Reset, Refocus, Restart

Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and take a break.

When I picked up my daughter from school today she told me a sixth grader said awful things to other students all day until one or more other students got fed up and assaulted him. Apparently he’s hospitalized and whoever injured him will be expelled (and rightfully so). I do want to caveat this by saying she didn’t witness anything firsthand so it’s possible some aspects have been embellished as middle schoolers are wont to do.

My daughter is almost always chatty when she gets in the car. It’s as if a memory stick has been inserted into the seat next to me as she downloads the events of the day. Once she pauses, I ask questions and today my first question was: Do you think violence was justified given the way the student was harassing other students?

I patted myself on the back a bit when she emphatically said no, hurting someone is never okay. I then asked if her friends also think it was wrong and she’s sure they do.

In light of what happened last night at UCLA, I couldn’t help but wonder if I truly believe violence is never the answer? Do I think almost seven months of Jewish students being harassed, intimidated, and blamed for Israel’s actions in Gaza could lead a reasonable person to lash out and assault their fellow students (that’s assuming everyone on both sides are students which I don’t)?  

Of course I don’t, but I can see how someone could be incited to carry out at act like that even if I don’t agree with it. Jewish students have been attacked and othered for eight months. The  casual — and not so casual — hatred I have seen is disgusting and when you combine it with the moment we’re living in where we all think we have to be Team ALL This or Team ALL That, it’s a recipe for disaster. Many things can be true at the same time.

No one deserves to be kidnapped and murdered from a music festival, their homes, or ANYWHERE. Israel ignored the conditions in Gaza for far too long and Netanyahu actually enabled Hamas. In the efforts to root out Hamas, an unfathomable number of civilians have died while Hamas actively prevents aid and supplies from getting to those desperate to receive it.

There are a lot of people who want to “bring awareness” to the situation in Israel/Gaza who don’t understand the most basic things about the conflict. I don’t believe they are trying to cause harm but mindlessly repeating, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” without knowing the name of the river or the sea is, you know, extremely unhelpful.  

This issue has become so divisive I am sincerely concerned about the impact it will have on the presidential election. The numbers are relatively small on each side but it is likely to be very close in the critical swing states where every vote will be needed. I know people in both camps who are adamant about not voting for Joe Biden in November and what I am hearing scares the hell out of me.

Today on Threads I suggested not all the anti-Israel college protests are peaceful and boy did I get some awful responses to include accusing me of getting my information from Fox News. That comment and others combined with a lot of frustration in feeling I am not doing enough to help with the election in November and serious anxiety about my family’s safety should Trump get re-elected, led to me making the decision to log out of Threads and delete the app as well as log out on my computer. I’m also taking at least a short break from my podcast as I explore some possibilities about where and how I can best use my voice to make a difference in re-electing Joe Biden and giving American democracy a chance to fight another day.

Expect to see a lot more of me here and how about a virtual meet up/group therapy session/late happy hour sometime next week?