By Bailey Lowe
The ongoing genocide of Palestinians has shown the world that humanity has not evolved as much as we believe.
Civilians are left with a feeling of powerlessness. Our tax money goes to an army that blows up civilians — 70 percent of whom are women and children, as per UN Women.
To see horrific images of mothers holding the mutilated bodies of their children or of fathers digging their wives and children out of the rubble, hoping to see an ounce of life left in them, is something that cannot be described. It is so heartbreaking that it raises questions about the so-called morality of the United States and its allies.
It also poses questions about our supposed democracy and why are our tax dollars being put toward the IDF instead of people in this country who can barely keep the lights on.
It is obviously because Israel is the U.S.’s only strong ally in the Middle East; however, when so many U.S. citizens are demanding a ceasefire, how much longer can they wait?
Biden and his officials have shown U.S. citizens that our voices do not matter more than their desire for control in the Middle East and other nations. They claim they are for the people, but the people are demanding an immediate and complete ceasefire from the IDF.
Enough is enough. The IDF has not shown any evidence that they are effectively targeting Hamas members but have demonstrated that they are willing to indiscriminately bomb a highly dense civilian population and drop white phosphorus on them, too. They have shown they do NOT care about the well-being of the civilian population in Gaza and the West Bank by denying them the required amount of aid per day.
According to UNHRA, “a man-made famine is looming” in Palestine due to the relentless bombing campaign and the restriction of aid for the survivors. Not only are they bombing Gazans, but they are refusing to give the civilians the proper amount of medication, tools, and food needed to survive. Many families have come out with stories of lack of clean water and edible food through independent journalists in Gaza. In 2024, after we have seen such unbelievably anti-human actions performed in the name of almost every nation in the world, we are still forced to sit by and watch as Palestinians are slaughtered in masses.
Almost no one denies that what Hamas did on Oct. 7 is bloodcurdling, but how does that give the IDF the right to collectively punish the civilians of Palestine? At what point do we draw the line between “self-defense” and genocide? How many more children have to lose their mothers and fathers, or vice-versa, before the “peacekeepers” in the UN say enough is enough?
The message the UN is sending and has always sent, is that it does not care when brown people are murdered. Where is the assistance for DR Congo, Yemen, Sudan, and Palestine? Why do civilians suffer because their governments refuse to join the UN? Is peacekeeping only for those who submit to the will of the P5?
We cannot stand for the bombing and dismemberment of Palestinians or any other oppressed groups. However, civilians are left feeling powerless against our government officials, especially when they are trying to silence those who rise up. It has taken months for Biden to even suggest Netanyahu slows down on his ruthless attack against the Palestinians, so how many more will have to die before he demands a ceasefire?
It does not matter what nationality, ethnicity, gender, or any other identity you have; everyone who is human can feel despair in the Middle East right now. There is nothing the average civilian can do other than spread awareness and never let the victors rewrite history. We will all remember what Biden sanctioned and funded, and we will remember the lives lost on our soil due to his mass funding of the Israeli army.
A complete ceasefire is the only way to prevent further lives from being lost. Do not let Netanyahu and his army, as well as Hamas, forget what they have done.
