Just a lil heads up, I write like I talk, and I talk like I write, so this article goes in a lot of directions. I’m using Substack to express how I feel about what I see. I’m not an expert. I don’t claim to be.

I’m also not great with structure when it comes to writing as its like a flow of consciousness so to me it makes sense, but not always to a reader. This kind of thing works brilliantly live in a room, where I can feel the energy and know where to go. Here, I’m still finding my feet.

If you like it, please subscribe and let me know.

A boat of 12 brave individuals is heading towards Gaza to provide humanitarian aid and open a corridor for help. And they are urging everyone to shout about their cause. The more eyes they have on them, the more likely they will be safe.

12.

Dawn French, a loved and well-known British comedy staple, is facing huge criticism for posting a reel in her signature comedic tone, saying the words “no” and “stop it” with #ceasefirenow.

A comedian.

L.A. has had the National Guard out at a Home Depot. From what I understand, the National Guard is meant for major emergencies—we’re talking hurricanes, floods, pandemics. Not a weekend where people are out looking for a hanging basket…

L.A

There are 12 disciples in the Bible. I think one of them was Mary Magdalene. And I am doing a comedy show about her, and I am doing it out here in L.A.

This is just in the last 24 hours alone. I don’t know about you, but I cannot cope. It is overwhelming and destabilising and terrifying.

We cannot agree on anything.

We are fighting in the comments of celebrities' posts with repeating scripts, doing nothing, whilst a president sends out the actual Military to support masked ICE agents as they come up against peaceful immigration protests in one of the most liberal cities in America.

Two Things.

1. How—how has the word immigrant become akin to criminal or terrorist?
   How and where is the anger so misplaced? This is why Farage and Robinson and his ilk are so dangerous, this is the extremity it leads to and

2. Where is the same energy for the ones who actually do affect our day-to-day lives? The billionaires.

A fuck tonne of money has been spent on making us think each other are the enemy. There is so, so much money that has been used to engineer this division. And I think maybe because we cannot comprehend that we could be so easily controlled or influenced, we cannot see the distinction. Also, for many of us, that kind of wealth is inconceivable.

And yet, we have more in common with immigrants than we ever would with a billionaire.

I believe most of us want peace, and respect, and dignity and a chance for our pain to be seen and validated, and for people to feel safe. For the opportunity to have a fair go at life. For the chance to make money and spend it and have a nice fucking time. Peacefully, safely, in community with those we love.

I don’t think we’re on opposing sides. That’s the narrative I reject. Yet somehow, we’re holding a comedian to more accountability than government elected officials who are in power. That’s wild.

Those of us in the West should be imploring our leaders to uphold international law, protect basic human rights, and actually implement them. Bring the hostages home.
Stop bombing babies. That’s the role of policymakers.

I didn’t see Dawn mocking victims, I saw her mocking the world’s failure to act, while innocent people keep dying. That kind of absurdism is what comedians do. It’s not about minimising pain, it’s about pointing out the insanity.

We are being gaslit daily.

We see the Israeli government issuing warnings that they will destroy any internationals entering Gaza—a territory that is not actually theirs to govern—as said international leaders stand by, silent.

We are watching people sit in their beautiful homes with incredibly well-paid jobs and vast opportunities, complaining that they’re under attack from immigrants whilst brown-skinned workers are being handcuffed in car parks by groups of masked men. All the while the president tweets: “No more masks at protests.”

We see Miss Rachel, a beautiful YouTuber and children’s educator having her reputation smeared for saying: Stop bombing babies.

What is happening to us? We know these public figures, we know their hearts, we have grown up with them, and yet the gaslighting is terrifying.

I read comments, like “Where was this energy for the Congo? Where is this for Sudan? Where is this for...?” And I am thinking—yes, where is it? You are right, it is all fucking awful. I think we are talking about Israel in particular because, like so many, we had no idea how much Western ties have influenced Middle Eastern politics.

We are not taught how the West has destroyed so many communities.

I didn’t know, for example, that one of the worst fucking genocides in modern history—(I mean, that’s an incredible sentence, “one of the worst genocides”)—was committed by a Belgian king, Leopold II, who murdered up to 10 million Africans in the Congo. He owned the country like it was his personal playground and never set foot in it. I didn’t know this. I wasn’t taught this. It is horrific.

And yes, it’s impossible to know everything. But we see this happening now.
So why wouldn’t you care?

You don’t think people want Jewish people to be safe? You don’t think we want that? And the families of the hostages? How criminal to see all this unfold and for your pain to be used politically? Its grotesque. Jewish people weren’t safe, I feel they are even less safe now.

Physically, in the West, we are safe. Until we are not. But right now, it’s Gazan children I’m seeing buried under rubble—so that’s who we immediately care about. And I hope I would have this same energy for any oppressed group, in any period of time.

If we accept this, happening in broad daylight to others, A broken, fractured, decimated society with an underbelly of greed, cruelty, and callousness. The destruction of any moral compass or protection of the dignity of human life. Do not think it cannot be done to all of us.

We are facing the ugliest of times, the worst of times.

I look at the comments under posts, and it’s: “Hamas could stop this, but they chose not to.” Is anyone under any doubt that this is all evil?! Is anyone under any confusion?How does that justify babies and children being killed? Or starving a population going through unbearable psychological warfare. It’s barbaric.

I feel sick and disturbed by the current state of events, and by our collective inability to find common ground. Instead, we sit and watch passively while billionaires bicker online, and we cheer—because they look pathetic. I don’t think we should be so quickly disarmed by their squabbling. They have power. Real power. More than most of us. What are they doing with it? What are they doing while we are laughing at their circus act.

Destabilising the whole fucking planet.

And I don’t know what to do about it.

I have no power or means to change anything. I’m losing sleep. I feel constantly anxious and on edge, I am torn between: Stay. Keep your head down. Work towards your dreams. Fight back with your art.
VS
What fucking dreams? It’s on fire. Get the fuck out. Your nervous system is wrecked. Go live by a lake in the middle of nowhere and pray that it fucking stops.

I know I am not alone in feeling the shift, I personally think it started long before COVID. COVID is just the placeholder everyone can agree on. It’s been brewing for a while. It’s been brewing in meanness, in cruelty, unkindness. And it looks a lot like supremacy.

And no one is doing anything. Why is no one doing anything?

Only they are—the 12 people aboard that boat.
Unarmed.
Carrying baby formula.
Screaming for the world to look—we are trying to help!— facing potential death.

They are using their white privilege and platforms to speak up about atrocities.
It’s what we should all be doing.
This is what martyrs look like.
This is what bravery looks like.
This is what I believe Jesus was talking about, and what he faced. Protect the children.

"If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."
— Matthew 18:6

They know the risk. We should be protecting them. Protect them. Protect them at all costs.

I posted an advert reel about my show—about how different the world would look if the Bible was translated by women. I paid for Meta/Facebook ads and woke up to a tonne of comments saying I will be going to hell.

“This is why women shouldn’t preach.”
“Where is your husband?”
“Why is he okay with this?”

And this is why I wrote the show. Because the world fucking needs it. How come the holiest people are always the most judgmental and deadly? Men are destroying the planet, the world—and we are letting them. There is too much faith in bad-faith people.

I don’t like it.
I don’t like the rise in racism, in antisemitism, in misogyny.
The emboldening of hate.

Men have never had women say no directly to them before, If you think about it, the deal was always between men:

“Will you take my daughter?” “Yes.” “Cool.”
Men rejected other men. Or didn’t. It’s why, at a wedding, the father literally gives the woman away, women were property.

Everything is about property.
Everything is about ownership.
Everything is about land.

Own the land, own the water, own the air, own the profits.
Because guess what—everybody needs land.
Everybody needs water.
Everybody needs air.
Not everybody owns it.

Makes sense now why they spend so much on getting to space, unchartered territory.
They can literally place their flag in it. Men will invade anything without consent. Colonisers haven’t gone anywhere. Rapists rape, they rape women, they rape land.

I own you.

But we don’t.
We don’t own anything anymore.
Most people rent cars, rent houses, rent people (trades, services, etc.).
Only—someone does, someone owns all these things, and they’re hoarding fortunes.

We are living in a time where we are seeing women no longer dependent on men for a life, we can put our own roof over our own heads and get on without them. I personally, don’t want to get on without them, I mean, I can and I do but, I love male company, I love male friendships, I love male insights, I love male energy. What I don’t like is this, the entitlement, the greed, the incel culture and misogyny.

Autonomy is freedom, And it is our God-given right. Freedom.

And so, what is more expensive than land, than property, than water, than air?

Courage.
Resolution.
Belief.
Bravery.
Dignity.
A refusal to allow the belittlement of others.

A moral compass cannot be bought or paid for.

That is truly priceless.
That is truly dangerous.

That is why they have to send out an army—because of people power, That is why they threaten a boat of 12 with three factions of another army—because they are
They are scared.

A young 22 year old girl is the face of a revolution. Putting her money where her mouth is and standing up for what she believes in, at all personal cost. Now thats power.

And as much as we are scared—we must see: The powers that be are, too.

If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be going to such extremes to send tanks to peaceful protests, to send drones to a boat carrying baby formula.

Twelve individuals.
Walking towards the vulnerable.
To help.
To protect.
To feed.

And doing so in the face of harm, backlash, and potential risk to their own lives. An army of 12 to spread the word of peace.

If that’s not biblical, I don’t know what is.

Follow them here: The Flotilla

If you enjoyed this article, please press the like button, Re-stack it and consider subscribing, and if you want to, sign up to my Patreon. Thank you

Consider Supporting the Musical