WE SAY THAT OUR ACTIONS ARE DONE IN THE NAME OF GOD.
The almighty creator who can do no wrong and across all doctrines
speaks of mercy, peace, and humility.
What kind of benevolent God would sanction this?

Did God tell you to murder babies in their sleep?
Incinerating incubators
Massacre lives that have yet to begin
while mothers hold their dead children
Feeling like failures for not being able to protect them
from a fight they never even asked to join?
Did God tell you to
plant an air strike against a hospital of the weak, and sick who are already fighting
death long enough to see the sunrise tomorrow?
Did God ask for any of this?
Or maybe you don’t really mean the version of ‘God’ you claim lives in the sky
and you secretly mean yourselves?

Governing entities gone mad with power
corrupted by corporate greed and claims to land that existed for centuries before a single person propagating or being subjected to this conflict were even an inkling of a thought.
Religion has become so embedded in the framework
of our governments that they’ve twisted the script,
used the Bible as a liability
and manipulated every single one of us
into thinking that the circle of men pulling strings
behind comfortably closed closets are God.

They don’t want you to pray for your own well-being
They want you to praise them
And think that continuing to behave as pasteurized cattle will help you fulfill God’s will
When in reality, you’re just giving them what they want.
More power
More control
More land.
If we don’t stop them here,
they will keep going.
Ravage every corner of this Earth
claiming to create the promise land
but the only thing that will be promised
is their claim to even more land.

HOW MANY MORE BABIES HAVE TO DIE BEFORE YOU SEE THIS?
How many more cultures have to be eradicated before you finally believe
what is happening on every one of our phone screens?
Of course we can deny confidence in the death toll of people we don’t even see as human beings.
What makes you feel they are any less human than me
or your own mother?
Because they were born on the ‘wrong’ side of a border?
Was that god’s mistake?
Is it because their family’s family picked the ‘wrong’ religion to follow?
Was that god’s mistake?
But oh no, I thought God didn’t make any mistakes????
So please,
tell me when you’re ready to admit if whether this is really God or have you been using him as an excuse?
We all know what true
but real change won’t come until you acknowledge this. #freepalestine

Last night, I didn’t sleep well, as I had several nightmares. I was haunted by the endless images I saw in the news: A young woman’s naked, lifeless, unconscious (possibly deceased) body being paraded around as a trophy after Hamas attacked young people at a music festival in Israel, a 25-year-old woman begging for her life as she was taken as a hostage and babies whose faces were covered in dust and blood from the bombs thrown near their homes.

When I awoke this morning, I immediately read the news to see the latest. And while the horror continues on the other side of the world, I was also disheartened to learn that hate was just outside my doorstep.

People at rallies down the street from where I slept last night are wearing, holding, and celebrating images of swastikas and promoting anti-semitic rhetoric. For the first time in my life, I was and am scared to be Jewish.

While I have been doing my best to educate myself through the news, friends, and online resources, I am not going to sit here and pretend I fully understand the conflict between Palestine and Israel – because I don’t. And I know that it’s natural and easy to see the world through the lens of my own experiences and identity.

However, we all, myself included, should see and feel our humanity reflected in every person on this planet. And act accordingly.

As I try to process these last few days, the violence happening in the Middle East is not just about me, or any one group of people or politics. This cruel attack on innocent people is about all of us. It is a threat to all of humanity.

No child, no person, whether they share my background or not, whether Palestinian or Israeli (or any other culture, race, or religion), deserves to live or die in such an inhumane way.

There are a lot of issues we can’t and won’t agree on in this world. But we universally should believe in and tirelessly advocate for love, compassion, and peace for all people.

And sadly, right now, that’s not the case.

I am scared and heartbroken as I pray for the victims of violence, our world, and humanity.

Dear Mr. —

Did you know the NFL’s Ryan Grant also participated in basketball and track and field during his time at Don Bosco Prep School in New Jersey? Did you know the NBA’s Adonal Foyle still holds the record in New York for most points in a high school tournament game? Did you know former Suffern High School girls’ lacrosse star Crysti Foote is a member of the Canadian National Team and is recognized as one of the best female players in the world? Inspired by the commitment and passion all great athletes demonstrate, I know both the technicalities of sports and interesting facts about the athletes themselves, which is why I believe if I become a reporter for MSG Varsity I will be a powerful conduit between the athletes and the tri-state community. I will ask questions the viewers want to know and receive honest answers from athletes who respect my knowledge.

My confidence in my future success is based on the achievements of my past as well as my present occupation. As a young 21-year-old college graduate, I began writing for NBA.com and WNBA.com. With my own swagger, I entered NBA and WNBA locker rooms to interview athletes double my size among journalists twice my age. Publishing hundreds of articles and blogs on NBA.com, WNBA.com, D-league.com, NikeWomen.com, and WomensProSoccer.com, I have also had my fair share of on-air opportunities. Currently, I am a co-host for On the Mike With Mike Sherman, a weekly entertainment, lifestyle, and sports show that airs on a CBS affiliate (My33) in South Florida. Last season, when the 49ers took on the Giants in New Jersey, I was there to interview athletes and report back on the night’s events for CBS’ San Francisco affiliate. I have reported local news on Long Island and worked as a sports reporter for Artsis Media, where I shot, edited, wrote, and produced all my own stories.

Throughout my tenure at Columbia University, I majored in sociology and focused on the sociological impact of sports. Through my 40-plus page senior thesis, I discovered that to have longevity and acceptance as a female sports reporter, you must be a sports connoisseur yourself. Voted biggest jock in my high school senior superlatives, I have lived, breathed, and loved sports throughout my life. I believe if given a chance I will be recognized and respected by the sports world for telling compelling stories and conducting in-depth thought-provoking interviews. In other words, I’m a talented young recruit with an All-American future and would love to help the MSG Varsity team work its way to the top of the game.

Sincerely,