Author: Navid Fotovat

Bio: I’m a medical and public policy student who is interested in the intersection of healthcare and systemic change. I am passionate about working with pediatric populations. Outside of medicine, I love challenging myself and trying new things; whether I’m training for my next marathon, perfecting a bake, or creating art pieces about deeply personal issues. My first attempt at artistic creativity explores and challenges geopolitical themes. Ultimately, I'm just someone who loves the process of learning, creating, and pushing myself to see what’s possible.

Commentary: As an Iranian-American and a medical student who has devoted his life and interests to children's health, I found myself being torn when an illegal war was waged on my home country, one in which an elementary school full of schoolgirls and schoolboys was senselessly murdered by a U.S. double-tap missile strike.

I found myself in a state of reflection.

How can I claim to care about children's health when my tax dollars are funding the senseless murder of children overseas? Why were those children killed? Is the life of the children in Minab worth less than the lives of the children I round on? Are we the good guys in the US, so we're allowed to nuke countries like war hawks insinuate?

How come the question "How can we pay for these bombs?" is never asked, but "How can we pay for healthcare?" is asked constantly? Am I complacent in this murder operation and all murders carried out by the military-industrial complex? What was the reason for this war to begin with? What can I do about it? Why do we treat these victims as numbers and not see them as people?

I can go on and on asking more and more questions. My emotions were so conflicted, the only thing I could do was put them into my first attempt at art. It led to some art pieces meant to be seen in series.

Ultimately, I reached the thought that we must stand united as a people, and that is the only way we can create change.