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STATE BUSINESS - With 2024 now underway, the California State Legislature returned to Sacramento to commence the business of the New Year. Yet instead of being able to tackle the issues facing our state, such as a $68 billion budget deficit, rampant and out-of-control homelessness, a fentanyl crisis, along with any number of public safety issues the Assembly ended up having to adjourn before any work could be done – why? Because radicals took over the rotunda making it impossible to regain order for the legislators to conduct the business of addressing and making laws that would seek to address the issues plaguing the Golden State.
Yet, who were these radicals who were inciting disruption, discord, disharmony – they were none other than pro-Hamas sympathizers. Approximately 200 protesters claiming to speak for the Jewish Voice for Peace chanted their demands for a ceasefire. However, these disrupters, in addition to their deep delusion regarding the extent of influence that California legislators can exert on the foreign policy decisions of a sovereign country, are in tremendous need of a basic civics lesson to understand the differences between state, national, and international governments. They should start by making an effort to at least address the correct entities who could even influence their desired policy goals, but for that they aren’t even in the correct Capitol. No, it is clear, their goal is not to exercise their freedom of speech, so as to have any real influence for any effect on policy – their goal is anarchy. It is collective narcissism.
In fact, in their self-absorbed state, completely removed from reality, their presence in Sacramento can be seen for the complete obliviousness that it is. While they are safely nestled away from any existential threats from Hamas, Jews in Israel, upon whom they are making their “lofty and superior” demands, live in constant fear of another attack from terrorists whose objective is the genocidal elimination of the Jewish people.
It is mind-boggling and staggering the epitome of entitlement and privilege that these so-called protesters demonstrate. It can’t be stressed enough, that it is from Sacramento, in California, over 7,000 miles (by air) away from the West Bank, away from the bombs, the rockets, the paratrooping rapists that these Hamas-sympathizers want to tell a sovereign country who has been attacked to simply cease to defend themselves. They won't even make a trip in the safety of the United States to Washington D.C to have their views heard by the federal government. Why? Because even the Biden Administration’s foreign policy recognizes the right of a nation to defend itself and its people from savage brutality.
If the Palestinian people of Gaza want a ceasefire, then it is up to them to remove, eliminate, and eradicate Hamas from their territories. Under no circumstances can an alleged “political party” be permitted to remain in power or a position of governance. If the peace-loving Palestinian civilians, the ones who did not cheer, support, and celebrate the October 7th attack want an end to the hostilities, then they bear the responsibility to police their own population and see to it that those responsible, all those responsible are brought swiftly to justice and that every single hostage (not already brutalized and killed) be safely returned to their families. These are the terms. Until they are met, the voices chanting in the California Assembly rotunda can expect to have the lights turned out on them again and again.
(Mihran Kalaydjian is a leading member of the community and a devoted civic engagement activist for education spearheading numerous academic initiatives in local political forums.)
