From:
To: City Council
Cc: Mary Gourley; Sandra Maurer; Jill McLewis; Neysa Hinton; Stephen Zollman; Diana Rich Subject: Item #4 Consent Item Ceasefire Resolution SUPPORT Date: Saturday, February 17, 2024 5:32:13 PM
Hello Sebastopol City Council members,
As a descendent of Armenian Genocide survivors, three generations removed from these massacres and forced displacement, my family is still dealing with generational wounds that manifest emotionally, mentally, and physically. When I hear zionists speak, I hear their pain, driven by hate and fear. What is their future? When looking at the photographs and hear the experiences of Palestinians, I see their pain and I feel my own pain, not only for what is happening now, but I mourn the pain that will live on for generations. 17000+ orphans. What is their future? Children who have lost everything. What is their future?
As a mother of young students who attend school in Sebastopol - I hope you can share the sentiment and agree that all children are our children. We are responsible for helping build a better world for them. To build a better world we need to have imagination. Hate and fear crush our imagination and our ability to dream of liberation and peace can turn into helplessness and despair. But it is only with our imagination can we dream of a world where problems are not solved with bombs, where we see the world not as us versus them, where we see each other not as greater than, but as a people united in our shared humanity. Let us not dehumanize each other. Let us not harden to each other's pain.
We are all bearing witness to this. Whether we choose to bury our heads in the sand or we are actively scrolling through images and news of genocide on our phones daily, we all are playing a part. If we are breathing we are playing a part. If our hearts are beating we have a duty to speak out and use whatever platform we have to take a stand to help stop this wound from bleeding. Healing on both sides cannot begin until a ceasefire takes place.
A ceasefire resolution in its essence is taking the side of humanity. I strongly encourage you all as representatives of Sebastopol to take a stand for innocent lives and approve a ceasefire resolution.
Thank you,
Natalie Karmally