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Will's avatar

It is clear to me that trump is setting up a ‘heads I will tails you lose’ election. His potential vp (Celebrity Apprentice) candidates in turn befouled their reputations by sidestepping the acceptance of results question. Tim Scott should be ashamed of himself. They all should.

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John G. Ata's avatar

Steve, I was disappointed and sad to read this piece. While I share your opposition to an autocratic/fascist candidate, you seem to have forgotten that the ends do not justify the means as it appears you are advocating regarding Gaza.

1. That there are wholesale and deliberate atrocities against civilians in Gaza is a fact. The ICJ has indicated that there is a plausible genocide (see paragraph 54 of the ruling at https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/e9d8337ab5ae1d92/72977573-full.pdf). Aid organizations, medical teams on ground and independent journalists have confirmed. At least 24,000 human beings have lost their lives, the majority women and children. The deliberately imposed famine is raging, entire infrastructure of Gaza including water, medical supplies and food have been destroyed. International and US domestic laws have been flouted or ignored. This supersedes all politics and alliances. Kudos to the protestors who are brave enough to put their humanity on the line even if it means jail, mistreatment or expulsion. How many of us are willing to do the same?

2. When the government of one group perpetrates war crimes and genocide against a people, there will always be those who will deny it is happening or rationalize it. Thus, for example, Turkey claims that the Armenian genocide never happened, that it was just wartime confusion. But it did and was finally recognized by the US in 2007. While some might attempt to smear the entire nation of Turkey, this would be wrong and unfortunate but doesn’t change the facts of the genocide. What would be more wrong is to pretend the genocide never happened. In the same way, there are antisemitic people who will attempt to blame the nation of Israel and all its inhabitants for the government’s horrific slaughter in Gaza. This is wrong and must be opposed but cannot be used as a justification for keeping silent. If you are blaming the protestors for the presence of these undesirable elements, you are missing the whole point of the protest and the indescribable evil and horror on a people.

3. The link you gave supporting your claim that young people don’t see Gaza as a priority belies that claim. I suggest you read it carefully because it actually suggests the opposite.

4. I wouldn’t be quoting the administration as an unbiased source on the negotiations. They have indicated that if talks collapse, it is totally Hamas’s fault. Really? That is ludicrous as public statements by the Israeli government point to a lack of interest in getting a deal for the hostages. The administration is pretending that none of these public statements matter which is ludicrous.

5. The situation in Gaza should be concerning to all Americans because their tax dollars are being used to commit the atrocities. Rather than chide the protestors for hurting Biden’s reelection effort in pointing this out, maybe we should all as a nation strive to convince the administration to substantially work for a permanent cease fire/hostage deal and a workable plan to have all people live together unlike the effort now that appears to be for show only.

6. “Dissent must never lead to disorder” - one of those phrases that sound good but has never been true. Any protest worth its salt against the status quo has some disorder to gain attention. This is different than violence which should never be tolerated. One only has to look at the civil rights non-violent movement in the US and its heroes such as Martin Luther King, to see how this type of thinking by the administration was deemed harmful. MLK talked about the white moderate’s affinity towards order over justice as harmful. He and others like John Lewis called for good trouble and necessary trouble. Notice that the prioritization of order over protests is used by those who disagree with the point of the protests and wish to suppress them.

I’ve been a member of America, America for some time now. I’ve come to expect a certain objective standard and quality in your posts. This last post disappointed me immensely. I’ve noticed over the years that It is easy to spout principles when they support one’s end or their candidate. It’s more difficult to adhere to those principles when that end or candidate’s election appears to be in jeopardy. The latter takes real courage but is what is needed for credibility in the long run.

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