As the news of violence and loss of Palestinian and Israeli life unfolds, we must be clear: this is the direct result of decades of Israeli occupation, blockade, and apartheid over millions of Palestinians. Since this latest escalation of violence began, Israeli government officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, have openly declared their intent to wreak devastation on Gaza. In spite of this, the Biden administration has already begun sending more military support to the Israeli government, and it is expected to include munitions for fighter jets and other weapons. 

Sending weapons and military support to the Israeli government when its leaders are publicly stating their violent intentions is knowingly facilitating collective punishment and war crimes. 

The U.S. already sends $3.8 billion in unconditional military funding to the Israeli military every single year, and this support for Israel's systematic oppression of Palestinians helped pave the path for the violence of this moment.   

I was half asleep. The covers were pulled tightly over my head. My body was balled up in the fetal position and I was sucking my thumb. Something I still did when sleeping. A fly buzzed over my head, the sound woke me up completely.

“Sara. Sara. Sara!” Jean was yelling.

I felt the covers being pulled off my head. I grabbed onto the blanket and tried to keep it from coming off any further, but Jean had a good grip on it and was pulling me as well as the blanket onto the floor.

“Get up girl. It’s time to get ready for school, don’t you hear momma calling us?”

Originally published 2016

According to a recent Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) report, cancer of the cervix was the 14th most common malignancy among Minnesota women. Cervical cancer was also listed as the 17th most common cause of cancer death in Minnesota.

In Minnesota, according to the statistical information provided by the MDH (published at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/hpcd/cdee/mcss/documents/ccc.pdf), the incidence of cancer of the cervix among Minnesotan females of all races is a miniscule 6.8/100,000 population (ie, 6.8 newly diagnosed cases per 100,000 women per year). (Incidence is the term for the number of new cases of a disease diagnosed during a specified period of time, usually a year.)