“When I need strength to keep going …” By Janice Kortkamp

When I need strength to keep going, I think of the people I’ve met in Syria. The most profound memories are often the most simple. And I think of how I have a choice to sometimes take a break but they don’t. They never get a break.

Life is hard there and getting harder in many ways.

The sanctions, the damn US sanctions, put in place to deliberately and methodically starve the country of economic recovery, prohibit rebuilding, reduce the quality of life, and to erase hope. The sanctions are made to isolate the people and Syria’s economy from the rest of the world. Any country trying to help or do business in Syria gets sanctioned themselves – punishment by the US government for daring to resist the dictates of America’s empire and its regime change addicts. Many Syrians describe themselves as being like walking ghosts now – people existing but with no future and only pain.

The people in Aleppo are not only suffering from all this, they are attacked routinely by the terrorist armies that control Idlib province and cells of terrorists in other surrounding areas. A young girl with a lovely smile just died from her wounds after fighting for life for many weeks. Her legs were blown off by a terrorist’s rocket. Her mother and brother were killed in that attack. Eight more civilians died yesterday by a terrorist’s car bomb.

Yet the western media never tells anyone about these victims of their precious al Qaeda “freedom fighters”. Nor will they publish the realities of the US sanctions and what they do to the people. Instead they mourn and put on ashes and sackcloth as the Syrian Army and allies fight al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. When the Syrian or Russians strike any target, whether a snipers’ nest or weapons depot, the terrorists take a photo of a bandaid and call it a “hospital”. And then the western “news” media cries through their crocodile tears and rage against the “big bad” Russians and Syrians.

As I see these liars and war mongers spewing their vomitous propaganda I want to throw up myself. And sometimes I shut down, overwhelmed by the evil that is being done. I tried to make a video this weekend and couldn’t…just couldn’t try to make sense of things that are of no sense, and I’m ashamed of myself for that. What sickens me most though are fellow Americans who justify, support and cheer for the death and destruction done in our name by the liars, criminals and traitors we call “leaders”.

So went back to look at photos of my latest trip to Syria this past November. I returned to Homs in my mind. To my Syrian sister who so proudly showed me around her beloved city. Her 21 year old son was killed defending his country from terrorists armed by the US and allies. To two dear lady friends who were just starting to walk on streets again at night – a simple thing that they had feared doing for years while terrorist gangs also supported by my country roamed around accosting women, kidnapping, raping and murdering them. Before the war, such crimes were unknown in Syria. I thought of the rebuilding work I had seen. The meals lovingly prepared and shared with me and just let the tears come.

I’m not a good enough Christian I suppose – I cannot forgive the ones who have done this.

It is wrong to need to draw strength from the people of Syria when all theirs is being used to survive this – we must give them strength and encouragement instead – but still I do. They will always be the inspiration to never quit. God bless them please. Please. And God bless all of you who also never give up on this fight.