THOUGHTS, MUSES AND RANTS OF JAH

Eventually even zebras reveal their true stripes. Zohran Mamdani becomes the first NYC Mayor to commemorate Nakba Day, yet refused to take part in the Israel Day Parade. 60 years of tradition have been broken by one decision. Every New York City mayor since 1964 has attended the Israel Day Parade. Every single one, until now. At a time when Jewish communities need reassurance and visibility, their mayor has chosen absence. In politics, absence is never just absence. It is a statement. And this one is deafening. Adding insult to injury, TYT and most political pundits mischaracterize the term “Nakba.” It means “catastrophe” and referred to the combined Arab countries’ armies that attacked the new State of Israel, declaring war, and lost. Nakba refers to that loss as a catastrophe, not anything ongoing for years. As for the “expulsion from Israel of 700,000 Arabs,” most fled as advised by the Arab Armies, who assumed victory, telling those who fled they could return home after their victo...

 

  “AND YOU STILL DARE TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH…” Sasha Legerman: This is too accurate not to share. This Australian’s response to Trump’s rant that “NATO does nothing for America” is absolutely devastating: “Mate. You run a country where 600,000 homeless people will sleep on the streets tonight. A country where 40% of adults can’t cover a $400 emergency without borrowing money. A country where insulin costs more than a car payment, and people ration it just to stay alive. A country where medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy. A country where women die in hospital parking lots because doctors are too afraid of abortion laws to treat miscarriages. You imprison more of your own citizens than any country on Earth. More than China. More than Russia. More than North Korea. In the land of the free, 2 million people sit in cages, and a quarter of them haven’t even been convicted of anything. They’re simply too poor to afford bail. Your life expectancy is declining. You’re the only d...

Jewish lives don't belong in Sundown Towns. Have you ever felt that being who you are made your town unsafe? Do you feel unsafe? I do feel that way sometimes. My last name sounds German and Jewish, and I worry about becoming the target of a hate crime. Growing up, I learned that many celebrities, business owners, and working people had to change their names to avoid discrimination in order to    succeed. This was the reality in America, a country that couldn't live up to its own ideals. I was bullied for my Jewish-sounding last name and still bear the scars. Despite this, I was a scrappy kid. I've considered changing my name from the trafficked one I was given to my birth name, but I haven't done it yet. It might be risky, but as a Mi’kmaq, I refuse to give in to bullies and fear. I've never backed down before, and I won't start now. Some might call it arrogance or recklessness, but it's just me being Mi’kmaw, stubborn and proud. Moreover, my birth name does...