random spout

Look at the boy - the child - in the photograph and tell me why his life has to end this way. About 1,300 Palestinians, including 400 children, were killed in Israel's 22-day assault, while 13 Israelis died, some as a result of Palestinian militant rocket fire. Please, take a minute to re-read that fact found on the BBC website. And then, please try and tell me how Israel is still a friend of anyone? I know, our previous Dictator/Fascist, I mean, George W. Bush, went in - guns blazing - to Iraq and essentially did what Israel is now doing to Gaza, but really? If I’m not mistaken, the world shunned us (as well they should considering we left a trail of chaos and corruption and mounting dead bodies behind), and so why is the world backing Israel? Have we become such a crippled lot of human beings that we can’t see the atrocities being committed? Are we really so afraid that Jesus might get down on us for telling the “Holy Land” that what they’re doing is unjustified murder? I would like to clarify that this is not about the Jewish community - this is about the warmongers in Israel that are continually violating international laws to bring devastation and horror onto their neighbors in the east. Don’t get me wrong, Hamas has done dreadful things. I am not dismissing that and while I personally believe both Israel and Palestine have legitimate reasons for disliking one another, how does that translate into brutal assaults on innocent civilians? Sixty years of the same tired, animal-like behavior has done neither side any good. I don’t like to jump on the Obama bandwagon but he’s onto something when he said: "Ultimately we cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians what is best for them. They are going to have to make some decisions," he said. "But I do believe the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people. And that instead, it's time to return to the negotiating table." Can I get an AMEN! Ok, it wasn’t that powerful but clearly a firm hand is needed to push these groups into peace talks. How many more children can be murdered and why are Palestinian children less worthy of protection that Israeli children? They are not the chosen people. Not the ones wielding their mass weaponry, anyway. The hand that takes the life of another is not the kind of “religious life” Jesus, or any person with a brain and a heart would dignify. As I sit here in the comfort of my home writing this, protected by freedoms that I will always appreciate, there are countless others out there looking up, not thankful for blue skies but fearful that death is going to come - fist and fury - down on them in the form of a missile or grenade. Fear that they will be run over by tanks. Children who should be out playing and laughing and being children are hiding and cowering, confidence lost, security never theirs to have. How is that a life anyone should have? Look at the child’s face in the photograph above and tell me how that is acceptable. He was someone’s son - someone’s friend - someone’s brother, nephew, grandson ... he is dead. His sweet little smile will never be seen again and he is one of thousands over time that never got to see adulthood; never got to stand up for something great; never got to tell his story or have children of his own. What kind of message are we sending to both Palestinian and Israeli children when massacre is overlooked? How are we leading any kind of decent existence when things like this continue to happen and we allow our government to embrace and support it? I know some people fight for puppies or whales but I’m fighting for humanity. We have to be better than this! We have to use our voices to speak out against this kind of tyrannical behavior. This happens all over the world and the global inhabitants watch in wonder and disgust and then turn off their Televisions because the images are too gruesome. The sad, awful truth is that the images are real - there are no special effects or commercial breaks or cute weather girls - this is real life for someone out there. Hate is being taught and passed down from generation to generation. At what point do we question what’s being said and find that laughter and kindness go so much further than the weakened hand of hate? Someone is regurgitating this harmful tale. Someone who begs us to save them. What will you do? Here are some articles you can read: Israel charged with war crimes The History of the Gaza Strip BBC condemned for denying aide CIA Factbook - Gaza Strip UNICEF - the toll on children in Gaza Amnesty International Another story happening at present is that Zimbabwe has reported a death toll of 3000 due to an outbreak of cholera. Our world is crumbling apart, ripping at the seams. We must all find a way to do something. We can’t watch our species suffer any more than it has ... Zimbabwe story