Questions
Visual Art by Natalie Sokol-Snyder. "When I look at my students, I’m reminded of Palestinian, Sudanese, Congolese, Haitian, Venezuelan, and Syrian children who experience unimaginable violence daily."
Recently, as part of recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation here in Canada, I introduced my Grade 2 class to the history of residential schools for Indigenous children. Like the curious and thoughtful kids they are, my students were full of questions. I was especially struck by one question: Did other people know this was happening? As a Jewish Canadian, I’ve been horrified to watch the genocide of Palestinians carried out by Israelis who claim to represent me as a Jew. My students’ question reminded me of my own complicity to this violence. I know this is happening and yet I’m paralyzed by helplessness. I know about this, and what am I doing to help? I made this comic to grapple with these challenges and with my role as an educator in protecting children around the world.
My commitment to social justice is embedded in my practice as both an educator and an artist. My art grapples with feelings of helplessness and inaction in the face of local and global violence. When I look at my students, I’m reminded of Palestinian, Sudanese, Congolese, Haitian, Venezuelan, and Syrian children who experience unimaginable violence daily. I owe it to my students, and to children everywhere, to move past feeling helpless. I’m inspired by their hope, creativity, and thoughtfulness. They challenge me to imagine a world where the structures that cause violence have been removed. They challenge me to do my part to make this world possible.
—Natalie Sokol-Snyder
I am so very appreciative of this piece by Natalie Sokol-Snyder and of her drawings--and her questions, which I ask myself each morning, as so many of us Americans do: "But I'm a good person, right?" if I donate, protest, stay informed, repost images of the horrors perpetrated against children and their families. And nothing changes. The tents blow with rain and wind, children starve or drown or freeze, or are lost to bombardment. And we watch and grieve and hope that, no matter how small, what we do can somehow make a meaningful difference... Again, I'm deeply grateful for this post and for all that Consequence does to oppose war, the greed that underpins it and the atrocities that are its legacy.
What a wonderful way to communicate! And I too, feel like I am a good person. I donate, I read about the world problems, I write letters to my congressman but…Am I doing anything that will help? I don’t know but I pray with all my heart that somewhere a child is helped because of my small effort. Thank you for your ability to teach all of us.