Artist Robert Jackson Censored by Yosemite Sierra Artists after calling for Ceasefire

Lighthouse Press 12/23/23

Artist Rob Jackson was proud when he joined Yosemite Sierra Artists (YSA), a collective of artists in Northern California, but he soon started to notice he was being treated oddly. He said, “first I was discouraged from participating, then after I posted a recent film reel on the groups facebook page I suffered a rude written comment that made some strong false allegations associating a call for ceasefire to war to saying things I did not even say.”? This gas lighting bullying was elevated and YSA’s admin team which triggered censoring Mr. Jackson’s posts. The artist attacking Mr. Jackson wrote,

“I think most people give lip service to wanting peace on earth, but your political subtext advocates for aggressors rather than those who have sought peaceful solutions for centuries. The first imperative for?living beings is survival, and when peaceful groups of people are attacked, asking them to surrender rather than defend themselves is unreasonable. Look behind the slogans to see who is really seeking peace and whose actions have demonstrated that. Music and art of all types can unite, but not when it includes propaganda”.

Mr. Jackson’s reply was,

“Anyone that thinks calling for ceasefire is wrong and goes to this level of judgement of someone you don't know truly demonstrates how distorted the mind can be. A cease fire protects people on all sides not to mention bring us in?line with tenants of faith. thou shall not kill....”

The President of Yosemite Sierra Artists stated, “I am the president of YSA. Our group on FB is for the promotion of art, not politics. She also said YSA supports engaging in discussions around art, not politics as the reason for censoring Jacksons posts.?

Rob Stated, “Part of the job of any artist is honest free expression. Being censored like that is really not good for democracy.”? He cancelled his membership and pledged to protest for 365 days on behalf of all the innocent people dying from unjust wars. The Leahy Act and many other legal protections that are supposed to prevent and extend to prisoners of war and refugees in the Middle East are now legally being challenged by attorneys representing Palestinian victims- mostly civilians where tolls continue to rise with nearly 2 Million people displaced and over twenty thousand killed (mostly noncombatants). The deaths, according to Jackson are commonly and too generously argued to be collateral damage resulting from unconstrained disproportionate retaliation- evidenced by use of dirty and unguided bombs routinely supplied by the U.S. and U.S. manufacturers. ?Accusation of Israel’s growing land grabs, interests in natural gas reserves and past plans of building a canal “project Plowshare” (classified until 1993), to circumvent reliance on Egypt’s canal could raise billions annually are all suggested to be motivators of the newest war with Palestinians. ??While the estimated 1,400 people killed by Hamas, a military faction in Palestine, set off the recent war but like the U.S.’s responses to 911 the Israeli response was clearly disproportionate and is currently being argued by many as being criminal. ?

Jackson further stated. “History proves Jews and Muslims can live in Peace together. The political narrative is driven to build a scenario for War with Iran and luckily Iran is being patient, but anyone with the smallest amount of intelligence will tell you war against Iran ...is bait for Russia and China....and most everyone on earth will die if we let the war machine march forward. I argued against all the wars in my lifetime and have written about a few in the past explaining violence as the disease it is. ?We can heal with love and understanding. We must get informed and reject most State issued scenarios as those are biased usually to justify violence one side or the other. Humanity and nature deserves better. They failed us, but we can stand up and begin to implement the solutions and lower the casualties. There is no choice. We are all in this together.