Wannabe Writer's Ink

Wannabe writer with hobby of art. Stay and you'll glimpse a small piece of my heart.

Taking A Stand

I don't take a stand. I don't make waves. Unless I gauge that I'm talking to someone who likely shares my beliefs, I don't bring mine up. I bite my tongue. I grit my teeth.

Who am I to say who's right and wrong? I could be wrong. I might not have all the facts. This will cost me friends. This will bring anger down on me. Better stay neutral and be a good ear to all sides.

This has been my functional mode whenever Large Politics explode around me. If I take a stand at all, I take it far too late to do any good at all. The price tag is a lot smaller by then.

Enough.

I do not have all the facts but that never seems to stop anybody else. I have sponged several hours of information about the current Israel/Palestine conflict and I'm not even close to done. I intend to do a deeper dive into the region's history in the coming year. I expect to log long hours with Audible in this endeavor. But as of this moment, I

  • Believe that Hamas entered Israel and intentionally massacred as many civilians as they could as brutally as possible, then took as many hostages back as they could.
  • Believe Israel has the right to defend itself.
  • Believe Israel has an obligation to wipe out Hamas.
  • Believe Israel is still going above and beyond to warn Palestinian civilians when and where strikes are coming down.
  • Believe Hamas is responsible for placing Palestinian civilians in harms way (including blockading them in and placing military installations in hospitals, schools, and residences) to maximize the human shield factor. This is a war crime, and with it, they have held Israel hostage with their own people's lives for years.
  • Believe that the aforementioned bullet point is not Israel's responsibility though they have made it their responsibility for a very long time.
  • Believe that Hamas misappropriated every bit of foreign aid away from their people and toward a campaign of terror, leaving the Palestinian people destitute.
  • Believe that Hamas needs to go, not just for Israel's sake, but for the Palestinian peoples' sake as well.

The more I learn about the situation, both as it is and as it has been going for decades, the more it looks to me like Israel is the battered wife on the world stage, being told every couple of years that she didn't please her man enough, so it's really her fault when he hits her. Right now, the US is standing with Israel, and I do think that is what the US should do. I hope it lasts. The US has a nasty habit of believing that just a few more Israeli concessions will guarantee the President a Nobel peace prize--I'm sorry, I mean establish a peace deal in the Middle East.

Yes, I am angry. No, this blog is not going to turn into a launch pad for attempts to convert people to my view. This is, as it always has been, my blog where I sort my thoughts. It is also where I practice saying the things that I know are controversial and may--either now or later--cost me.

I stand with Israel on this, and I've done more than say that. If you believe in supporting Israel at this time, here are some places you can donate. They come highly recommended by Charity Navigator and people whose word I trust. I chose the first on this list.

I will not stand here and say that you are a monster if you don't donate, because that is not true. I will stand here and say that you should seriously search your heart on this, pray, and check your finances.

I support the people who choose to celebrate life. I support the nation built of refugees from all over the world, united in faith and race. I support the single postage stamp of land that Jews have to flee to when nations turn on them.

I stand with Israel. In all honesty, I hope you do, too.