Freedom Isn't a Pick-and-Mix: Why All Our Fights Are Connected!
Hey, fellow freedom fighters! So, you've heard the rallying cry: "Abolish ICE!" And if you're anything like me, you probably nod along, thinking, "Yeah, borders are messed up, people deserve dignity and safety." But what if I told you that just saying "Abolish ICE" is like trying to fix a leaky faucet when your entire house is floating down a river? It's a start, sure, but we gotta zoom out and see the bigger picture!
Imagine oppression and injustice as this giant, tangled ball of yarn. You pull one thread – say, anti-immigrant policies and the nasty tactics of agencies like ICE – and you realize it's not just a single thread. It's woven into so many other threads! We're talking about who gets to own land, who gets to decide where people live, who has power, and who gets pushed aside. It's all connected, like a global spiderweb of struggle.
This is where the idea of "Free Palestine" isn't just another item on a very long freedom checklist. Oh no, friends. It's a fundamental piece of the puzzle, a critical lens through which we can understand how state power, land theft, and displacement work, not just in one corner of the world, but echoing everywhere.
Think about it: the very same playbook used to control borders, enforce displacement, and deny people their right to live freely in one place is often a mirrored strategy in others. The idea of "settler-colonialism," where one group takes over and displaces the original inhabitants, isn't unique to one region. It's a recurring theme in history and current events, from Indigenous struggles for land back to the fight against immigration detention centers.
If we're truly aiming for a world where everyone is free, where people aren't forced from their homes, and where justice isn't a privilege but a universal right, then we can't afford to cherry-pick our battles. We can't say, "I'll fight for this freedom, but that one over there? Nah, too complicated."
True liberation means understanding that the struggle for Indigenous sovereignty, the fight for migrant rights, and the movement to Free Palestine are all singing the same song, just with different verses. They're all about dismantling systems that prioritize power and control over human dignity and freedom.
So next time you hear a call for justice, remember the bigger picture. Let's connect those dots, because our liberation is truly intertwined!
Original article inspiration: https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2026/03/petrova-abolish-ice-means-little-without-free-palestine