WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

     Huge bombings. Terrorist organizations claiming responsibility. People lying in the streets, dead, maimed, wounded, screaming and before the wounds can even scab over, there is another. Where does one turn? Where does one go? What is a person to do in such an atmosphere of hate and violence and why does it seem as if the hatred only spreads as the violence grows, the two feeding on each other.
     Sunday morning in Israel a massive explosion that would have killed and maimed hundreds was averted thanks to the alert eyes and actions of the Light Rail Security Guards. The streets had people walking, the light rail station was crowded and the train jammed. This animal, from near Hebron, had several knives in his bag but that was not the worst. No, for he had three pipe bombs in his bag to set off . Israel is used to this but can one ever get truly used to it? Or does one become inured to it, the sharpness dulling and dimming? Remember when the Vietnam War was beamed into our homes just at the dinner hour with the six o'clock news? How quickly did people learn to cut their steak while they watched men butchered? This was the first war that we had that and the trend continued.
     I believe that is happening all over again. The numbers of victims are growing and it takes more and more to shock people. They read, they gasp and on they go with life and yet what else can one do?
“The guards stationed at the light rail are part of the fabric of the human shield of Jerusalem against the terrorists who are trying to sow terror and fear. Our message to the public is to continue your routine, remain vigilant and never give in to terrorism.”
      And so we must if we are to survive and we must recognize the fact that there are truly no
"lone wolf" attacks, for each is pushed by social media, by imams ranting in the mosques, by brutal people who could care less about them. Or perhaps it is a fundamentalist right winger or even a sick soul who thinks he will attain Nirvana via his deed. And when I say his, it is also correct to use hers as well, for women have been guilty of these attacks as well.
     Read the words of the song below, copied from YouTube. It rang true then and in many ways it still rings true and for how much longer?

   

Eve of Destruction

By Barry McGuire

Eastern world it is exploding
Violent flares and bullets loading
You're old enough to kill but not for voting
You don't believe in war but what's that gun your toting?

And even the Jordan river has bodies floating
And you tell me over and over and over again my friend
You don't believe were on the eve of destruction
Well look at all the hate there is in Red China

Take a look around at Selma Alabama
You may leave here for four days in space
When you return it's that same old place
Love your next door neighbor but don't forget to say grace

And you tell me over and over and over again my friend
You don't believe were on the eve of destruction
You don't believe were on the eve of destruction
You don't believe were on the eve of destruction

    
   Why can we not stop this runaway train? Well, frankly one of the reasons is that we have adopted much of this hatred into our own lives. How much anger does one see in a discussion of politics or world affairs? How much violence does one see in local affairs and divisions? And how many lies do we see among those who are our supposed leaders? Here is a good example of the lies we have, and it is a mild one, but symptomatic of what we have going on.
     Florida has made one of its crazy new laws about retrofitting fire sprinklers, an act that could cost thousands upon thousands of dollars to condominium owners who cannot afford it and quite frankly do not need it. Way back in the beginning of the year this information was public, able to be acted upon and so we did. I believe by March or even before, we had our documents  to opt out in order, worked on with the aid of an attorney to make sure we did it exactly right, called in Seacrest for the duplication of forms we needed and for the voting necessary and had a meeting of the owners, voted, signed and did what we had to. Now in an article in the PB Post David Israel has the gall to say that UCO did the legwork? Really? The forms were there and the info was there and actions were taken way before UCO woke up and smelled the coffee. But it is ever thus - first the residents find out for themselves, take action, and then when others begin to ask more questions and people stand up and tell them how they did it, UCO jumps on the bandwagon for the credit. The lies that abound within this administration are amazing but then again, what can we expect when the role models for political leadership are the ones setting these poor exemplars of behavior.
     It is time that we stand up for ourselves in all spheres of life. Let us make it known to our politicians that we demand answers. That we demand specifics, not platitudes and statements with no details or backing. That the lies of big business will not be allowed to stand anymore. That lives take precedence over the corporate profit lines. That there will be proper and meaningful punishments for those who forget that, and not a slap on the wrist.
     I want to wake up one morning and read the headlines and pick up my paper and find not news of more deaths, of more maimings, of corporate misdeeds, but rather of the good that still remains in this world. Let us teach the next generation and the one after that that there is indeed hope and goodness and love. Kumbaya thinking maybe, but is it not better than what we now have?