Jon D, Phoenix, AZ
Judy is a young woman I met at the start of this year through the Palestine movement.
She’s gotten politically active since the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza last year, and her organization frequently works together with the RCA to organize Free Palestine protests in Phoenix.
It’s very clear how important and personal this has become for her. Her family is Syrian and Palestinian, and she has seen imperialist violence firsthand in the Middle East. She is very expressive, and I always see on her face the pain and confusion she feels about what is happening.
Sometimes, I think this pushes her to impatience, but only because she can’t stand to see the violence continue one more day. Sometimes she’ll suggest that people get together for “Die-Ins” and other dramatic stunts meant to get the message out, or she’ll lament that more of her Arab community come out to support the protests.
Lately, I’ve noticed her intently searching for answers, and she asks me a lot of questions when I see her. Who do you support in the election? Will either candidate be better for Gaza? Why is Israel doing this? Why the aggression in Syria too, if the government lets Israel get away with this anyway?
The other day, she bought her first issue of The Communist. The moment she saw the headline on the back page, “IMPERIALIST WARMONGERS PROVOKE WIDER WAR,” she immediately asked how she could get one.
After that, we spoke for a long time before parting ways: about the nature of the police, the possibility of a new Arab Spring, and how to mobilize the masses. She said she doesn’t know much about Communism, but that she wants to know more. I think she might do anything to Free Palestine, even become a Communist.