An Open Letter to My Son on Gaza

Choose wisely, the stakes have never been higher.

Lots of us have concerns about the impact of the war in Gaza on Biden’s chances to win reelection. People obviously have a range of opinions on that conflict, ranging from strong support for Israel to absolute condemnation of its conduct of the war. Emotions run high and conversations on this subject can be difficult. Here’s an open letter to my son that might help others persuade people who are reluctant to support Biden to do so, or at least open the door to movement in that direction. It expresses only my views, and not the view of The Grassroots Connector Editorial Board or anyone else.   Steve Schear.   

Dear Theo,

We’ve talked a lot about Gaza, Israel and Palestine. Intense opposition to the war has led many of the people of your generation to withhold support from Biden. Some older progressives feel the same way. I was at a fundraiser in Oakland recently wearing a Biden-Harris t-shirt. An older woman volunteered that she could not vote for Biden under any circumstances. When I asked her what that would accomplish, she did not answer.

Not Voting Is a Vote For Trump.

I support the right to protest the Gaza War. But there is a massive difference between protesting and voting in the general election. Protests are a way of educating the population about issues and putting pressure on a government to change its ways. Voting in the general election is a means of using your vote to determine who will have power over us and our government.

We will not be voting this fall on whether to support the U.S. government, or whether Biden’s Middle East policies are right or wrong. In the presidential race, we will be voting exclusively on the question of whether Trump or Biden will be given power for at least four years.

I believe that it is our responsibility to encourage everyone to help Biden win. Here’s why:

If Biden Does Not Win, Trump’s Election Will Be a Disaster for Palestinians and the World.

The most obvious reason: If Biden does not win, Trump will become President. The consequences of a Trump victory will be far more disastrous for Palestinians – and the world – than a Biden victory.

In his May speech at Morehouse College, Biden called for an immediate ceasefire, more humanitarian aid for Gaza, and a two-state solution. In the past, he has opposed Israeli settlements on the West Bank and he more recently shielded Palestinians from deportation. Biden and his team drafted an immediate cease-fire plan that was adopted by the U.N. Security Council.

On the other hand, Trump and Netanyahu are two fascists who have a common interest in propping up their authoritarian power by casting Muslims as our enemies. When Biden suggested he was looking at helping Palestinians bring family members from Gaza to the U.S., Trump immediately used that position to pump up hatred toward Palestinians. At a May 1 campaign rally, Trump said,“Your towns and villages will now be accepting people from Gaza and various other places,” Trump said, eliciting boos from the crowd. “Under no circumstances shall we bring thousands of refugees.” Trump has called for reenactment of the Muslim travel ban that he imposed during his first term in office.

On May 14, Trump told a group of Jewish donors that he supported “Israel’s war on terror” and that he would crack down on pro-Palestinian protests. “If you get me elected, and you should really be doing this … we’re going to set the [Palestinian] movement back 25 or 30 years.” Trump has also praised the NYPD for its attack on protesters at Columbia, calling it “a beautiful thing to watch.” He has suggested that protesters be deported if they are not citizens or thrown out of school if they are.

Biden, on the other hand, has asserted his support for non-violent protests.

If Trump wins, he will help Netanyahu stay in power and that will cause far more suffering for the Palestinians. No matter how upset someone is with Biden’s policies toward Israel, a failure to vote for him will be a vote against the interests of the Palestinian people and 99% of the humans on earth. It could result in the election of a completely unscrupulous fascist to the most powerful position on earth. In this case, the failure to choose the lesser of two evils will help produce the greater evil - the much greater evil.

Trump Would Destroy Our Efforts to Reduce Climate Change.

Trump’s victory would not only increase the suffering of the Palestinian people. It will be a worldwide catastrophe. Many people around the world are rightly upset about the suffering and dislocation of people in Gaza. A Trump victory will lead to far more additional suffering and dislocation, not only in Gaza, but also in large parts of the world that are highly vulnerable to drought and other extreme weather events.

When Trump said in December that he would be a dictator on day one, he followed that with “We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling.” Trump has claimed that science doesn’t know if climate change is real. He has vowed to end incentives for electric vehicles. At a meeting with oil and gas executives, he told them to donate $1 billion to his campaign because he would enrich their industries by ending the regulations that address climate change.

If Trump wins, U.S. government efforts to slow global warming will end. Existing constraints on carbon emissions will be lifted. The world’s poorest countries in Africa and Asia will suffer the most. We now have millions of refugees who have been forced to leave their countries in part because of climate change. If Trump wins, we can anticipate that there will be tens of millions, or hundreds of millions, of people who cannot survive where they live due to global warming and extreme climate events. A Trump victory will create an immense amount of suffering and dislocation.

Trump Will Create a Reactionary Majority on the Supreme Court for Decades.

If Trump wins, it is highly likely that Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas will resign, allowing Trump to appoint much younger MAGA judges. That would mean that reactionaries will likely control the Supreme Court for the next 30 or 40 years.

Trump Will Allow Continued Restrictions on Abortion Rights.

Trump boasts about appointing the Supreme Court justices who reversed Roe v. Wade. He will support a national abortion ban if Congress passes one. If Democrats hold the Senate and win the House and pass a national right to abortion, he would veto that bill. Electing Biden and winning Congress is our only hope for restoring the right to abortion and protecting the right to use birth control.

Trump Wants to Put 11 Million Undocumented Americans In Deportation Camps.

At his May 1 rally, Trump told the crowd that immigrants were coming in by the millions from foreign prisons and “insane asylums” leading to the “plunder, rape, slaughter and destruction of the American suburbs, cities and towns.” He has been clear and adamant about his plans to use the National Guard, the military and local police forces to round up as many undocumented people as possible and put them into deportation camps.

Not only would the plan be devastating to those who are plucked out of their lives and put into camps, it would also cause massive family disruption. There are an estimated 3.5 million citizen children of undocumented parents. Would those children be put in the deportation camps with their parents, or separated from them? Either result is odious and horrible to contemplate.

Trump Wants to Use the Insurrection Act Against Demonstrators.

If you think the NYPD’s response to the Columbia demonstrators was brutal, then consider what Trump would do. He wants to use the Insurrection Act to call in the U.S. armed forces to crush any protests after he is elected. We are looking at full-blown fascism, rule by force, and the possible end of democracy for the foreseeable future.

Biden Has Been Progressive on Domestic Policy.

For the first two years of his administration, when Biden had a Democratic Congress, he was able to enact the most progressive legislative package since Lyndon Johnson. He was responsible for the most massive climate change bill in history, which is leading to a rapid increase in electric cars and renewable energy sources. He took on the pharmaceutical companies and reduced drug costs for seniors and people with diabetes and other serious illnesses. He passed a massive infrastructure bill that will expand internet access in rural areas, repair roads and bridges, and create or save 15 million blue-collar jobs. And plenty more. As a result of Biden’s policies, Black unemployment is the lowest it has been since the 1960’s.

We Need the Progressive Left to Help Beat Trump.

This year I’ve canvassed in California’s Central Valley, Arizona and Nevada. Almost all of the volunteers have been boomers, with a few middle-aged people joining in. We need young people talking to voters, too. There’s no contradiction in protesting Biden’s policies on Gaza while also campaigning for him, so we can avoid the consequences of a Trump presidency. We need your help to preserve democracy, to protect Palestinians, protesters and those living in Africa and Asia, and to prevent abortion and immigration policies that will cause untold suffering. Please join us.

Love, Dad

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