I was watching a fascinating Documentary on the Discovery Channel a
couple of days ago entitled "The Real Eve". It documented the wandering
of 'modern' man 150 thousand years ago from his birthplace in Africa to
points north and East and beyond. They had traced the mitochondria from
one 'virtual' woman and her daughters through many countless generations
and the subsequent cultures they left behind. These humans who came out
of Africa eventually became the semitic peoples of the Middle East , the
Asian peoples of the East and North and South America; the Middle and
Eastern Europeans and the Northern Vikings. In other words these 'first'
Africans became the peoples and races of all humans living on Earth
today. I already knew a lot of this information as I majored in
Anthropology in College. However, due to all the new advanced studies of
the human gene and DNA, scientists are learning much more to prove their
theories. I have to say that I have been a little sad lately at all the
bloodshed and violence that is going on in Israel and Palestine. Bottom
line is as long as there is hate, I can't see a Peace Settlement in the
near future. I have heard and seen many news stories over the last few
weeks. One of the most distressing of them was a picture that was
released by the New York Times. It was two pictures of two young women;
both looking amazingly alike and nearly the same age. They both had long
black hair, dark eyes and looked like teenagers you might find in a High
School Yearbook. One woman blew herself up and the woman who was walking
next to her; who was on her way into the market for Sabbath shopping for
her Mom. One young woman wanted to become a martyr for her cause and the
other just wanted to live out a peaceful life. Both their mothers had
probably wanted their daughters to live a long life. One of the most
tragic events a parent can experience is to see a child die before
themselves. I am normally a kind of a Pollyanna; hopeful and optimistic.
I don't feel that same way about the MIddle East. If there was a
settlement tomorrow and the Palestinians finally had a State or country
of their own; the terrorism would not stop. Although the majority of the
Palestinians would be satisfied with their own country ,the Terrorist
Groups would survive because of the hate and revenge that is passed on
to the very young school children. It is taught in the classroom and read
in their textbooks. And by the time they are young adults their vision
or mission would be to rid the region of the entire State of Israel and
all Israelis and anyone who stood in the way of their 'beliefs'(i.e
Americans). I am neither a Politician nor a philosopher. But I can see
what is going on in Northern Ireland. I remember Bosnia and the gruesome
pictures that came out in Time Magazine. I know about Vietnam, World War
II, and Somalia and Afghanistan. Am I oversimplifying things for you?
Have you ever fought in a War? I haven't. I have often wondered ,
reading all those news items and watching CNN, what I would do if I was
in a war and all of a sudden I am faced with a young kid who is ready to
throw a bomb at me. Would I shoot him in self defense or let myself be
blown up. It's really a kind of stupid question, isn't it? But then
again War is.......what? stupid? Not a very definitive word. Innocent
men, women and children always die in a War. So where do we draw the
line? Are all of you out there either on one side or the other. Are you
a Hawk or a Dove? Is it really Black and White. I do not think so. If
there had been no retaliation in Europe in World War II, what kind of
world would have been left for us if Hitler had been allowed to trash
the globe unimpeded? There are no hard lines to draw and no easy
solutions. Sure, we have to worry about people like Saddam Hussein and
his probability of making a nuclear Bomb. After September 11th maybe we
don't feel as secure as we once did. With all that is going on, though ,
there is still within me a small but strong essence of hope for peace in
this world. And although some Wars in the past have been fought for
economic and Political reasons, the one true hope that we all have, is
that now we really know that we are all brothers. It's been proven. If
there is hate , then there surely will always be war. That is certain.
If it's about revenge, someone has to be the first to stop the circle of
violence or it will just voraciously feed upon itself
forever............ Love to all, Peach