I was privileged to attend a rally of about 60 people, on Nov. 9, from Congressional District 7 Voters for Ceasefire Now. We rallied at Congressman Danny Davis’ Chicago office. After weeks of calling and emailing him to support House Resolution 786 calling for a ceasefire, some of his constituents decided that we needed to communicate more directly.
The speakers and community members included people with loved ones in Palestine and in Israel. We were a cross-section of people of diverse faith backgrounds, communities, and ages, ranging from grandparents to OPRF High School students and everything in between.
Speakers reminded us of the more than 10,000 deaths in Gaza since October 9 — over 4,000 of them children — of the horrible conditions without water, hospital care, food, or toilets, and of the destruction of much of the housing in northern Gaza. They noted that a “break” in the bombing to allow in humanitarian aid, only to start the bombing again, accomplishes nothing except the killing of more people in horrible circumstances.
Some speakers recalled Danny Davis’ past actions in support of justice issues in Israel/Palestine and called for him to act consistently with his previous understandings and convictions.
Despite our invitation to the Congressman or a staff member to attend in order to hear constituent voices, the Congressman did not attend, nor did he send a representative. It is hard to understand why, at this point in the war on Gaza, Congressman Davis has not supported a ceasefire.
Please continue to contact him and senators Durbin and Duckworth to support a ceasefire, now.
Anne Koerber
Oak Park
