Hezbollah's, American's and Israeli's, oh my!
With all of the conflict continuing to rise in the Middle East, it's only appropriate that I comment. Why? Well, it's politics and we all know I'm heavy into it.
Hezbollah, as most of you are aware is a very militant Lebanese Shia Islamic group. Their main objective, of course, is to combat the Israeli Defense Force.
But, what about the average civilian man, woman or child in Lebanon or Israel, or for that matter, anyone involved in this chaotic quest to stabilize and maintain (an eventuality) tactical supremacy within the region. I bet very few people realize that not everyone is ready to take up arms and go off to war. Believe it or not, Billy-Bob-Jon-Boy, some people do want peace.
So, I think it's easier to remove the idea of Hezbollah and just think of it as a person, an individual who has committed a wrong. Who has fostered an idea that threatens or acted upon a belief that took away someone's livelihood or their very life. Let's think about that person and what would happen.
So, should he be punished? How? How much? By whom? And who get's to decide? And when will it be enough? But, wait a minute. Wouldn't this be a private matter? Shouldn't this individual and his country have the right to deal with this in accordance with their law? Well, I don't know. Then again, it involves his position within his community and what happened to that affected the lives of other members of the middle eastern region. So, the whole thing gets a little grey and very public.
The only thing that these questions seem to get us are more questions. And I have to tell you, I've thought of nothing but these questions since the whole thing came out and I don't have the answers. I have opinions and opinions aren't enough. And then it occurred to me that maybe we, as humans beings weren't meant to try to answer these kinds of questions.
Maybe we're supposed to look to something higher, like the law, because the law protects us from our most human self. From the self that falls short of expectations, from the self that makes mistakes. And from the self that says, "An eye for an eye and while you're at it, get two!" I've heard a lot of Bible thumping lately and quoting and MISQUOTING. Because, I don't know, conveniently for some, the Bible can be punishing when we can't. When we, out of compassion or weakness, tend to vary out ethics, depending on the situation.
Ironically, the law can be merciful, when we're tempted to be vengeful. And right now, who isn't tempted? In one selfish, unthinking act, Hezbolla, the Israeli Defense Force and everyone involved -- their behaviour forced us to try to answer questions that never should have been asked. When all said and done, we're no better off. No smarter, no safer, no happier. For having debated and name-called and beat each other up with the Bible and the law and and our interpretations of both.
But, you know, like ripples in a pond, that's the way it is with families. It doesn't matter that any one of these organizations don't really mean to harm (some do, but some don't) the inherent connection between all human beings guarantees that someone will get hurt. Because we are, whether we like it or not, one family. The human family. And what happens to one of us, one way or another happens to us all.
We could be our own salvation or our own destruction, all it really is, of course, is choice.
Hezbollah, as most of you are aware is a very militant Lebanese Shia Islamic group. Their main objective, of course, is to combat the Israeli Defense Force.
But, what about the average civilian man, woman or child in Lebanon or Israel, or for that matter, anyone involved in this chaotic quest to stabilize and maintain (an eventuality) tactical supremacy within the region. I bet very few people realize that not everyone is ready to take up arms and go off to war. Believe it or not, Billy-Bob-Jon-Boy, some people do want peace.
So, I think it's easier to remove the idea of Hezbollah and just think of it as a person, an individual who has committed a wrong. Who has fostered an idea that threatens or acted upon a belief that took away someone's livelihood or their very life. Let's think about that person and what would happen.
So, should he be punished? How? How much? By whom? And who get's to decide? And when will it be enough? But, wait a minute. Wouldn't this be a private matter? Shouldn't this individual and his country have the right to deal with this in accordance with their law? Well, I don't know. Then again, it involves his position within his community and what happened to that affected the lives of other members of the middle eastern region. So, the whole thing gets a little grey and very public.
The only thing that these questions seem to get us are more questions. And I have to tell you, I've thought of nothing but these questions since the whole thing came out and I don't have the answers. I have opinions and opinions aren't enough. And then it occurred to me that maybe we, as humans beings weren't meant to try to answer these kinds of questions.
Maybe we're supposed to look to something higher, like the law, because the law protects us from our most human self. From the self that falls short of expectations, from the self that makes mistakes. And from the self that says, "An eye for an eye and while you're at it, get two!" I've heard a lot of Bible thumping lately and quoting and MISQUOTING. Because, I don't know, conveniently for some, the Bible can be punishing when we can't. When we, out of compassion or weakness, tend to vary out ethics, depending on the situation.
Ironically, the law can be merciful, when we're tempted to be vengeful. And right now, who isn't tempted? In one selfish, unthinking act, Hezbolla, the Israeli Defense Force and everyone involved -- their behaviour forced us to try to answer questions that never should have been asked. When all said and done, we're no better off. No smarter, no safer, no happier. For having debated and name-called and beat each other up with the Bible and the law and and our interpretations of both.
But, you know, like ripples in a pond, that's the way it is with families. It doesn't matter that any one of these organizations don't really mean to harm (some do, but some don't) the inherent connection between all human beings guarantees that someone will get hurt. Because we are, whether we like it or not, one family. The human family. And what happens to one of us, one way or another happens to us all.
We could be our own salvation or our own destruction, all it really is, of course, is choice.