'Support a Ceasefire' 

Editor:

I write on behalf of a group of us we have named the Humboldt Committee for Peace, Humanity and Justice for Palestine (Mailbox, May 30). We have met with Congressmember Huffman to urge him to support a ceasefire. But the bombings continue. This letter is about our concern for the children as we would have for all children. We are so fortunate here but are not immune to the traumas of some Humboldt County children. Childhood trauma can leave lifelong scars, disabilities, low self-esteem, etc. Fortunately our social safety net is hard at work: educating teachers, health professionals, police; offering counseling, financial help, food, clothing, etc. It is still not easy.

Imagine now the hourly trauma of over eight months of war on the children and youth of Gaza. Over 15,000 innocent children have died. But what about the surviving children? Over 19,000 children are now orphans. Many have lost limbs, friends, siblings, parents, grandparents or their own hearing or eyesight. They have been uprooted, moved and moved again in grief with fewer possessions, fewer family, increasing noise from bombs, crying, injured, shocked and witnessing ongoing death and destruction. Where is their social safety net? Schools are not only closed they are gone. Aid has been held up or routed elsewhere. Tens of thousands are approaching starvation. How are they to grow into young adults, into adults? Please urge your representatives to stop funding the military bombardment of innocent children.

We, as taxpayers, are responsible for inflicting unimaginable trauma to the children of Gaza that will not only last lifetimes but generations by funding Israel's military. We have to stop this immediately by communicating with our Congressmember Jared Huffman, among others. Please write or call Huffman at his Washington, DC, office, (202) 225-5161, or his Eureka office, (707) 407-3585, or email him at: huffman.house.gov/contact/email-me.

Ali Freedlund, Petrolia