Protesters seeking peace in Gaza deserve our support
I’m both thrilled and encouraged by the thousands of protesters disrupting the educational process at over a hundred universities and most of President Biden’s public events. They may not be in the classroom, but they are learning history firsthand; indeed, may be making history. It would be wonderful if their anti-genocide protests spread to all 6,000 U.S. colleges and universities. That might influence President Biden to pursue peace.
They bring to mind the legion of mostly young people who engaged in non-violent civil disobedience to end the Vietnam War and Jim Crow segregation 60 years ago. It’s easy for me to remember as I was one of them upon entering the University of Chicago in 1963. Unlike the many today, I never risked arrest or expulsion from college. The only threat I faced was dodging projectiles hurled at the hundreds of thousands of us in New York City during the massive antiwar demonstration there April 15, 1967.
Approaching 80, my physical protest days are long past. But I offer my voice to anyone willing to discuss and publish my views in cyberspace every day among other peace activities.
The current Israeli attacks in Gaza, destroying life for 2.3 million Palestinians there, is being funded by the U.S. with tens of billions in weapons of death. President Biden proclaims his “lockstep support” for Israel and complements his weapons with endless vetoes of anti-genocide resolutions in the U.N., preventing creation of a Palestinian state, acquiescing in Israel’s violent blocking of aid to starving, disease-ridden Palestinians.
This is one of, if not the worst moral crime America has engaged in throughout its 248-year existence. That is why we who cannot participate directly must give our fervent moral support to these mostly young folks who will not be deterred by arrest or college expulsion. They are my heroes. They should be heroes to every American. Indeed, they may be the heroes who bring relief to Palestinians and eventually a Palestinian homeland.
Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition
Glen Ellyn