Photos I have had with a heavy heart since 2009/Gaza in the first week Jan. 2009 - VERY GRAPHIC

[Mira]

Last edited Sun Nov 25, 2012, 09:56 PM - Edit history (1)

The faces are burned in my memory. These are unpublished photos taken and given to me by a friend who from Germany went into Gaza after the bombings.

historical link:
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/cur_sit/dec08.html

My friend is a German child trauma professional.
He gathered a team of other pros, 15 in all, and they managed to enter Gaza after the attacks, but they were ejected by the Egyptians (in charge of the border) after 3 days.
The people of Gaza could not re-build because their access to supplies was blocked.

I dared post a few of these here on DU then. I dare post more of them now.

I'm showing this because I have it, it has festered in me, and now that it is happening again I have to unload a bit.
I try to not show anything resembling a personal bias in order to not get into trouble on DU. I want to share something I own that has in essence not really seen the light of day before. You want to flame me, I'll ignore you.
I will line the photos up, and let them speak for themselves:

























Taking a breather to talk.
I have maybe a thousand photos.
So I venture away from the children a minute.













In all of them this little girl has impacted me the most. I have dreamed of her Post Traumatic Shock that rendered her incapable of swatting flies off her face.
Now, if she is still alive, she is maybe 7 years old. And it is all happening again.







This Mom and her little one look like they may have had the strength to make it to today.
And I hope they are still as OK as this photo shows them to be.



Needless to say I am sad posting this.
But I swear I'm better for doing it because all these years these photos have been hidden on my computer and in my mind.

[MrMickeysMom]

1. It was a tough call for you, but you needed to post these, Mira...

Because, we need to see reality, even when it's an uncomfortable reality.

We need to stop this madness.

[Mira]

2. Thank you for saying this. I'm proud of

my presence on DU, and don't want to jeopardize it. I needed to post this even if it was my last time.

[dixiegrrrrl]

30. Truth, no matter how brutal, is never "wrong", but of course you know that.

I feel your pain and your hesitancy.
I also believe these pics ought to be on the every tv news station, every day.
since that will never happen, online is the next best thing.
Have you thought of posting a few on Twitter????
tumbler?
Facebook?

because...WE pay for the missles that each country uses to inflict such horrific damage.

[The Straight Story]

3. My understanding from some here (& elsewhere) is: They had it coming, was hamas' fault,

Israel was defending itself and collateral damage, they are not Israeli kids so it is ok because they will grow up to be terrorists anyway (no, did not see that here but did on a RW site where people there were echoing many other things I have seen here).

Lord knows what sort of things would be twitted/posted/etc back in Poland in the 40's or Germany if an oppressed people fought against a government who kept taking their land....(yeah, whine about godwin and such but the analogy is apt here).

When you oppress folks and take their land they tend to fight back. I keep hearing RW'ers say 'Israel has a right to defend itself' - yeah, well so do other people.

[Mira]

4. Valid questions.

click on the link in my post, see about just what happened then proportionally.

Looking at the photos of the children killed/devastated/traumatized is there any earthly reason to even contemplate that war is an answer>>>????

The more I realize my own post, as I scroll it I cry, the more I know it's the most important thing I have ever posted.

[The Straight Story]

5. "There should be no electricity in Gaza, no gasoline or moving vehicles, nothing."

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?ID=292466&R=R1&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Ariel Sharon's son Gilad Sharon justifies war on #Gaza "@RabbiBrant: "Flatten all of Gaza" - JPost - Opinion - Op-Eds http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?ID=292466&R=R1&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter …"

They want to completely occupy it or send it to the stone age.

[The Straight Story]

7. PS - check out the comments section there:

"Don't lose sleep over it. They are fixing to do to the Muslims in Gaza what no one else will do. Give them an eternal sand nap. Can't wait to see it."

"There is nothing more peaceful than a graveyard. History tells us that a graveyard solution is the only way Palestine will ever have peace."


etc

[OneGrassRoot]

12. Yes, it is an invaluable post, Mira.

Thank you.

No more words.

[MrMickeysMom]

6. When you oppress folks...

It's pretty much that way, I agree.

It's easy to see how this affects many on DU. The alert siren went off almost immediately, and they couldn't hide it, I'm proud to say.

Why do we forget history, when it's personal history? I hope we evolve more as humans before it's too late to examine that question in depth.

[dixiegrrrrl]

31. This post was alerted on?????????????????

Sheesh.

[MrMickeysMom]

32. I'm crappy at finding out stuff like that....

But, it was within minutes of it being posted. I guess I could look back on jury decision, which fortunately was to leave it alone. I had a few choice comments as a juror.

[Fumesucker]

11. According to one DUer Palestinians are a naturally violent people

I thought that was an interesting statement.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021846426#post18

[bhikkhu]

16. If everyone has a right to defend themselves, then someone has to stop attacking

or you wind up with an endless supply of broken people.

Is launching unguided rockets into Israel defending oneself, or are airstrikes on the launching site defending oneself? You get plenty of death both ways...

I don't think anyone - certainly not a child - has it coming, but having watched the whole back-and-forth slugfest for decades now, I can't say I blame the Palestinians for attacking Israel, and I can't say I blame Israel for bombing Gaza, but if I were an Israeli or a Palestinian I would just stop.

[Odin2005]

26. Watch out, I made the same comparison a few days ago and my post was hidden.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. Kick nt

[Mosby]

24. Your Post - Mon Mar-14-11 06:19 PM

Violet_Crumble Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-14-11 06:19 PM
Response to Reply #19
22. You don't know what yr talking about...

Edited on Mon Mar-14-11 06:24 PM by Violet_Crumble
It's totally false to claim that Israel hasn't done the 'death porn' thing before. As I recall, Israel has done it for many years. One example is the shell of a bus destroyed by a suicide bomber that was carted over to Europe to try to make a point. Also, in this case the Israeli govt is behind it, and I read that the video released had the soundtrack to Schindlers List playing over it. How can anyone not find that utterly revolting on so many levels? How could you sit there and claim that it's only the Israeli govt humanising the victims of a brutal murder?

Also I'm not aware of the Palestinian authorities releasing 'death porn', though I am aware that the international media does. Do you have any examples of what yr accusing the Palestinian authorities of?

on edit: Just in case yr going to trot off searching for instances where I've supported the use of any graphic images I'll save you some time. There's none. I'm strongly opposed to the use of graphic images, and in the case of the I/P conflict it's very clear that they're used in order to try and be manipulative and score moral high-ground points. As for yr bizarre claim that images of dead family members with Schindler's List playing over the top is in some way humanising, what a load of absolute ugly rubbish. You want to humanise people? There's a very easy way to do it. Show images of them alive and happy. That has far more impact than any 'death porn' would...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=345301&mesg_id=345449

[Autumn]

10. Very painful.

Thank you

[Mosby]

13. took me about five seconds to find one of "your" photos

http://www.rohama.org/en/news/7085

PS - ifamericansknew is an antisemitic conspiracy site, it's been banned here since at least 2003.

[uppityperson]

23. OK, I looked and indeed one is published there. Still no "Graphic" in subject line, just "look".

[me b zola]

14. Thank you Mira

Posts like yours really do change minds

[Mosby]

15. 521 az time not locked

[polly7]

17. Very powerful photos, those poor babies. nt

[hrmjustin]

19. War is folly and these picture show what a crime war is.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

20. I'm glad you posted this

(And I'm glad it was unlocked)

It's good to get reminders that life isn't a video game, and that there are real consequences to war.

BTW: adding the words "GRAPHIC CONTENT" to the post title will decrease the chance that the post is locked by a jury.

[cpwm17]

21. Thank you for posting

Here are more examples of why war is the world's worst crime.

[sabrina 1]

22. War is barbaric, and those who order it are not fit to lead any people.

Left alone, these beautiful children and the Israeli children would have no problems with each other. They would just play and do the things children do.

These photos remind me of Dahr Jamail's photos from Bush's invasion of Iraq. The American people never saw them so they never really knew what they were supporting.

War is medieval, but we really haven't evolved at all have we? I look at these as I looked at Dahr Jamail's and wonder how those who are responsible for this can sleep at night.

It is the leaders, there, here and in far too many places around the world, who are responsible. I will never support any candidate for President who supported Bush's war.

And all this does is create more anger. But maybe that's the goal, to keep the war machines running.

I wish the people in both countries would march in huge numbers across their borders and embrace each other and refuse to allow their leaders to separate them. But that would take a miracle.

[Odin2005]

25. And yet there are people here on DU who defend Israel's atrocities

These pictures should be shoved in their faced and told "Is THIS self-defense to you???"

[Whisp]

27. Thankyou, Mira, for being brave enough to post these photos.

All children suffer the same from war and the Palestianian children's deaths are usually in silence and hidden from us.

Thankyou for doing what our media should be doing - telling the truth

[Mosby]

28. You disagree with Violet_Crumble?

Because she thinks that I/P pictures like these "...(are) used in order to try and be manipulative and score moral high-ground points."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=345301&mesg_id=345449

manipulating peoples emotions is telling the truth?

[Whisp]

29. I was speaking to Mira, now you go away. n/t