I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, and I don't want to be treated like a victim. All I want is to share my story and the story of my people. This is not something that began today; it is a reality we have lived through for many years, and it continues to become more difficult and more dangerous every single day for my family and for everyone living in Gaza.
I'm not telling my story to ask for sympathy. I'm telling it because the world needs to know the truth. People need to know who we are, how we live, and what we go through every day. Too many people don't see this injustice, or they don't truly understand it, and that's why I feel a responsibility to speak about it.
We are not numbers in the news. We are not headlines. We are human beings with dreams, hopes, and ambitions just like anyone else. We want to study, to work, to build our future, and to live in peace and safety without fear. We want the chance to grow, to succeed, and to contribute to the world like any other people.
I don't believe that's too much to ask. It is a basic human right. I deserve to live, and so does every child, every woman, every man, and every family in Gaza. This is not a plea for sympathy. It is a call for people to see the truth and to recognize our right to live with dignity.
These were my dad’s favorite birds.
I lost him a couple years ago and I’ve found it helpful to imagine that his spirit lives on in these birds. I see them often along the bike trails that I frequent and I always say a little hello as I pass.
RED WINGED BLACKBIRD, Acrylic
For those of you who think macrophages do almost everything, rethink “almost.”
They are programmable cells, recruited into whatever new function evolution needs.
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