Excuse me, have you seen our humanity?

This was going to be part of my Daily Musings Series, but it felt like more. I’ve been wanting to write something about this for a while now. So, a standalone post required for this topic. I might lose some of you, but meh-it’s my blog and I will not censore myself.

What’s on my mind today? A few things actually: a guilty verdict, Palestine, the California budget. However, Rafah has been top of mind for the past couple days. I was contemplating how easy it is for us to go about our day. How we can easily scroll through images on our socials and continue with our day. Some of us might linger a bit longer than most. We might hurt, cry even, get angry, get frustrated even. Some of us might get upset at the mere thought of feeling hopeless and useless through all of this. Even then we still manage to go back to our daily routines, just to repeat the cycle when we see another image cross our feed, read another article, or watch another news clip. Shock.Rage.Repeat. Cry.Rage.Repeat. 

For some this might be your first war, even if it isn’t it doesn’t make it easier. Some of us have lived through a few, many solely as spectators, others have had roles in them, others have survived one. Whatever the case, it doesn’t make it easier. 

The notion of war, in my unqualified opinion has been surpassed and we have indeed entered Genocide territory. I learned in my studies that the “G” word is not one to be treated lightly. Why? When used or declared the International community must act, it must pick a side, and intervene. However, as we have seen here-that’s the hardest part. How do you go against an Ally’s…ally? The repercussions could be dire, we stopped being diplomatic a long time ago and now negotiate under Quid Pro Quo terms.

Many have picked a side, many have said the G-word out loud, others have drawn their line in the sand. Others have simply stood by waiting to see how this affects them. We’ve been surprised by which side many have decided to support.

Where is our humanity? This is the question that has been haunting my brain and my soul since the beginning. Since, I saw the images of bodies wrapped in white cloth rolled up in bundles amongst the rubble. 

Where is our humanity? This is what I ask myself each time I see a Pro-Israel Government supporter yelling and harrassing someone just wanting the bloodshed to end. 

Where is our humanity? Is what I ask when I see IDF members celebrating the killing of innocent people. Disrespecting the homes they invade. Getting massages or having parties at their bases while others grieve the loss of their loved ones. Some search through rubble hoping for a miracle but only finding hell. Searching for food, shelter, a moment of peace. Yet they dance.

Where is our humanity? People defend their actions because “they attacked first”, but how does that make it any better? Why not ask why they attacked in the first place? Why not ask why their pleas were ignored for so long, why nobody cared when they pointed peacefully at what was happening to their land, to their people? It’s been happening for 100 years, it’s nothing new. 

If I lost you, already…I’m okay with it. This is what is on my mind. Because I’m tired of feeling hopeless, I’m tired of hurting. 

You see, we didn’t just lose our humanity. This didn’t happen recently. It was lost a long time ago. It was lost the minute we decided it was okay to vote and elect a racist and sexist President. During his time we saw hate rise, people no longer hid their hate, they came out strong with it. Hate was not only tolerated, it was celebrated. Yet we stood quiet.

We lost it, when we started using immigrants as political pawns-shipping them throughout the country to make an inhumane point.

We lost it, when we decided it was okay to tell a woman she had no control over her body. When we decided that it was okay to force a mother to bring a child into the world. And shame her when she seeks financial assistance because she does not have the means to take care of that child on her own.

We lost it, when we decided to attack Asians, seniors, and/or anyone that was different. 

We lost it, when we sent thoughts and prayers instead of gun reform after Columbine. That should’ve been our hard stop. We could’ve corrected course after Sandy Hook, but again-thoughts and prayers. 

We lost it, when we favored corporations over people. When we decided campaign contributions had more sway over the needs of the people we represent. 

We lost it, when we decided to pull out of the Paris Agreement because of how it would “affect corporations” instead of realizing how our lack of action has caused detrimental effects on our planet.

We lost it, when millionaires started their vanity space projects. They could have used their resources and intelligence to find and fund innovation to save our planet, instead of invading another one. They could’ve used their resources to help end poverty, instead they ask for even more money from the government to help make their egos larger. They ask and get the funding, when safetynet programs are being cut. The very same programs that most of their employees need because of how underpaid they are.

We lost it, when we started funding wars instead of seeking diplomacy. 

We lost it, when we looked the other way when our authority figures used their power for personal gain. We looked the other way, when those meant to serve and protect abused their power and those they were supposed to protect. We needed proof, now we have it, and we still look away. 

We lost it, when we decided to protect the perpetrators and blame the victims. 

We lost it, when we dismissed our soldiers after protecting and implementing our orders. We prosecute them if they go awol or desert, only to abandon them once they are no longer of use to us. We abandon them and let them deal with their ailments and demons alone. 

We lost our humanity a long time ago, which is why many of these instances were so easy to ignore, or to accept. 

We need to find it, we need to regain what we’ve lost as a whole. It is the only way we will ever get peace. Be mindful of your place in the world. We are told we are just one tiny person in all of this, but we are not. We have just given away our power because it’s easier to not care or feel responsible. We and the rest of humanity; as the butterfly, are all interconnected. We can affect the world around us just as the butterfly can. We’ve been taught, trained, and beaten to believe that we are nothing, that we are alone, that we are small. But you see they do this because they know how mighty we can be if we realize how much power we have, once we come together, and reclaim our humanity.

Did I scare you? Start small-be a decent human being . It’s simple: Just don’t be a shitty person. The Golden Rule, right? “don’t do to others what you don’t want done to yourself” It’s that easy. It’s not hard, we teach our kids this. Yet, as adults we believe those rules no longer apply to us. We hide behind our titles, our money, and our privilege. You can’t do that for long, I’ve learned that one way or another it will come back and bite you in the ass. Just as our complacency is now. 

You might also want to try to consume less, and compost more.