Dang, Send a message.

Send.a.message is a Dutch website that was shared with me yesterday. The basic point is you pay 30 pounds to have your message spray-painted on that which Israel calls their “Security Fence” or “the wall” as it is referred to more commonly.  The wall is one of the more obvious  symbols of Israel’s apartheid system. The wall, which in large is built by Palestinian labor, effectively annexes Palestinian land and resources. Furthermore, the wall stands as a gross reminder of extremist nation-building practices of the present.

So, back to the website. I don’t really have anything snarky or bitter to say about it. I rather like it actually. It’s just one of those, holy-fuck-the-internet-is-bonkers moments for me. The project offers an interactive and creative way for people to engage with this rather gross symbol of oppression; all the while supporting Palestinian organizations and cultural centers. The website however, offers no Arabic, Hebrew, or Farsi language messaging. Also, I also feel complicated about proposing marriage to someone on said wall. Like, I get that the point is the transform this symbol of oppression into a creative space of love, peace, blah, blah. However, a marriage proposal strikes me as a fucked-up performance of chivalry on some global platform. Like I’m really happy for you Cindy and Mark, but stopping shoving your civil rights in other people’s faces, right? Right.

Special thanks to Meena for brining this to my attention.