1. United States
2. Letter

Every breath taken signifies another moment that men, women, and children, just like you and I, are trapped in the fierce crosshairs of a conflict that scorches their home, Palestine. Our gazes manifest discomfort when we watch our TVs or read our newspapers, witnessing the brutalities being carried out, funded by our tax dollars and driven by our armaments. An ordinary man like me is crushed under the weight of guilt and responsibility I did not ask for but bear nonetheless. Every free dollar that sprouts from our soil seems to bear a ticket to the symbolic pyre of tranquility, tearing asunder whatever chances of peace might reside in that grieving land. Innocent lives are being snuffed out, homes reduced to desolate ashes. Nightmarish echoes of once lively streets scream to the world the injustice we are perpetrating. It is not about sides, or about who is right or wrong. It is about humanity, about innocent people ensnared in the middle of a fever-pitched war, purely by virtue of their birth. Treasured lives are being traded for political currency and it is heart-wrenching to realize that we can no longer distance ourselves from the harsh reality of this collateral damage. Demand the end of our financial endorsements towards this unforgiving assault on innocent lives. Advocate for a ceasefire, because every second spared is a life saved, a home restored, a child’s laughter resounding in an alley and not the wails of despair. Abolish the funding materializing Israel's harsh actions against civilians who dream of only one thing: survival. Stop sending arms that merely stoke the fires of this woeful discord rather than seek a path towards resolution and peace. Appeal for sense, for morality, for humanity; let it echo louder than the droning sounds of the war machines, resounding into the hearts of those who can truly bring about change.