Hi everyone!
I hate that it had to come to this, because I've meticulously planned every aspect of this story, from the characterization of Claire Laghari, to the intricate details, storylines, and even the witty jokes that I had come up with in advance (which I still think are quite funny, and I'm mourning the fact that I won't get to share most of them). However, this decision has been looming for a while. For those of you who may not be aware, I've been thinking about discontinuing this story for a while now. Ever since October, to be exact.
I've been very vocal about my support for Palestine. And I will continue to be. After I found out about Jason Sudeiskis signing the Pro-Israel letter, my first thought was to recast him. And I did. But still, as I tried to continue writing the following chapters, something didn't sit right with me. Because recasting Ted wouldn't fix the problem. Jason was heavily involved in writing the show. And the deafening silence of the cast showed me that they know what they're doing as well. I'm not playing the blame game, and I wouldn't hold it against anyone if they still watch or enjoy the show, but whenever I would rewatch the episodes, I felt guilty and uncomfortable. I couldn't enjoy it anymore.
It was a matter of principle for me. I've been advocating for the freedom of Palestinians in real life and on several platforms, Wattpad being one of them. So it would be hypocritical of me if I chose to ignore this for my own comfort. Knowing this, it made me view the character and the show differently. And it's against everything I stand for.
If you don't like my decision, that's fine, there's plenty of stories to read and people you can follow. But I don't want the support of people who believe that Palestinians should die. It may sound harsh, but just like the show has taught us, our beliefs matter. Mine matter too. The dreams of Palestinians matter too.
And for that reason, I'll be discontinuing this story. I would've taken it down completely, but I do still see so many people show their support on a daily basis and it wouldn't be fair to you. For those of you who want it, I'd gladly post one more chapter to summarize the direction this story would've taken, to show you what I would've written for the following acts. But this is pretty much the end of Dreams. I don't think there's a way I could ever write this again.
I want to thank you all for supporting me and this story. I appreciate it! And who knows, given my love for sitcoms, I might just have a new story for your favorite character in the works soon. (There's nothing concrete in my drafts yet, but it's definitely crossed my mind).
But consider this a goodbye.
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! 🇵🇸