I write this on Sunday night, having taken a blog breather last week. We still await word on the results of our CCSG Site Visit, and I am finally recovering from my lingering non-COVID upper respiratory infection. The Phillies are in the playoffs and doing very well so far, and the Eagles remain undefeated. We will have seen all our kids and grandkids over the long weekend and had a chance to catch up with some dear “lifer” friends too. But it’s hard to feel good about anything today.
Our government is in turmoil, and it’s hard to see how we’ll end up with a budget or anything resembling rational governance given the chaos in the House of Representatives. Political rivals have become bitter enemies, and we all suffer as a result.
Then, there is Israel. An unprovoked brutal assault by Hamas, seemingly with Iran, has wreaked unprecedented carnage amongst innocent civilians, with whole families wiped out, not as a byproduct of war, but as the purpose of the assault. More carnage is inevitable, and Israel no doubt will respond in kind, and then some, aiming to preserve the nation and its future. As for Iran, Hezbollah, other countries in the region, who knows? All I do know is that too many ordinary people, in Israel, Gaza, and elsewhere, trying to live their lives, love their families, do their work and continue the human experiment will have their hopes, dreams and very existences shattered or exterminated.
I am well aware of the many grievances held by both Palestinians and Israelis. Many of them are legitimate and merit continued efforts toward a workable and equitable solution. On the other hand, Hamas has only one objective, the destruction of Israel, and this weekend’s actions reinforce that assessment. Maya Angelou famously noted that when somebody tells you who they are, believe them the first time.
The violence of the coming days may well be painfully necessary, but it will be unbearable for those of us who treasure the sanctity of life. It’s hard to be hopeful at this time, but perhaps this will prove to be a reckoning that ultimately promotes progress. May the painful coming days be followed by an enduring, equitable peace.
Stay safe and be well.
Lou
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