I was heartsick to learn that Hisham Awartani, a 20-year-old student at Brown University, is now paralyzed from the waist down; his parents have launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his rehabilitation and care, which will be enormous.
The man who shot him in Vermont last week and his two friends for no apparent reason is in jail awaiting a trial.
It is a bitter irony to me and to others that these students, who left the Middle East to be safe in school in America, were injured so brutally and pointlessly in America, a land awash in guns that kill tens of thousands of people, including many children.
I have nothing to say here about the awful war raging in the Middle East; I’m not interested in writing about the politics of that tragedy. I was deeply affected by what happened to these three young man, and I was grateful to support their new GoFundMe campaign.
I don’t believe in telling other people what to do, and I’m not appealing to anyone else to do anything. I’m just sharing what I am doing. People must make up their own minds about what is right and compassionate. I’m happy to be able to help this family and Hisham, even in a small way.
I suspect and hope the family is about to see the generous and empathetic heart of the real America.
I am heartsick too Jon.
Thank you for the link, Jon. I have been heartsick, too, about what happened to those young men. And you’re right, along with giving, instead of just feeling, we can see the kindness and compassion of so many supporting this family. It helps me not to be so overwhelmed and to remember not see the world as only callous and cruel.
Thanks for posting the fund me link.
I’ve faith the family will receive much more than asked for.
Thanks, Jon. Hisham is a brilliant young man. His mom and what he has written since the crippling shooting were on Democracy Now! last week. It was powerful. Go to http://www.democracynow.org to see the interview.
Thanks Richard..