Free Palestine

Malcolm first appeared in my journal nine years ago at a tiny little meditation for Black Lives. He’s a member of Veterans for Peace, and he is the very definition of a standup guy. These days he goes alone, usually around lunch hour, to a variety of overpasses where he can put up the flags of Palestine and Veterans for Peace. He just stands there, peacefully waving at people in the traffic below. He wants people to remember that there is suffering in Palestine; that bombs made in the USA and snipers firing American guns are still killing children; that there is no peace in Palestine and no escape. He doesn’t want the hullabaloo about the election to distract people from the important fact of the suffering in Palestine. He insists he doesn’t want to be centered. ‘It’s not about me,’ he says, ‘it’s about Palestine.’ 

Two weeks ago he was on a bridge and some men in a big black car passed by him, shouted something, and then came around again and threw a cup of liquid at him. It was some kind of hot sauce, best he could tell. It stained his hat, but it’s a washable hat. He was back out the next day, with the same hat.

I told him I wanted to document his action as a way to point out that any of us, any time of the day, could do what he’s doing. He said he’s good with that. I sent him the photos and I asked if I could post some of them myself. “OK, if you want, but please don’t make it about me. Make it something that reminds people what’s going on in Palestine, and who is paying for it, and whose bombs are being used.”

I said I would.  OK, Malcolm. I’m trying not to center you but at the same time to point to the fact that every one of us could do this if we wanted to. Everyone says “What can I do?” Here you are. Or you can give to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Or anything else you can think of to do.