knowledge of this is not only horrifying but heartrending. Human rights should not only exist in political jargon and international conventions, but in actions, in sanctions, in decisions, and most importantly, in the collective consciousness of our humanity. Much has been said about the right to self-defense, and as an average citizen, I am not adverse to such necessity. However, when the instruments of self-defense perpetuate cycles of pain, suffering, and death, we must re-evaluate our stance. I plead urgently for a ceasefire, for a pause to look at the consequences of our actions, and to consider alternatives that uphold human dignity. Demand the ceasing of arms provision to Israel that is used against Palestinians, and attempt diplomacy and dialogue instead of escalating violence. The preservation of our shared humanity insists on this action. This singular act will not only bring a moment of peace to a beleaguered land but assert our stand for justice, peace, and human rights.