I’ve been angry at Israel for years. Please don’t misunderstand me. My dad was Jewish, my mom a heathen. That means according to traditional matrilineal Judaism, I’m not Jewish, but according to Hitler and his ilk, I totally am.
I’m not a good Jew. I’ve never kept Kosher or attended temple regularly. Half the time for Hanukkah I forget to light my damn Menorah. I host my family’s Seder at Passover every spring because I didn’t want my kids to grow up entirely ignorant of their family’s culture and traditions. But it’s not a traditional Haggadah that I use, because I’m a bleeding heart liberal who wants as much inclusion as I can possibly shoehorn into the framework my grandparents left me.
I taught my kids the Hebrew blessing that I learned at the Unitarian church for lighting the candles. I took a semester of Biblical Hebrew in college so I could at least have a better picture of my own ignorance.
All this is to say, while no good Jew would count me in their number, I still, to a limited extent, count myself there. Their suffering would have been mine, but for a slight shift in time and place.
But just as I would be included in Jewish victimhood, so I share in culpability for our mistakes.
The history in Israel-Palestine is long and bloody and more complex than I understand. I am not in a position to judge anybody. But here is what I know:
1. We need Israel, because “Never Again” is an ideal we must never cease working towards. Anti-Semitism is real, and it is a force for evil in this world.
2. “Never Again” must include Everyone. Jews. Muslims. Christians. Faiths from all around the world. Agnostics and Atheists too. Heathens and True Believers. We all have a right to protect ourselves, but we don’t have the right to turn others who are ‘not like us’ into victims.
I see strong pro-Palestinian sentiment here, and I support it. People must not be oppressed, must not be systemically murdered or disenfranchised. But where that strong pro-Palestinian feeling bleeds into anti-Semitism, you lose me.
It is possible to uphold the rights and personhood of disparate people at the same time. It is possible to live in peace with each other. It is possible, and necessary, to love one another, not just in spite of our differences, but because of them.
This we must do if we want a hope of surviving the years to come.
11 notes
·
View notes
On this day, August 1st, Anne Frank wrote in her diary for the very last time.
A month later, her family arrived at Auschwitz. Her mother died there, and Anne and her older sister Margot were transferred to Bergen-Belsen. There, Margot fell from the bunk in a state of fear and shock and starvation and disease, and she died on the floor with Anne by her side.
A few days later Anne died alone.
Starving and broken on a wooden slab with nobody holding her hand, Anne Frank, now one of the single most famous and celebrated people in human history, actually died all alone. That is profoundly important to remember. To never forget.
She was 15 years old.
It's important sometimes to stop and remember what hate and fear can do to us as a society, and what we as a society can do to each other when we let it take over. We’ve seen the wheels in motion over the last several years. We’ve seen how quickly we can start down that slippery slope. We have to stay engaged. Do not check out.
We are all only human.
Be kind.
-------
August 1, 1944
Anne Frank’s Diary
I’m split in two. One side contains my exuberant cheerfulness, my flippancy, my joy in life and, above all, my ability to appreciate the lighter side of things....
The quiet Anne reacts in just the opposite way. If I’m being completely honest, I’ll have to admit that it does matter to me, that I’m trying very hard to change myself, but that I’m always up against a more powerful enemy.
A voice within me is sobbing, “You see, that’s what’s become of you. You’re surrounded by negative opinions, dismayed looks and mocking faces, people who dislike you, and all because you don’t listen to the advice of your own better half.”
......I get cross, then sad, and finally end up turning my heart inside out, the bad part on the outside and the good part on the inside, and keep trying to find a way to become what I’d like to be and what I could be if… if only there were no other people in the world.
1 note
·
View note
Fandom Trumps Hate 2024: All BBC Sherlock Creators!
BROWSING PERIOD FOR FTH 2024 IS NOW OPEN!!!
In an effort to celebrate one of my favourite multi-fandom events, and to make everyone, new and veteran, feel encouraged about being in FTH, I decided I would do that thing I do and park myself on the FTH's "fandom:BBC Sherlock" tag for a few hours and list out ALL of our wonderful creatives who are participating in FTH 2024!
Please be gentle with me, as I manually spent a few hours ensuring all BBC Sherlock Creatives are on the post as of the time of scheduling! I am only human and I have most definitely erred!
And finally, many of these creators are MULTI-CANON, so not just BBC Sherlock! Check them ALL out for what they're offering!
**NOTE MARCH 2, 2PM EST: I should have everyone added to this post now! If you are missing or are tagged with the wrong ship or section, please let me know, I will fix as soon as possible!!**
FANFICS
72reasons [Johnlock, OCs, Viclock, Jolto, Johnlockstrade, Mystrade]
Anyawen [Mystrade or Johnlock Remix Fic]
Aquilea-of-the-Lonely-Mountain [Johnlock]
BakerTumblings [Johnlock]
Bee_He_They [Johnlock]
Bluebuell33 [Mystrade, Johnlock]
BlueMoon0nTheRise [Mystrade, Anthea/Donovan]
Bridge [Johnlock]
Calais_Reno [Johnlock]
Catlock-Holmes [Johnlock]
CorvidCordelia [Any]
CumberCurlyGirl [Johnlock]
discordantwords [Johnlock]
elwinglyre [Johnlock]
FuckOffWatson & Holmesian_Love [Johnlock, Mystrade]
her_ladyships_soap [Mystrade, Donovan/Anthea]
Holmesian_love [Johnlock, Mystrade]
JRow [Any]
Lock_John_Silver [Johnlock, BG Mystrade or Mollstrade]
LoloLolly [Johnlock]
meet_me_in_samarra [Johnlock]
mydogwatson [Johnlock]
MusicIsMagic [Mystrade]
NinaSnakie [Johnlock]
Peanitbear [Johnlock]
PipMer [Johnlock]
Reveling-in-Mayhem [Johnlock]
Raina_at [Johnlock]
sherlockian4evr [M/M Ships Only]
Snowfilly1 [Johnlock, Mystrade]
StellaCartography [Johnlock, Mystrade]
standbygo [Johnlock]
ThaliaLunacy [Johnlock]
topsyturvy-turtely [Johnlock, Harry/Any]
==
FANART
bluebellofbakerstreet [Johnlock, Mystrade, Jolto]
chainedtothemirror [Johnlock]
DemonicAngeling [Any]
khorazir [Johnlock]
Kitten-kin [Johnlock Comic]
PigeonTracks [Any]
safedistancefrombeingsmart [Johnlock]
Steph_I-J [Any] <-- It me!
==
FANART and FANFICS (one per auction)
emilycare [Johnlock, Polyships]
helloliriels [Johnlock, Mystrade]
Iwantthatcoat [Any]
==
FAN LABOUR
A-Victorian-Girl [Johnlock Photo Manips]
AvengersReader [Assorted Fan Labour]
englandwouldfalljohn [Betaing]
emilycare [Betaing]
fireandhoney [English < > French Translation, Betaing]
PipMer [Betaing]
Sarah [Assorted Johnlock Fan Labour]
====
BIDDING BEGINS MARCH 5 and CLOSES MARCH 9!
215 notes
·
View notes