I found this gem this morning and wanted to share it with you. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to get the link to work automatically.Still, I think you'll get it if you type it in to your browser.
Trust me-it's worth the few seconds it will take you!
Yes-Gaza has death and destruction, but also LIFE! It is so important to remember that.
People in Gaza have weddings, not just funerals. They celebrate the birth of a child with the hope they will never have to bury one.
Life is a mixed bag, even in Gaza. I think no people on earth are as filled with life as the people of Gaza. Maybe because death is always so near.
I am happy to report the UCC is divesting from the Israeli Occupation!
I was a member of the UCC for thirty years. They are a "social justice" church. The UCC gets things done, from feeding the poor to helping kids get school supplies to working on tough international issues, such as the divestment from the occupation.
Now, all that said, watch for the response from those who will call this "anti-Semitic". It is nothing of the sort! It is a move to change the Israeli policy of occupation, land theft and the abuse of human rights. Period. It has nothing to do with anyone being a Jew. So do not be fooled by those who will say otherwise.
This video tells the story of a young man I have been pan pals with for four years.
If I did not fully believe he is innocent, I would never never tell his story, let alone be in contact with him.
But he is innocent!
This is nothing more than an FBI witch hunt and a judicial system that is broken. The Patriot Act and NDAA have taken over and common sense has been lost.
In hundreds of hours of video and audio taped evidence, Ziyad was never on any of it. He had no weapons, no plans for any attack. The man who did have those things, Daniel Boyd, was given a light sentence in exchange for his testimony.
At trial, Boyd said under oath that Ziyad was no part of his group, was not in on any plot, had nothing to do with any of it.
Yet the jury, convinced by the prosecution that Ziyad could be a terrorist in some unknown future plan, convinced that because he is Muslim he must be a radical, convicted him with no evidence.
The judge sentenced Ziyad to over thirty years in prison.
Boyd, who did have a cache of weapons and a terror plan found in his home, got off with a much lighter sentence!.
What is wrong with this picture?? Plenty!
Update: August 1, 2023
Ziyad remains incarcerated at Otisville prison in New York state.
Despite having incompetent representation at his first trial, he has been repeatedly denied a new trial on numerous appeals.
This case continues to be an injustice to him, his family, and to every American who has been wrongly accused or incarcerated.
We chant the mantra "No one is above the law", but, no one should be crushed under it, either, especially the innocent caught in these periodic storms of paranoia and hate.
Veterans For Peace is an outstanding organization, exposing the costs of war and healing the wounds of war. That is the mission-as well as working to end armed conflict around the world.
You do not need to be a veteran to join. Many supporters are associate members.
Groups are organized locally but chartered by the national organization.
This was all begun by military veterans themselves. They understand better than anyone what war inflicts on humans-soldiers and civilians alike.
Please take the time to check them out and find a group near you. You'll be glad you did.
Another Memorial Day is upon us. A time to remember our troops, living and dead.
Will we also remember these men? They have spent one more year in captivity, one more year away from their families, one more year having not been charged with any crime.
A couple of years ago, I organized a protest against the indefinite detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. We held it on the fourth of July, across from our federal courthouse. We donned orange jumpsuits and held signs. My sign had the photo of a prisoner who died waiting to be released. He was never charged with terrorism or any other crime.
As our group stood there on the corner, a car stopped at the intersection. A man yelled "Communists!"
A woman from our group yelled back "Fascist!"
I called to the man "Locking people up indefinitely without trial is what communists do! We are supposed to be better than that!"
He turned his attention back to his driving, saying nothing more.
How odd that we assume the people at Guantanamo Bay are "the bad guys" and the ones who have tortured them are "the good guys". How does THAT work?? How is it that I am "unpatriotic" because I think those who have been cleared for release should actually be set free?
Terrorism is not my worst fear. More than this, I fear that my children could grow up in a country where even they could be detained indefinitely, without charge, having never committed a crime.
I would like to ask that you please support this cause in whatever way you can, be it a monetary donation or featuring it on your Facebook, Twitter, and any blog you might have.
The people of Gaza are suffering greatly and these young volunteers are attempting to alleviate that. They need our support!
Thank you, America! Love to you, from the lake....
Doctors Without Borders has been in Gaza for some twenty years.
The blockade is preventing building materials from entering the Strip. Humanitarian aid only goes so far, when you cannot rebuild homes, hospitals and schools. The drastic lack of clean water and electricity is also an ongoing issue.
This situation is not the result of some natural disaster. This is a completely man-made catastrophe. And if you are American, this has been done with your tax dollar. You should be outraged!
