Silence is Compliance: The Untold Story of Occupation and Colonialism

The meaning of #ASG is very simple.

In international politics, all countries are selective about where they invest their nation's money. When our government wants to apply leverage in situations that are unfolding globally, they use our foreign aid money to leverage the situation. Funding a nation means they share our political, social, and economic views.

When we continue to give Israel financial aid, we are sending the message that we are in solidarity with her. My government is an extention of me, and I do not support the systemic genocide of an indigenous population.

Do you?

Follow #AmericaSupportsGenocide on FB for more information!

I got a call from a longtime friend. He has the bittersweet experience of living in Ramallah, Palestine. It's both a blessing and a curse to be a freelance journalist in one of the most dangerous places on earth; he can share in the sorrow of his fellow Palestinians, but the pen with which he tells their story is remarkably heavy. I am here to share that burden.

We stayed in touch since graduating college together. His sarcasm and wit reflect my own, and in the time I have come to know him we have built a connection that withstands the thousands of miles that physically separate us. Our bond has been made stronger by our humanism; in our convictions of right and wrong.

Here I was, talking to R**** (must protect his identity; he's in the hot zone) and checking up on things. Life is hell, but he is grateful to be getting the word out:

"The numbers don't lie. For every one Israeli killed, two hundred more Palestinians die. Eighty percent of these deaths are civilian. People with NOTHING to do with the decisions of Hamas. THAT'S what you need to tell America. Give them the facts and not the politics! We are People, who want to live in dignity and freedom. We want to go to school without checkpoints and patdowns. We want to live like the rest of the world. I don't know anyone who isn't ready to live side by side with the Jews to make this desperate dream possible."

This is a depressing conversation. But its one that all Americans need to hear. And be a part of.

Israel: Against Hamas in Rhetoric, Against the People in Reality

The decision of the Israeli Occupation Forces to send boots into the Gaza, promising that this is just the beginning, was an effort to eliminate Hamas and their arsenal of rockets. In their pursuit of a handful of men with "rockets", innocent women and children have been slaughtered. The asymmetry of the military capabilities of both sides is obvious when you compare casualty statistics.

When this offense against Gaza first occurred in 2008, it produced these statistics: 1,300 Palestinian casualties vs. 13 Israeli deaths.

This piece is to awaken those of you who are not aware that this is not a routine fight against Hamas. This has been a 66 year genocide.

Please take a look at the map below.

Does this look like a nation defending itself from a grassroots resistance group, or...

...is it aggressive colonial expansion?

Silence is Pervasive in Western Media

There have been protests in several countries around the world, in solidarity with Gaza's civilian population. Over 100,000 people have and will continue to demonstrate in NYC, LA, Scotland, Japan, and numerous Latin American countries.

Whenever you do hear any coverage, it is highlighting Hamas's underground tunnels and the IDF's pursuit of Hamas. No mention of the People the IDF has killed who had nothing to do with the exchange of rockets. No mention of a world that has broken the silence about Israeli war crimes.

But... we are not silent! Yet, they ignore us. Why?

A Call to Action

"Not another nickel, not another dime; no more money for Israel's crimes", "The people, united, will never be defeated!"-- cries of protesters at International Day of AL-QUDS, NYC July 25, 2014.

LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN

I am calling on every American;
who identifies with the ideals of self-determination, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;
who stands with the sacrifices of our forefathers and patriots during their war against oppression and colonialism;
with a heart, full of sincere compassion and conviction against injustice and genocide,
to hold up the pen with me!

Write a letter to the national news agencies and demand unbiased and thorough coverage of these unfolding events!

Write to your district Senator mandating that Congress leverage the IOF to stop collective punishment against an innocent population!

I have decided to call out CNN on their biased slants when covering this story. It is obvious that they are using their mass media platform to proliferate Israeli propaganda. I call on Christiane Amanpour, Anderson Cooper, Ashleigh Banfield, Wolf Blitzer to deliver on their journalistic integrity by presenting BOTH sides of the story.

At no time do these journalists address the following statements made that highlighted the suppressed side of this crisis;

• "I want to make it extremely clear that at no time did the Palestinians in any way agree, as a matter of going back to the talks, that they could somehow condone or accept the settlements,"-John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, has said that Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are "illegitimate" and not helpful to ongoing efforts for peace between Palestine and Israel in the latest round of failed peace talks.

• ''Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp" - U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron in a trip to Ankara, Turkey in 2010. This visit was to calm tentions between Turkey and Israel after a Turkish flotilla was attacked by the IOF. Protesters on board were shaming Israel for its blockade of humanitarian goods to Gaza.

They are also not reporting on the worldwide protests happening since the start of the Israeli offensive. I was blessed to have rallied with other Palestinian supporters in NYC on July 25th at the International Day of AL-QUDS (March for Palestine). I met many brave soldiers of peace, love, and justice on that energetic day.

There was HARDLY ANY AMERICAN MEDIA COVERAGE!! Over 7,000 youth came together to stand up for the voiceless and it was not the media's priority to alert you, the general public, that your neighbors are not ok with genocide.

Enough is enough. Let the world stand against injustice!

"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men"- Plato