Friday, April 27, 2012

Testimony to the power of one

During the 1967 Israeli War with Egypt, Jordan, & Syria, the media used hysterical rhetoric to drum up support for Israel & while I did not understand the issues in the war, I damn well understood the media manipulation. Walking across the University of Minnesota campus, I saw a lone protestor with a placard supporting the Arab combatants & I approached him to ask why he was protesting. He must have been very frightened in the political atmosphere of that time & brusquely answered me, “They stole our land.” I asked him what he meant but he only repeated, “They stole our land.” It only confirmed to me there was more to the story of the war than the media hysteria & I went in search of that story--becoming soon enough involved in Palestinian support work. The antiwar movement where I now live is inactive & with that lone Palestinian protestor in mind, I often go out alone with placard in hand to protest the wars. Here Karen Steele (of Westminster, MD) protests in inclement weather outside the Fort Meade military base in support of Bradley Manning, the soldier & whistleblower who exposed US war crimes in Iraq & Afghanistan. A judge is expected to rule soon on a defense motion to dismiss all 22 charges against him. For those who eschew public protest by claiming there is no antiwar movement, I post Ms. Steele’s testimony to the contrary & to the power of one when there is no option. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla)

4 comments:

  1. I don't suppose that the claim 'THEY' stole our land could, by any stretch of the imagination, be a LIE... could it? I mean, if the lone protester said it, then it MUST be true... right? I mean, complete STRANGERS should be unequivocally believed... right?? Pffft. God Himself laid out Israel's boundaries and said He was giving it to ISRAEL and THEIR SEED... NOT Ishmael's seed. And if you're SO into fairness and REALLY want to give someone's land back to them that was indeed stolen, you can start with the American Indian. Oh... but that just MIGHT mean you'd actually have to DO something... other than write drivel that any intelligent person knows is a load of crap. So, you want to give something back that has been unjustly taken? Start with your OWN home!! And if you can't do that??!! Then shut up -- because all you are is a hypocrite who wants someone else to do something you aren't willing to do yourself.

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    1. 'God Himself laid out Israel's boundaries and said He was giving it to ISRAEL and THEIR SEED... NOT Ishmael's seed.'
      I don't believe in your "god" or any other god for that matter so you're talking to my ass because my head isn't bothering.

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    2. Another thing. Even if true, what does Ashkenazi Jews, a majority of Israelis, who have been discovered to have a European mother linkage have to do with it? Hum? HUM?!

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    3. Surprise: Ashkenazi Jews Are Genetically European
      "The origin of the Ashkenazi Jews, who come most recently from Europe, has largely been shrouded in mystery. But a new study suggests that at least their maternal lineage may derive largely from Europe."
      http://www.livescience.com/40247-ashkenazi-jews-have-european-genes.html

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