Aja Monet: If I have to get you to see me as you in order for you to affirm my right to exist and my humanity—this is not solidarity. We see oppression through a capitalist lens. If we offer our time, our energy, even our empathy and understanding—we look for the reciprocation. Where am I in this? What can I get out of this? We must acknowledge that to honor one life does not negate another. We have been taught to fear empathy as a means of survival by extension of material gain. At the core, how do we operate when we know our means of bread and butter is threatened by our moral compass within? While I do, like many, applaud Lauryn Hill’s decision to cancel her show in Israel, I question the framing of her statement which appears to take no real stance. How do I illustrate the complexity of a fence rider? The fence rider is a person who is constantly playing the tricks of politics, sitting in the middle, with no clear stance on grave injustices against humanity. What are the elements that are causing people to walk on eggshells around blatant and vulgar atrocities against human beings? We cannot afford to be on the fence about oppression. More here.