In this episode of Unspoken, Kate performs “If They Would Just,” a searing spoken word poem that dismantles the hollow excuses and dangerous detachment surrounding the genocide in Gaza.

From hostages to humanitarian aid, forced displacement to selective empathy, this poem interrogates the phrases we hear too often—“If they would just surrender,” “If they would just be thankful,” “If they would just move.”

Each line cuts through apathy to reveal the brutal truths behind silence, complicity, and settler colonialism.

This piece speaks to:

the global normalization of violence,

the privilege of looking away,

and the chilling question:

what did you do when Gaza was burning?

Copyright ©2025 Kate Earley

Music: Happiness Does Not Wait by Ólafur Arnalds

Written: June 4, 2025