War is Hell
I loathe politics. It brings out the very worst in people. The most sinister and diabolical aspects of the human psyche. Polarizing. Manipulative. Conniving. Divisive. Infuriating. Generally unnecessarily. Its wake is often a trail of carnage and destruction where the innocent suffer and those in power are immune to consequences. Come to think of it, religion takes on a very similar tenor, doesn’t it? The death toll attributable to politics and religion is unfathomable. While religion brings out the worst in some people, it also brings out the absolute best in others. Maybe the same is true of politics, but I’m not convinced. It never seems to take long for altruism, humanitarianism and benevolence to degenerate into power struggles, greed and malice. Perhaps the darkness is simply a testimony to the depravity of our fallen human nature and politics or religion are merely the vehicles through which it manifests.
Unfortunately, today I find myself tap dancing on the edge of both politics and religion. This is not my happy place. I have no desire to be provocative or controversial merely for the sake of getting a rise out of people. I am a peacekeeper by nature. Don’t get me wrong though. I no way do I shy away from tense or stressful situations. Or a good fight if necessary. I don’t think that I could if I wanted to in my line of work. That said, my tendency is to diffuse rather than detonate if it’s at all possible. There is a time and place to fight but knowing when and where requires discernment and wisdom. It’s an art.
I’m going to try to keep this short and sweet. The statement “less is more” is particularly true when discussing polarizing topics. Getting excessively verbose may be intended to thoroughly explain something, but rather than clearing the air, the net result is often muddied waters. It’s counterintuitive to some, but over-explaining may actually provide more of an opportunity for misinterpretation rather than create the bullet-proof defense that is intended. The bigger the specimen, the more varied the methods of dissection. Make your point and put down the shovel. Some people will get it. Some people won’t right away. Some never will. At the end of the day, if people want to be offended or get ass hurt or be gas lit, they will find a way.
Many westerners have a deep sense of kinship with the Jewish people. There are no words to adequately capture the horrors that they have endured over the ages. The unbridled, genocidal savagery that has pursued them mercilessly in times past continues to hunt them relentlessly to this day. The haunting imagery of the Holocaust serves as a witness. The most recent example is the heinous act of terrorism that Hamas unleashed on October 7, 2023.
In the current news era, everyone is a reporter and there is widespread access to news in the rawest of raw forms. Completely unfiltered and unsanitized images are readily available to the masses mere seconds after events unfold. As a society we have been variably desensitized to violence and vulgarity, but even so, watching the slaughter of unsuspecting innocents still elicits a visceral response in most. Rape. Murder. Torture. Pillaging. Dismemberment. Desecration. Of the elderly. Of young people. Of children. Of toddlers. Of infants. Witnessing acts of pure evil unfolding inspires righteous indignation. Appropriately so. Is there justice for such inhumanity? Who gets to determine what is justice and what is vengeance? Does it matter?
Over 2 million people live in the Gaza strip. 40% of the population is under the age 14. Sunni Muslims make up 99.8% of the population. Arab Christians account for 0.2%. Hamas has been the governing power in Gaza since July 2007. In the 2006 election, they rose to power by securing 42.9% of the vote and 56% of the total seats in parliament. Palestine has been under a brutal blockade overseen by Egypt and Israel ever since, in large part the result of Hamas refusing to renounce violence and refusing to acknowledge the right of Israel to exist. The result has been described as “the world’s largest open-air prison.”
Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by most of the western world. Some make a distinction between Hamas and the military wing of Hamas, others do not. More politics. Regardless what one thinks of the cause that they claim to be champions of, by definition, their tactics are clearly terroristic and their willingness to use the Palestinian people as human shields is appalling. While Hamas is indeed deeply entrenched in Palestine, in a very literal sense, it is important to remember that Palestine is not synonymous with Hamas. Populations, especially populations that large, are not homogenous. Is every Israeli a Torah observant Jew? Is every New Yorker a Democrat? Is every prostitute a drug addict? Of course not.
The atrocious, deplorable acts of some will be punished with wrath and retribution the likes of which has never before been seen. The noose around Palestine’s neck has been tightened. All of Palestine has been cut off. No water. No electricity. No food. No fuel. Just a constant, apocalyptic downpouring of fire, shrapnel and concrete. Can you imagine the fear that they must feel? Can you imagine having to step over the corpses of family, friends and neighbors to try to secure your own safety? Caged in by land and sea. Literally no way out. Hunger. Thirst. Disease. Pestilence. Starvation. The constant specter of death. Many innocent Palestinians have died. Many, many more will die before it’s all said and done. The elderly. Children. Babies. What will the impact be on the survivors of this hell unleashed on earth? If Hamas is eradicated, will the means by which their elimination was accomplished forge a deeper, darker hatred for Israel? It seems like an never ending cycle, doesn’t it?
Here is my request. Don’t turn a blind eye to the fact that innocent blood is being shed all around. Put politics and religion aside and keep the innocent people on both sides of this war in your thoughts and prayers.
Finally, awareness is a very important part of preparedness. Stay alert and stay safe. Out of control forest fires can start with the tiniest of sparks, and what we are witnessing is way more than a tiny spark.
