We know. Two little words, mono syllabic, yet containing within so much matter that one cannot truly understand all the implications to which it refers. In fact, there are very few things these days rife with experts, real and self-announced, to which these two words are not applied. Whether or not the expert is real or imagined. Truly, there is actually very little to which we do not apply that sobriquet of "we know". Truth? Lies? Exaggeration? Does it even matter? Make one scintilla of a difference?
These days expertise is subjective rather than objective. Today, one can predict the slant of an article to be read, a statement to be evaluated, by its location. Who has printed it or displayed it on its site? Today, airing an opposite opinion is rare, objective journalism giving way, fast, ever faster, to a return of jingoism and yellow journalism.
The caveat of 'buyer beware' has now shifted to 'reader beware'. Anyone seeking information transmitted, posted, printed, with any degree of impartial reporting, must, of necessity, engage in a deep search, make use of many sources, in order to create an amalgam displaying all sides all interpretations of the matter at hand. A truth-seeking reporter or investigator will be able to 'know' indeed whether the words within that source are words of subjectivity, or objectivity and the basis for the viewpoint, its quality, its basis, conveyed within.
One can certainly display a chosen side of an issue, but one must be honest in categorization, opinion or neutral, and the trustworthiness of the source(s) used as basis for presentation, fact and/or opinion. Failure to do so is growing by leaps and bounds, perpetrating more harm than good, accidentally or with aim in mind. It is a major perversion of the truth and honesty necessary if we are to seek, find, and adhere to the truth, to create beneficial results rather than the nastiness now gaining ever more popularity as a challenged world electorate grows ever more befuddled, ever more unacquainted with the truth.
The resultant peril is real, fed by statements of 'clear and certain facts' which are solemnly intoned, shouted, bruited about, careening from pillar to post. The readers, the decision makers grow increasingly more powerless, their ability to discern truth from falsehood grows ever weaker, less capable. Truths are handed down rather than uncovered and displayed for all to see and hear and know. Challenges to falsehoods are looked upon as enemy action, treated as such and empowerment of proponents of improving society, or recognizing truths, ugly or not, are tromped upon, existential threat real and near.
A statement is made, "We know they don’t love us," said by a member of the team from Israel scheduled to play against the team of Ireland, who had already displayed the rude behavior of a growing trend of Jew Hatred, sanctioned, approved, wildly, by heretofore sane citizens, cheering as common courtesies are tossed aside. Virtues of organized sports are trampled upon, discarded, gleefully, justified via the twisted blackened souls and hearts of its cheerleaders, proponents of an ancient, ugly trope, based nothing but hate, hate, and more hate. Those who buy into it are proud of their active participation in and involvement with such an "honored" ever present flaw of humanity. Israel was forced into a responsive war against a murderous savage terrorist army who deliberately targeted civilians, true innocents, who until that moment, were proponents of merged relations, now killed, slaughtered by the recipients of that aid, of proffered friendship. Truly no good deed goes unpunished. A beautiful holiday turned into a screaming river of blood, of animalistic behavior, of Hate, Hate, HATE. No target, no heinous behavior, omitted. Mutilations. Sexual violence. Debasement of the slaughtered. Burning alive all, from child, infant, to the eldest. Disliking the term-'animal' though that was, is, in fact, a strong understatement and categorization of the participants that day. In fact, animal does not begin to convey the depth of depravity exhibited that day. In fact, we insult animals by equating them and these beasts wearing human coverings.
Even as the 'innocent' civilians piled in to join in on the fun. To kill. To slay. To butcher. To loot. To take home a captive all their own, the new status symbol. Maimed and mutilated victims, infants, children, teens, the elderly, the sick, the wounded - all were fair play, riches to be plucked by these 'innocent' civilians. The same ones who whined always re two days to starvation, the two days never arriving -such miracles in our time!! The same ones defended by the 'caring' nations of the world who wondered why Israel, certainly, they admitted, had the right to defend herself, so kind, thank you, but why fight where civilians were? Perhaps because that is where the enemy lived and prospered. Where they contravened all the oxymoronic "Laws of War". Because that is where the enemy was, and always will be unless and until extirpated from Gaza and their bloodthirsty behavior and thoughts. Homes of civilians which sheltered exists and entrances of tunnels, who housed captives brutally mistreated, abandoned by the world -these are not the actions of innocents.
How do we get out of this mess? How to make it so there is no repetition of this attack though Hamas is already boasting of more to come?
Beats me and evidently beats the minds of others as well. Perhaps if we all pulled our heads out of our rears, accepted truths, deciphered where we had all taken wrong turns, turned deaf and blind to the musts and the necessities of making a true and biding peace, where all have gone wrong, well, maybe, just maybe, there might exist a scintilla of hope.
Am I optimistic? Doubt it. Peacemaking needs, demands strong partners, ones who truly desire peace. Do we have any? Still searching, searching. Perhaps if we had our own modernized Diogenes and his ever-seeking lantern we might find a way through the ugliness to a peaceful, beautiful world.
Maybe.
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Yitzy, bet if you had been given the gift of a long life, you could and would have figured it out. But you are no longer with us, in the physical sense. Meanwhile, talk to that Guy upstairs and remind Him of promises made long ago and ongoing responsibility to and for His creations placed upon this earth.
Meanwhile, your loss, the gap in our lives and hearts remains. The pain of its cuts is sharp, never ending, never lessening. The agony, the anger remain, as powerful as ever. Still shattering in recognition of the finality of your death. G-d, I hate even thinking that word, let alone writing or typing or saying it. Or accepting it.
Always and forever, Yitzy my sweet boy.
Always and forever.
I wish I could hug you. The ache to do that is so wide, so deep, almost unbearable.
Always and forever.
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