As many of my RS family knows, my son is a grad student in Jerusalem. This morning he was attending a protest in Palestine with several other international students. He called me from the emergency room - he had been shot in the head with a tear gas canister, 50ft away, point blank. He spent most of the day in the hospital. He lost a hunk of scalp, but thankfully, there appears to be no internal damage.
While I try not to be political, mostly because I don't understand it, this was a blatant, aimed attack by the Israeli soldier on a civilian. Twenty-two other civilians were also hurt, my son the only American.
We have talked several times today. He is back at his apartment and we're talking right now.
Please keep him in your thoughts. 1|1|Keeping your son (and you!) in my thoughts and prayers|couponshelmd|couponshel@comcast.net|16:33:12|05/13/2011|
I cannot imagine how he must feel right now, I will keep you both in my prayers! 2|1|Robin, my thoughts and prayers are with him....and with you, I can't imagine how you must feel being here while he is there under this circumstance.|saint6811|waylan@comcast.net|17:09:20|05/13/2011|
" You'll get what's coming to you ... Unless it was mailed."
3|1|Here's one of several articles out there|whitmarg|robin@whitmannet.com|17:16:06|05/13/2011|
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/05/palestinian-teen-critically-injured-as-israel-cracks-down-on-nakba-demos-american-protester-shot-in-the-head-with-tear-gas-canister-at-close-range.html
4|2|Robin...glad to hear he is home....|BusterBrown|srfreezerqueen@hotmail.com|17:37:53|05/13/2011|
was waiting to hear back from you....did not want to bug you...Jodie 5|1|The more I learn about this, the harder it is to not jump on a plane|whitmarg|robin@whitmannet.com|19:51:05|05/13/2011|
.. 6|2|When I didn't hear any more from you today....|ptmama525|ptmama525@aol.com|23:01:48|05/13/2011|
I figured you had hopped on a plane!!
I am glad he was able to go home (hate saying home, because home is where mom is!) but hopefully you will be able to rest a little better knowing that they felt he was well enough to leave the hospital.
Will keep you all in my prayers !!
7|3|I so want to get on a plane, but he was adamant that I don't.|whitmarg|robin@whitmannet.com|05:22:33|05/14/2011|
He seems to have it all together, although it is now noon there and I can't see him on FB or AIM or anything. I suppose he could still be sleeping. I just FB friended all his roommates that I know hoping SOMEONE is awake. He didn't have any antibiotics or pain killers because the pharmacy was closed yesterday and they didn't give them to him in the hospital. I'm concerned about that, obviously. So many blogs, so many articles, now videos are showing up. All very very VERY hard to see, yet I can't help it. 8|1|Hard to watch...|whitmarg|robin@whitmannet.com|07:11:30|05/14/2011|
Around the 5 minute mark there is a man being helped into an ambulance -- that's my baby boy. Heartfelt thanks to the many Palestinians in the village who helped him to the ambulance, contacted the US State Department and (gulp) returned the piece of scalp they found on the ground. Unfortunately, they were not able to reattach it so he has a pretty serious gash on the top of his head.
http://friendfeed.com/alkoga/a85307d9/youtube-nabi-saleh-13-5-2011-wmv
9|1|OMG.....I'm so glad to hear he's going to be okay...how scary|kellysp6637|frugalk76@aol.com|08:17:07|05/14/2011|
keeping him in my thoughts! 10|1|Sending good thoughts & prayers for you & your son. I'm sorry he was hurt but so glad & relieved he's ok. :)|maraj|maraj64@hotmail.com|08:39:34|05/14/2011|
Smile... it makes people wonder what you're up to!
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