Dear friends,
It is not easy to look at the news right now.
Vernikov came armed with a handgun, and claimed that she was there to help "Jewish students feel safe." She called those advocating for Palestinians
"nothing short of terrorists without the bombs."
Vernikov was arrested early today for violating a NYS law states that prohibits individuals from carrying a gun on school grounds, even if they have a license.
Vernikov was wrong to bring the gun and wrong to throw the verbal bomb of likening the protesters to terrorists. Everyone deserves to feel safe.
Wars are terrible for so many reasons. War propaganda is often designed with precisely the purpose of reducing the folks on the other side of a conflict to a category that is somehow less than human.
President Biden named the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza as a top priority:
“We can’t lose sight of the fact that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas and these appalling attacks and they’re suffering as a result as well,” he said in a speech in Philadelphia.
Netanyahu is determined to “exact a price” from the people of Gaza. Nonetheless, our president has not criticized Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks.
A bipartisan House Resolution to stand with Israel includes this line:
The House of Representative mourns the over 900 Israelis and 11 Americans killed and over 2,600 others wounded in Hamas’ unprovoked attack on Israel;
it does not mention or mourn the Palestinians who have been killed, wounded, and displaced. It details the war crimes committed by Hamas; it does not acknowledge the siege of Gaza that targets civilians. How is that possible?
Nations are more than their governments. You can love your country and disagree with policies that are made in your name. We have all been there. I think we should talk to our representatives.
The following action comes from Jewish Voice for Peace. They provide information and a call script. The last thing I want to do is start a war in the wiffij (this: wfhfj). I encourage you to voice your views with all of your humanity.
Tell Congress your concerns about US policy toward Israel.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how we move forward and it begins with the people in front of us.
I led a workshop for young adults at Henry Street Settlement this week, where they expressed distrust of politicians. I get it. Politicians think that politics is about them.
The word politics comes from the Greek word for city, polis. Taken literally, politics is about the affairs of people living in cities. If we live together in society, we have to figure out how will we use our resources and power to shape our lives.
So I asked the workshop participants about the issues that matter to them. Like New Yorkers of every age, they talked about the need for affordable housing. It took a while to figure out what else they wanted to say.
I want to end the week with some hopeful news, which we all need right now.
In a media statement, Manatee county insisted erosion of the wetlands buffer will not affect the environment or water quality, and the move was simply an effort to curb “overregulation.”
The young people are not expecting the commissioners to support conservation efforts. They are, however, committed to
“get people educated and to vote for commissioners who will serve the people rather than serving special interests, and who can make decisions with our community in mind rather than short-term profits.”
People in the state of New Jersey worked for the adoption of new regulations to require employer health plans to include abortion coverage. The rule for large employers took effect a few weeks ago.
The Denver Basic Income Project, which is halfway through its pilot year, has provided several hundred people experiencing homelessness with regular sums of cash. An interim study found that
Recipients are spending the money on vital needs and sleeping on the street less, and they appear to be securing full-time work at higher rates when given more money.
And finally, this rare piece of good news brought to you by city, state, and federal governments, working together:
New York city, state, and federal workers collaborated to assist migrants to submit employment authorization documents. Politico called it “a model of efficiency,” with no trace of sarcasm.
The pop-up clinic screened 2,000 people — some arriving for their appointments proudly wearing their Sunday best — and got 1,700 applied for work permits.
The New York Immigrant Coalition and Immigrant ARC coordinated it with other organizations, helped by 100 volunteers, including lawyers.
The city identified migrants in its shelters who are eligible for work permits and made the appointments. The state provided the 25 Beaver Street [office] space and supplies. And the federal government waived application fees, captured biometrics and took the forms for processing. No mailing necessary.
For just two weeks, civil servants, nonprofits, and volunteers piloted a new effort to help migrants get on a path to find employment and move forward with their lives. There are plans to scale it up.
Look what we can do.
with love,
L