TV Watchers, Video Game Addicts and American Voters
[Amman, 7/8/25]
On my 10th day in Jordan, I finally met a Jordanian. Sure, I must have seen and walked past thousands, but only at Omar Snack yesterday did a man say no when I asked if he was Palestinian?
“Jordanian.” After moment, he added in imperfect English, “Palestinian, they not problem. Everybody else they problem.”
“The US?”
“I not say, US, UK, but everybody else, they problem.”
On his walls were all these evocations of America: Route 66, Genuine HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES, Homestyle HAMBURGERS 25 cents, Delicious HOT DOGS 15 cents, OPEN 24 HOURS and CAUTION—LOUD MUSIC ZONE, etc. There’s also “FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS” in English.
What’s happening in Gaza was clearly on his mind, “If you see somebody hit somebody, you say something.”
“Of course.”
As America mourns the lost of 30 children in Texas, does anyone think about the thousands of Palestinian children his money and weapons are killing in Gaza? Eating ice cream and playing golf, Trump’s as indifferent as ever. His ICE goons have just stormed LA’s McArthur Park to terrify poor kids playing soccer at a summer camp.
Rich children don’t have summer camps at city parks. Four decades ago, I was an art teacher for ghetto kids at Philly’s Fairmount Park. Our lunch was so miserable, many children skipped their white bread sandwiches with jivey jam and peanut butter.