Since the weather was forecast to be pleasant, I thought it might be fun to drive to Boston and walk in The Men’s March. Now did I do this because I support the abolition of abortion, or because I thrive in settings where pandemonium and chaos may ensue? Well … read my previous works.

Apart from the severe profanity, violence, and name-calling, this pro-life march turned out to be the perfect opportunity to witness a modern-day interpretation of the Boston Tea Party. That may be a stretch, but hear me out. In my general understanding of that iconic marker in Massachusetts history, several men of the group engaging in naval, corporate espionage disguised themselves in Mohawk clothing. Taken this to be fact, the reasons they chose to do this could be layered, and our thorough understanding of that event is not necessary for the point at hand. Breaking it down to the simplest of explanations, individuals on that day donned clothes associated with another people. Whether it was coincidence or intentional that they selected Mohawk only the historians can know for sure, but one thing that this act was successful in was entangling one group with another’s grievances. Two parties with a beef, and then an innocent, third party who is more or less trying to maintain an existence honoring community, nature, and spirit in the face of unbridled genocide and extermination.

Fast forward a few hundred years and what do we have? The prevalence of the Palestinian keffiyeh among movements which have arguably nothing to do with that ongoing genocide, that’s what. There seemed to be more keffiyehs in the camp of counter-protesters than there were last year in the 25 Mile March for Palestine. With each step I mentally scratched my head and wondered, “is there something connecting Palestinian liberation with the American abortion argument that I’m missing?” Then, I started getting angry. Maybe because as we speak children are waiting for clean water in Gaza wondering what’s taking us so long to stop sending the missiles. “Sorry kids, we need to wait another day because all the keffiyahs need to be at the No-GMO rally.”

As well-intentioned as your movement may be, whether it be for a woman’s right to choose, LGBTQIA+ equality, or the elimination of fossil fuels, any inclusion of issues which are not directly associated with the current conflict in question, further complicates (and impedes) the road to peace. Perhaps one of the more unfortunate realities for an entitled population, but I find it frustrating that people could be so self-involved that they would use the destruction of a society as extra ammunition in their never-ending battle with, what could be considered, simply their opposite half.

The whole “there is a god” vs “there is not a god” argument was out in full force, with counter-protesters essentially giving those marching exactly what they wanted. A Toys R’ Us world we have become, and who’s to say really when that happened. Any reader even remotely familiar with contemporary American politics could probably describe the typical marcher and the typical counter-protester in about five seconds. These meme-dividuals have been custom-made by their online echo chamber, and the only thing which gives them respite is the fact that their chosen hero is the “real one.”

Honestly, it may be this facet of staleness which was the most aggravating to observe. It’s not the fact that each side is pointing to the other and saying “fascist,” and it’s not because each group is pointing to themselves and saying “we’re protecting the innocent,” no. The reason lies more in the reality that neither party has anything new to bring to the discussion. The same argument points and verbal fencing have plagued our society for decades, and I sometimes find it curious that no one raises their hand and asks, “what about our nation is making this an issue to begin with?”

As one could imagine, there was no happy resolution at the end of the march. No coming together of opposing parties, and no real plans for how to be victorious in the future. The marchers went home, the protesters went home. Could the whole thing been done just out of habit. Maybe there was unspoken anxiety about family Thanksgiving dinner after the election, and this was the best way to deal with it? Regardless, let me state in closing that anyone who conflates Palestinian liberation with other issues unrelated, is either knowingly or unknowingly, an enemy of that movement.

Ahmad Esfahani lives in Greenfield.