It’s been a little bit since I’ve written. Every day that’s elapsed, I’ve intended to explain—make a video, a Telegram message, a blog post…and I’ve been frozen. I open my mouth and no words come. I sit before a blank screen to write and no words come. What is there to say that hasn’t been said yet?
Marcellus Williams was murdered despite his innocence and the massive public outcry. Cries for justice fell on ears that heard and did it anyway. Israeli violence has continued to escalate – a school of orphaned children was bombed just yesterday. The region has only continued to experience expanding violence from Gaza, the West Bank, then Lebanon, Yemen, Iran – and on and on. My country knows the majority of Americans, and the majority of the entire world, have called Israel’s crimes for what it is – genocide – but the officials still deny it. It’s still being funded. Billions of dollars are being sent overseas to fund proxy wars, meanwhile, towns across Appalachia have been wiped out by flooding and are still in dire need of help.
Workers in Tennessee died from flooding because their bosses told them if they left, they’d be fired. People say things online like, “Well they should have just left anyway a job isn’t worth your life.” While not technically wrong, it oversimplifies the situation. Most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Healthcare is tied to employment. Inflation is the worst it’s ever been. Not having a job for a lot of people means losing such a significant quality of life that the stakes are completely different. I was just laid off from my job a couple of weeks ago. I get why the threat worked.
The longshoremen strike is one I wholeheartedly support. I even thought, maybe this will delay weapons shipments, too. Those hopes were quickly dashed. Our economy is a military-industrial complex built by blood both here and abroad. Military shipments are going on as normal. Israel was sent another 8.7 billion dollars from this administration, while FEMA does not have enough funding to make it through the rest of the hurricane season.
We all know by now the government will not save us. It’s up to us to help one another. But, even when we try to we are stopped. I’ve been thinking a lot about the civilian pilot, Jordan Seidhom, who the local fire chief threatened with arrest if he continued flying rescue missions in North Carolina. Seidhom isn’t a hobbyist – he has a law enforcement background and all the necessary credentials to fly. He was trying to save people who are being absolutely failed by our federal and state governments, and instead of being seen as the hero he is, he was threatened.
So with a mind full of nonstop horrors both domestically and abroad, I have lost my words. The shame of having stopped only increases each day, but still, no words come. Writing this has taken days, and each word has been a fight. Is anyone even listening at this point? Have my efforts truly done anything?
I know this matters and I won’t stop forever. I need to rethink how to move forward to best use my time, skills, and abilities to make an impact without completely deteriorating. Right now I feel raw and open – I’ve need this time to assess the world and myself. I intend on coming out with a new structure soon to share. I’ve moved my hosting to 1984, and it’s been a little bit to transfer my blog over correctly. As an aside, I chose 1984 for its strong stance on free speech. The ADL sued them to try to get the website mapliberation.org taken down. Per the website, the map project “illustrates some ways in which institutional support for the colonization of Palestine is structurally tied to policing and systemic white supremacy here where we live, and to US imperialist projects in other countries.” I have a lot of respect for 1984 hosting fighting this egregious, frivolous lawsuit.
SOURCES
The Innocence Project “Stop the Sept. 24 Execution of Marcellus Williams, an Innocent Man“
Newsweek “I’m a Black Man in Missouri—Marcellus Williams’ Execution Reveals a Hidden Truth“
The Voice “When innocence doesn’t matter: Marcellus Williams’ execution was a modern-day lynching“
Al Jazeera “Video: Israeli attack on Gaza school for orphans“
Al Jazeera “Why did Israel attack Lebanon’s biggest Palestinian refugee camp?“
Al Jazeera “Iran’s missile attack against Israel: What we know and what comes next“
Scientific American “Why Appalachia Flooded So Severely from Helene’s Remnants“
Washington Examiner “Appalachia: A ballad of the unseen“
USA Today “Heartbreak across 6 states: Here are some who lost lives in Hurricane Helene“
CNN “Massive port strike begins across America’s East Coast, threatening shortages and rising prices“
WUSA9 “Baltimore cruise ships and military cargo not affected by dock worker strike“
NBC6 South Florida “South Florida couple stranded by Helene in North Carolina rescued by chopper pilot“
New York Post “Helicopter pilot threatened with arrest after flying rescue missions in flood-ravaged NC“
Firehouse “Civilian Pilots Join Rescue, Relief Efforts in Storm-Ravaged Areas“
AP News “Mayorkas warns FEMA doesn’t have enough funding to last through hurricane season“
Reuters “Israel says it has secured $8.7 billion U.S. aid package“
Newsweek “Matt Gaetz Voted Against FEMA Funding Right Before Hurricane Helene Struck“
The Hill “Hurricane Helene renews calls for Congress to pass disaster funding“
The New Republic ““Let It Go to Voicemail”: Democrats Reportedly Ignoring Calls for Cease-Fire“
Middle East Eye “Israel-Palestine war: Interns, fellows on Capitol Hill say US Congress suppressing Gaza ceasefire calls“
The New Republic “Congressional Interns Accuse Bosses of Suppressing Calls for Cease-Fire“
