This is not your faux pas, Amy, it is a projection by others to justify one form of violence over another. When we start making spaces for murderers, then no one is safe from those who would feel justified by their actions in blind adherence to their own subjective truths. The fact stands that humans are oppressors by their very nature and my heart goes out to anyone oppressed by violence. To say one oppression should be celebrated, while the other abhorred is an odd reaction, and while I understand that's not what YOU are saying, the idea that anyone says it shows me the kind of person they are. I do commend you though for trying to unpack this because it shows you come from a place of understanding and a commitment to learning. I wish we could all approach it with such a level head.
That you for that. I was super critical of the Israeli state's use of power against Palestinians for literally decades prior to October 7th -- but after hamas's actions, I began to ask whether or not Israel's security concerns had been founded all along (had I been wrong?); at the same time I found myself questioning my beliefs, people around me who previously seemed to have no opinion on the matter burst into vehement Pro-Palestinian support -- what weird timing, right? To suddenly take on a cause whose leadership just did the worst thing it had ever done? Among the worst things imaginable? You can't help but ask, was it the very bad thing they did that sparked your attention and won you over? Because that's not okay. (And never forget that the pro-Palestinian camps and rallies in the US started after October 7th but before Israel invaded Gaza -- so saying the support was because of Israel's disproportionate response is a clear lie.) The Palestinian cause should have LOST international support after that bloody invasion, not gained it. Unless a world of war and aggression is what people want? I can honestly say I'm pro-Peaceful-Palestinian and pro-Peaceful-Israeli and that I've had the good fortune to know many individual humans of both (Peaceful) types. I'm also pro-Peaceful-Ukrainian, and again, my good fortune has brought them into my life. There are millions of Pro-Peace Russians, many of whom fled their own country and live in limbo now. All of them good and decent people. The banner of peace is international and universal: almost all of us just want to live our lives, raise our children, dream our dreams. Only a very few want to bathe in their enemies' blood. The rest of us should never give such people a pass and we should certainly never rally to empower them.
This is not your faux pas, Amy, it is a projection by others to justify one form of violence over another. When we start making spaces for murderers, then no one is safe from those who would feel justified by their actions in blind adherence to their own subjective truths. The fact stands that humans are oppressors by their very nature and my heart goes out to anyone oppressed by violence. To say one oppression should be celebrated, while the other abhorred is an odd reaction, and while I understand that's not what YOU are saying, the idea that anyone says it shows me the kind of person they are. I do commend you though for trying to unpack this because it shows you come from a place of understanding and a commitment to learning. I wish we could all approach it with such a level head.
That you for that. I was super critical of the Israeli state's use of power against Palestinians for literally decades prior to October 7th -- but after hamas's actions, I began to ask whether or not Israel's security concerns had been founded all along (had I been wrong?); at the same time I found myself questioning my beliefs, people around me who previously seemed to have no opinion on the matter burst into vehement Pro-Palestinian support -- what weird timing, right? To suddenly take on a cause whose leadership just did the worst thing it had ever done? Among the worst things imaginable? You can't help but ask, was it the very bad thing they did that sparked your attention and won you over? Because that's not okay. (And never forget that the pro-Palestinian camps and rallies in the US started after October 7th but before Israel invaded Gaza -- so saying the support was because of Israel's disproportionate response is a clear lie.) The Palestinian cause should have LOST international support after that bloody invasion, not gained it. Unless a world of war and aggression is what people want? I can honestly say I'm pro-Peaceful-Palestinian and pro-Peaceful-Israeli and that I've had the good fortune to know many individual humans of both (Peaceful) types. I'm also pro-Peaceful-Ukrainian, and again, my good fortune has brought them into my life. There are millions of Pro-Peace Russians, many of whom fled their own country and live in limbo now. All of them good and decent people. The banner of peace is international and universal: almost all of us just want to live our lives, raise our children, dream our dreams. Only a very few want to bathe in their enemies' blood. The rest of us should never give such people a pass and we should certainly never rally to empower them.