The Impact of Local Activism in Solidarity with Palestine
How funding foreign wars is a domestic issue in the U.S.
Author’s note: This article is a tribute to my mother Brenda Gould and her activism on behalf of Palestine, as well as many other global and domestic social justice issues. Since Israel’s attack on Gaza began on 7 October 2023, she has published three letters to the editor in her local newspapers in Southern Oregon: The Rogue Valley Times and Grant’s Pass Courier. I include the letters below.
My mother is a regular attender at Palestine solidarity protests throughout southern Oregon. In November 2023, she led the Oregon branch of the Advocacy Team for FCNL (Quakers) (the Friends Committee on National Legislation) in organizing a meeting with our Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley in November. We were immensely pleased when, five days after our meeting, Merkley became the second US Senator (after Senator Dick Durbin) to call for a ceasefire. Merkley announced his decision in a compelling post on Medium that I encourage everyone to read and share.
In becoming one of the first senators to call for a ceasefire, Merkley continued a long and honorable tradition of Oregon politicians who spoke out against war, including Senator Wayne Morse (in office 1945–1969), who was one of only two US Senators to oppose President…
