The Class That Never Returned, Salma Chatto

The class that never returned, Salma Chatto

As students around the world begin to prepare for their new academic year, students in Gaza are missing yet another school year as they endure this genocide. Tens of thousands of them will not be returning to school for good as they were amongst the over 16,000 children killed by Israel since October of last year.

According to the UN, 93% of schools in Gaza have been targeted since October 2023, including all universities in the strip. Israel's deliberate and systematic targeting of educational institutions has been dubbed "scholasticide".

When you have different boundaries

This smile was insane! He finally found someone who could take his cat-like temperament. Someone he can scratch as hard as he likes, and he won't be hurt. Someone who will take all the hits and never leave. Someone who will give him back as hard as he gives. Someone who won't die on him.

Me rn

affirmation #1

the kids online safety act passed the u.s. senate.

long story short (for anyone who hadn't heard of this before) the kids online safety act, aka kosa, is a bill that will censor online content and resources for lgbtq+ matters, reproductive healthcare, activism (INCLUDING PALESTINE AND LIKELY OTHER CRISES GOING ON LIKE IN CONGO OR SUDAN), mental health, etc. everywhere--its effects likely won't be contained to just america.

today, july 30th, 2024, the senate passed it 91-3. it has officially moved to the house of representatives.

is this a pretty massive setback? yes. do you have every right to be scared, sad, angry, or whatever else about this happening? absolutely. but should you give up hope completely? NO!

even though kosa passed the senate, the house is on break/august recess at the moment. we have around an entire month to get emails, calls, and faxes in to house reps, maybe more depending on when they decide to vote on it.

should it pass the house and get signed into law, we still have a whole 18 months before it actually goes into effect. this is plenty of time for digital rights orgs (e.g. fight for the future, the electronic frontier foundation) and other groups that oppose it to file a lawsuit against it. even if, worst-case scenario, it flies through the house immediately after the recess ends, we can still fight this up to march 2026.

so, yes, remember what's at stake here, but also remember that it's not over yet. we lost a battle, not the war.

below are some resources to learn more about kosa and how to contact your reps (first link) + a page that lets you directly contact progressive house reps, sign an open letter opposing the bill, and view others' testimonies against it (second link):

Google Docs

Resources For KOSA

Call Script on Page 2! Resources For Learning about KOSA 2023: KOSA bill itself: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1

FIGHT. FIGHT. FIGHT.