I remember when I first learned about the story of why we celebrate Thanksgiving- how nice that Native Americans shared their food and helped settlers survive. Then, when I was older, I learned about the nightmares - "Manifest Destiny"- the disgusting entitlement to murder & displace the indigenous people to take their land. The government incentivized the killings by exchanging the SCALPS of human beings for money. Colonists not only murdered Native Americans, they mutilated their dead bodies, too. I remember learning about the Trail of Tears- the horrors of that death march- the evil inflicted on them. It's never really stopped- the list of horrors goes on and on and on, just like the genocide of the Palestinians.
It's very easy to see the parallels between the "Manifest Destiny" and "Greater Israel Project"- the mutilation of dead bodies to trade scalps for money and deskining Palestinian corpses for skin banks in Israel- the forced death marches of the Trail of Tears and the second Nakba unfolding in modern day. We are repeating our own dark history. How does that not absolutely disgust you?
It's impossible for me to enjoy Thanksgiving and this holiday season knowing my country is committing another genocide.
I ask you to:
- Call for an immediate ceasefire- a "humanitarian pause" is completely insufficient
- Call for the immediate end of apartheid, occupation, and ethnic cleansing of Palestine
- Support both Israelis and Palestinians in efforts for real and long-lasting peace, safety, freedom, and equal rights for both groups
- Continue to speak out against the disturbing rise of antisemitism, and ALSO equally condemn the rise of Islamophobia tearing our country apart
- Withdraw all U.S. troops and assets sent to assist Israel
- Permanently end all monetary and military aid given to Israel, whether it is directly or indirectly provided
- Provide substantial, ongoing humanitarian relief to all of occupied Palestine to help them rebuild, care for the sick & injured, bury the dead with dignity, and to ensure all of their basic needs are taken care of and unable to be restricted now and in the future by any government or group
- Not support any legislation that directly or indirectly allows for targeting of Palestinians both in the U.S. and abroad
- Protect my freedom of speech and work against all efforts of censorship whether the form is governmental control of the Internet, penalties in-person, or other means of silencing
- Restore my right of free speech to criticize any government or political ideology and provide protection against targeting, discrimination, and harassment for doing so
- Repeal all federal anti-BDS laws for businesses and individuals and pass legislation that voids any and all state-level anti-BDS laws
- Stop the militarization of our police force by ending the cross-training done with the IOF, and all other ways this is accomplished
