Picture America as a person named Alex, a soul wrestling with its moral identity, torn between a silent conscience and an unchecked ego. Within Alex, David Hogg represents the silent conscience shaped by the terror of the 2018 Parkland shooting, where he hid as a “sitting duck,” hearing gunshots that claimed 17 lives (CNN, 2018). That trauma fueled his advocacy for the vulnerable, from gun control to calling out Big Pharma’s $500 inhaler prices (60 Minutes, 2024). Yet, on the Gaza crisis—where U.S.-supplied weapons have enabled the deaths of over 65,000 Palestinians since 2023, 70% of them women and children (UN, 2025)—Hogg remains a silent conscience, constrained by political interests within the Democratic Party.
In stark contrast, Greta Thunberg embodies an outspoken conscience, fearlessly linking climate justice to human rights, calling out Gaza’s suffering despite backlash. A true conscience speaks for values, and when they clash with interests, it chooses values—as Greta has demonstrated and Hogg has failed to do. It’s time for Hogg to follow Greta’s lead, amplify his voice for Gaza, and help Alex choose values over interests, lest America’s ego continue to enable global harm.
Alex’s Silent Conscience: Hogg’s Struggle with Interests Over Values
Hogg, as Alex’s conscience, carries a profound empathy for those harmed by violence. His experience at Parkland—where he felt the helplessness of waiting for the shooting to stop—should resonate with Gaza’s civilians, who describe the same terror under U.S.-enabled bombings: “We’re trapped, waiting to die, and no one stops the bombs,” a Gaza mother told Al Jazeera in 2024. Hogg has channeled this empathy into domestic advocacy, co-founding March for Our Lives and, as DNC vice chair, critiquing corruption like Trump’s alleged meme coin bribes (May 2, 2025, X post).
Yet, on Gaza, his conscience remains silent, stifled by the political interests of the Democratic Party.
From 2021 to 2025, under Democratic control, Alex had the power to act—control of the presidency and, initially, both houses of Congress. Despite this, the party continued $3.8 billion in annual military aid to Israel, approving an additional $14.5 billion in 2024 (Reuters), even as human rights groups documented civilian casualties (Amnesty International, 2024).
The Democrats’ silence, driven by fear of pro-Israel lobbying (AIPAC’s $100 million in 2024, per OpenSecrets) and electoral concerns, reflects Alex’s choice of interests over values. Hogg, embedded in this system, mirrors this failing: his silence on Gaza, likely due to fear of backlash within the DNC (as seen in his clash with Ken Martin, The Guardian, April 2025), shows a conscience muted when values clash with interests. This silence enabled a cycle of violence that continues under Trump, who also prioritizes his base’s interests (75% of evangelicals support Israel, Pew Research 2025) over moral action.
Alex’s Outspoken Conscience: Greta’s Courage to Choose Values
Greta Thunberg, by contrast, embodies what an outspoken conscience looks like within Alex’s soul. At 22, the Swedish climate activist has consistently chosen values over interests, linking systemic harms with moral clarity. In her 2025 op-ed, “We won’t stop speaking out about Gaza’s suffering – there is no climate justice without human rights”, Thunberg accuses Israel of “genocide” and defends her pro-Palestinian stance, even as groups like StopAntisemitism label her “Antisemite of the Week”. She boycotts events tied to fossil fuels, risking her platform to uphold her principles, showing that a true conscience doesn’t bend to interests, no matter the cost.
Thunberg’s outspokenness on Gaza—where U.S. arms have fueled mass harm—stands in stark contrast to Hogg’s silence. She connects her personal mission (climate justice) to global justice, empathizing with Gaza’s victims despite not experiencing their violence firsthand. Her courage mirrors historical moments when Alex’s conscience spoke, like the 1986 Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, where activists and lawmakers like Ron Dellums chose values over Cold War interests, passing sanctions that helped end apartheid. Thunberg’s example shows Hogg—and all Americans—what it means to be a conscience that speaks, even when it risks backlash.
The Cost of Silence: Alex’s Ego Runs Unchecked
When Alex’s conscience remains silent, as Hogg has on Gaza, the ego—embodied by the violent impulses of Nikolas Cruz—dominates. Cruz’s fascination with weapons (“Im [sic] going to be a professional school shooter,” Wikipedia entry) and lack of moral restraint led to Parkland’s tragedy, much like Alex’s fascination with militarism (a $886 billion defense budget, SIPRI 2024) and unchecked policies enable harm in Gaza. The Democrats’ silence from 2021 to 2025, mirrored by Trump’s continuation in 2025, reflects this ego: both prioritize interests—electoral safety for Democrats, base support for Trump—over values, perpetuating violence (Hamas recruitment spiked 30% in 2024, Council on Foreign Relations) and eroding Alex’s moral standing (only 34% view the U.S. favorably, Pew Research 2025).
The child in Gaza, waiting under the rubble, feels the cost of this silence. That child’s fear echoes Hogg’s at Parkland, yet Alex’s failure to speak—under both Democrats and Trump—reveals a shared hypocrisy: claiming to protect the vulnerable while enabling mass harm. As MLK said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” Alex cannot call others to choose values over interests when their own conscience has failed to do so.
A Call to Hogg and Americans: Follow Greta’s Lead
Hogg, your silence on Gaza is a missed opportunity to be the conscience Alex needs. You’ve learned how interests nurture corruption—whether the NRA’s grip on gun laws or Big Pharma’s price gouging—yet your political role constrains you, choosing interests over values as the Democrats did. Greta shows another path: a conscience that speaks, choosing values even when it risks everything. Follow her lead—risk political capital by challenging the DNC’s pro-Israel stance, or amplify voices like Representatives Tlaib and Omar, who’ve called for a ceasefire, using your 1+ million X followers (@davidhogg111) to elevate their cries.
Democrats, you shaped Alex’s path. When you remain silent, focusing on personal issues while disregarding Gaza’s innocent lives, you enable Alex’s ego, perpetuating harm as Cruz did at Parkland. But when you speak—joining your colleagues: Representatives Tlaib and Omar, demanding accountability—you amplify Hogg’s conscience, helping Alex become a light for justice. The child in Gaza waits for us to choose values over interests. Will we follow Greta’s example, Representatives Tlaib and Omar, or continue to mirror Cruz’s darkness?
To be continued…
This is an excerpt from a forthcoming book, currently titled Palestine: A Path To The Watering Place.
Fadwa Wazwaz | Fəd-wə Wəz-wəz | Author of “God Intervenes Between A Person and Their Heart: Key Lessons from the Prophets” and “Love Is Deeper Than Words: Key Lessons from the Prophets.” The author’s work centers on exploring Islamic teachings, philosophy, ethics, and the Israeli colonialism in Palestine.
I ask that readers respect the integrity of this work by properly crediting it when sharing or referencing it. As Islam teaches us to uphold justice and truthfulness in all actions (Quran 4:135), it is important to avoid plagiarism—claiming someone else’s words as your own. Plagiarism undermines the trust and dignity we aim to cultivate in our communities. Please cite this piece ethically, honoring the effort and intention behind it.
Discover more from Faith Reflections
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.