THE GAME OF CHICKEN

     Woke up to a beautiful day in Jerusalem and then had a great Israeli breakfast. Especially nice when someone else makes it and cleans up !! Then it was off to get a car to drive to se emy grandson at his school. Of course, the fact that it is in walking distance to the Etzion Junction made the heart beat a tad faster, but it is always amazing to drive thru the Judean hills and imagine David or Saul roaming them and when we passed the Junction it was heartbreaking to see these kids playing soldier - only they are not. Rifles held at the ready, they know they have a target on their backs so they are alert and ready, though bewildered by the hate tossed their way.
    Using Waze, we followed directions - and were totally lost and where? You do not want to know!! I was yelling to get the hell out of there, just turn around - on a steep and narrow mountain road and I could care less if we went backwards - just out of there! A lovely young soldier at a checkpoint worked the Waze for us, gave oral directions and whew! we got to the right road and made it.
     It was amazing to see all these young kids in their gap year concentrating on their studies, trying to become better people and especially was terrific when they all praised my boy - so think we will keep him, though I still told him we are thinking of selling him. He is a sweet boy who wishes to improve himself and the world, has a great sense of humor and cares about the people of the world and worries for Israel.
     And here comes the game of chicken. What do we tell these kids when the world has obviously gone off the path, veered into insanity? What to tell him when leaders of a country, a country that the USA has concluded a treaty with - and worth less than the paper it is written on in my opinion - threatens the world with a typical playground retort? I can just see the guy from Iran shouting ,"Oh yeah, well I got more missiles than you and will destroy you. I will kill the people in Israel, destroy the country." Really ? Is this what we have chosen and accepted as leaders and what are we going to choose for ourselves in November? My heart trembles at the possibilities and there goes the ulcer! Are we playing chicken with the world and an Israeli spokesman off the record says, "Oh yeah, well we can send you back 300 years!"
    I would prefer, and I believe most people would, to have sane leaders. Yes, we have to hang tough, but we have to deal with reality. I walked the streets of Jerusalem this evening and people are living, shopping , eating, laughing, but also crying at the funerals of the slaughtered, of the innocents lying in beds, grievously wounded because they were at the shore, or walking somewhere or buying something. No one wants to play chicken, not with what is at stake.
     And what about here at home with the candidates spitting words and accusations, fighting like seventh grade boys with the same stupid retorts and wondering how things will work out at the convention. Will the normal ones really zap Trump from the race or will they go back on these plans and support someone because he is a Republican candidate, never mind whether he will destroy the country or  not. Are we not playing chicken with our very lives, and more importantly, with the lives of our kids and grandkids? If we cannot do better then why and how would they learn to do better? The chickens need to go back in the coops and the thinking people had better speak up.
     And if you think that is enough, I would like someone to tell me why there are still games being played and lies being told re UCO and volunteers. It is a crock for only volunteers with the seal of approval from David Israel will be taken up and there are very few - just look at the lists of all the committees. It is a been there done that look with the same people and the same robotic voting. A hand was held out to David Israel and all that has come back are nasty and filthy remarks and yet he still lets Gracie - and by the way, Gracie, why post using Anonymous - I know it is you so be upfront about it - and Peter Cruise post using them as his trolls of the computer world and then he will complain if I or anyone else comes back hard at him for his sensitive feelings will be so sadly challenged. C'mon, David, and you too, Barbara, stop playing chicken and get on with the business of fixing the Village. Playing chicken will not help at all. So can we cook the chicken and get out the pipes of peace? Remember, the response and the consequences are yours to sit on your shoulders.