Stay true to the dreams of thy youth

1 comments:

Bruce Kratky said...

"These are fine sentiments, but isn't it odd that she has to defend her qualifications for a position in the U.S. government by saying how much she "loves" a foreign country? For an American official in her position, what matters is that she loves America, and that she believes anti-semitism is a hateful philosophy that should be opposed vigorously. Whether she loves Israel or France or Thailand or Namibia, etc., is irrelevant. (And yes, it's entirely possible to loathe anti-Semitism and not love Israel)."

I could not agree more. The evening I had my smoke with wine at the sidewalk cafe in Jerusalem (I think I shocked you looking so unnatural with a cigarette hanging from my mouth, though I am a smoking expert) I was accosted (that is perhaps too strong a word) by a young woman trying to get me to sign up for a credit card program which would direct interest payments to a Jewish charity. Her first question to me was, "Do you love Israel?" I just smiled and listened knowing that I was a guest in her country, a novice traveler, and that at the age of fifty-seven knew so much more than her. What I wanted to say was, "I love my wife and children", "I love America", "I love and try to follow Jesus Christ." I knew that those three statements of love would be interpreted by this young woman as, "Then you don't love Israel?" I did say to her that I chose to support Israel through my representative government and my taxes. She seemed threatened by this, even confused. Again, I think I am more experienced that this young lady.

The Israeli loby does not have a monopoly on this form of zero sum mentality. Neither does the Right in the political arena. It is part of the human condition and it must be understood for what it is. Political Correctness discussions deal with this issue. Fear more than anything else drives it. It leads to ultimatums that can be destructive. There are some ultimatums that are valid. Most ultimatums are based upon falsity. It is sad that we live in a world that is so broken, both now and historically, that the "fear" we feel when someone does not "love us" as we think they should means that we think they want to "kill us." Sad state of affairs.

8:08 PM  

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