A few things I want to touch on in this one. There’s a lot of interesting stuff going on right now so blogging sooner rather than later. When I started this blog, I thought it would just be a neat thing to do, and it is, but sometimes I write a blog, read it, and think “That’s just stupid,” and junk the whole thing; that may even happen to this one. In this way, writing helps me make sense of stuff sometimes; that may happen here as well.
So first thing, and this happened recently and other similar actions are taking place following it, is the prisoner exchange between the Israelis and the Palestinians where Israel swapped around a thousand prisoners for one guy. Palestinians claimed victory and most folks think these 1000 exchangees are just going to be coming back at Israel as enemies. Terrorism experts are saying that the Israelis have only emboldened the terrorists. Well, maybe so, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad decision. I like that one of the most besieged nations in history can value the life of one man over the potential harm that valuation could cause. Certainly as we look at this with worldly eyes, it’s ridiculous but as a Christian, I am trying to see this through that lens (not that non-Christians could not reach the same conclusion) and as such, the view the world would take is often wrong. The world says kill them before they kill you, the ends justify the means, what’s mine is mine, and justice equals vengeance and then some. This is wrong, toxic, and self perpetuating. Jesus stands in counter to that as do all the great, inspirational leaders regardless of faith and time. Winston Churchill is an impressive historic figure. His strength and steadfastness were examples to a nation and stand as such for everyone throughout history. When I hear his speeches, I’m in awe of him. When I hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches, it affects me on a deeper level and can move me to tears if it catches me right. King’s fight may still be ongoing, but he occupies (in my opinion, obviously) no lesser place in history than Churchill. There’s something about humanity in its purest form that we find moving and can touch our hearts so that we know that it’s right and true. Back to the prisoner exchange. Will this work against Israel? I think so. So what then? Do it again. Why? It’s the right thing to do. The war will continue anyway. Injecting as much humanity into it as possible is the only way to possibly and finally, end it. One must hope that when all is said and done, compassion can melt even the most stone-like heart otherwise, everything is a battle of attrition.
Second, Gaddafi (choose your own spelling) is dead. There are always bad guys. They change, but bad guys are always present. Gaddafi was the second bad guy I remember in my life; the Ayatollah Khomeini was the first. I remember the Reagan airstrikes against Libya in the 80s and all that. With him as a childhood bad guy, I found his capture and death interesting so I watched the footage of that event shot with a cellular phone by one of the rebels. In it, Gaddafi is found in a drainage pipe and is shot in the head though the wound is not immediately fatal. Before he dies, his is pulled to his feet, subjected to several humiliations, thrown on the hood of a vehicle like a dead deer, and driven around a bit. Apparently after a bit of this, he was put in an ambulance to be taken to a hospital but died in transit. That’s the story as I saw and understand it, knowing that this may be iffy. The whole time Gaddafi is repeating “Haram Aleiko” which translates as “This is a sin for you” but is used as a statement of vulnerability and a plea for mercy. He was shown none, and quite frankly, deserved none. The guy was a horrible dictator and he died as he lived. All the same, I found it unpleasant to watch a 69 year old man plead for his life while being brutalized. I’m not saying he deserved better, but the human in me would rather he just have been shot dead on the spot. Again, he got what he had coming, in a worldly sense.
Third, President Obama announced a complete troop withdraw from Iraq before 2012. Critics say that the whole thing is politically motivated. I’m sure it is, but it’s still the right thing to do. That he chose to do it at in a definite political climate and time is a sin for him.
Finally, Occupy Wall Street, I haven’t seen you in the news the last couple days. You need to politicize and politicize now, and stop talking to that idiot from the Weather Underground. Soon you’ll be nothing but an SNL parody and your high ideals will have counted for nothing.
In summation, HUMANITY & COMPASSION. Please?
(I know this is a little scattered and fragmented, sorry, hence is my noggin.)
Y’all know I love ya.
© Carl Mealie, 2011
So first thing, and this happened recently and other similar actions are taking place following it, is the prisoner exchange between the Israelis and the Palestinians where Israel swapped around a thousand prisoners for one guy. Palestinians claimed victory and most folks think these 1000 exchangees are just going to be coming back at Israel as enemies. Terrorism experts are saying that the Israelis have only emboldened the terrorists. Well, maybe so, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad decision. I like that one of the most besieged nations in history can value the life of one man over the potential harm that valuation could cause. Certainly as we look at this with worldly eyes, it’s ridiculous but as a Christian, I am trying to see this through that lens (not that non-Christians could not reach the same conclusion) and as such, the view the world would take is often wrong. The world says kill them before they kill you, the ends justify the means, what’s mine is mine, and justice equals vengeance and then some. This is wrong, toxic, and self perpetuating. Jesus stands in counter to that as do all the great, inspirational leaders regardless of faith and time. Winston Churchill is an impressive historic figure. His strength and steadfastness were examples to a nation and stand as such for everyone throughout history. When I hear his speeches, I’m in awe of him. When I hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches, it affects me on a deeper level and can move me to tears if it catches me right. King’s fight may still be ongoing, but he occupies (in my opinion, obviously) no lesser place in history than Churchill. There’s something about humanity in its purest form that we find moving and can touch our hearts so that we know that it’s right and true. Back to the prisoner exchange. Will this work against Israel? I think so. So what then? Do it again. Why? It’s the right thing to do. The war will continue anyway. Injecting as much humanity into it as possible is the only way to possibly and finally, end it. One must hope that when all is said and done, compassion can melt even the most stone-like heart otherwise, everything is a battle of attrition.
Second, Gaddafi (choose your own spelling) is dead. There are always bad guys. They change, but bad guys are always present. Gaddafi was the second bad guy I remember in my life; the Ayatollah Khomeini was the first. I remember the Reagan airstrikes against Libya in the 80s and all that. With him as a childhood bad guy, I found his capture and death interesting so I watched the footage of that event shot with a cellular phone by one of the rebels. In it, Gaddafi is found in a drainage pipe and is shot in the head though the wound is not immediately fatal. Before he dies, his is pulled to his feet, subjected to several humiliations, thrown on the hood of a vehicle like a dead deer, and driven around a bit. Apparently after a bit of this, he was put in an ambulance to be taken to a hospital but died in transit. That’s the story as I saw and understand it, knowing that this may be iffy. The whole time Gaddafi is repeating “Haram Aleiko” which translates as “This is a sin for you” but is used as a statement of vulnerability and a plea for mercy. He was shown none, and quite frankly, deserved none. The guy was a horrible dictator and he died as he lived. All the same, I found it unpleasant to watch a 69 year old man plead for his life while being brutalized. I’m not saying he deserved better, but the human in me would rather he just have been shot dead on the spot. Again, he got what he had coming, in a worldly sense.
Third, President Obama announced a complete troop withdraw from Iraq before 2012. Critics say that the whole thing is politically motivated. I’m sure it is, but it’s still the right thing to do. That he chose to do it at in a definite political climate and time is a sin for him.
Finally, Occupy Wall Street, I haven’t seen you in the news the last couple days. You need to politicize and politicize now, and stop talking to that idiot from the Weather Underground. Soon you’ll be nothing but an SNL parody and your high ideals will have counted for nothing.
In summation, HUMANITY & COMPASSION. Please?
(I know this is a little scattered and fragmented, sorry, hence is my noggin.)
Y’all know I love ya.
© Carl Mealie, 2011
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