Once again, I feel like I need to stick my neck out a bit to try and help people in PDX find some common ground and see how their actions might have hurt others. Recently, at a memorial at ICE that took place on Holocaust Remembrance Day, there was some signage that referred to

The state of Israel and its continued violence against the Palestinian people. Myself and several others deemed this an inappropriate display for several reasons, mostly because of the antisemitic actions by non-Jews on the left towards their Jewish comrades. We have endured a

Barrage of inappropriate and antisemitic behavior, so when it was once again brought up at a memorial for our lost family, of course many were hurt and took it very personally. We, as Jews, do not owe anyone an opinion on Israel. Especially in Jewish spaces. That being said, I

Know that this memorial was put on by a Jewish group that is less familiar with activism in PDX (at least that’s my understanding), and their actions afterwards have left a bad taste in my mouth. We all can have differences of opinions on whether or not it was appropriate or not

To include such a display at a memorial. But, when someone expresses to you that they’re hurt by it, your response should not be to not only gaslight them and cause them further stress. It also should not be to use your power to deplatform them. Leftist infighting happens. We all

Know this. But, when you go as far as to act to get someone banned because you don’t like that they expressed their pain at your actions, maybe it’s time you sat down and asked yourself why you’re involved in leftist spaces at all. We aren’t here to hate one another. We are here

To work together towards many common goals of liberation and mutual aid. Attacking and deplatforming fellow leftists is counterproductive and should not be tolerated. We are all we got. And if we start attacking each other, we’re doing the right’s job for them. I always think

That the reason we are going to win is because we love one another and have compassion. Maybe take a step back and find your footing again if you need to remember that. Having a heart and feeling things isn’t a bad thing. Rant over.