Objectivity and Taking Sides

 

I am not known for being indecisive.  I have opinions, some of which are pretty strong and non-negotiable. 

I am absolutely clear about my stance on:

-- abortion (for it), gay rights (for them)

-- public  education (yes. It is the only way to pull people out of generational poverty)

-- racism in America (as if I had to say that!)

-- religion (fine with me, as long as you don’t try to force me to practice yours. I have opted out)

-- taxation (yes, it is necessary to sustain social health, but let’s spread it fairly, which means taxing the rich at least as much as the poor)

-- voting rights (stop trying to suppress the vote, GOP!)

I have been called “opinionated” more than once.  I reply that I think everybody should formulate their opinions on everything controversial in order to make intelligent decisions, so thank you!  I know the word is not meant to be taken in a positive light, but I choose to do so.

But ask me about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and I will fail to choose a side.  It’s not for lack of trying, though.  For the past week and a half I have pored over articles linked to Open Salon posts, and I have read all the comments on posts from both camps.  I have seen opposing videos that make all kinds of sense, but each video argues unequivocally for one side or the other.

I cannot take a side.

Why? Because I refuse to ignore the small and/or the historical details.  Anyone who has the most basic understanding of how Israel came to be should be able to entertain the notion that Israelis may not see things the way we in the US see them.  For us to denounce as “wrong” their strong needs to feel safe and secure in a small country surrounded by many “enemy” countries –countries whose stated purpose is to eliminate the Jewish state -- is hubris at its ugliest. 

Would we tolerate Mexico, for instance, lobbing rockets over the border into Texas or California for more than a day or two?  No matter that the rockets are pretty pitiful in comparison to what we could be returning and no matter that those rockets are “only” killing people in the hundreds as opposed to our perceived and probably real ability to take out several Mexican states at one time, Americans would be screaming at the tops of their lungs for Obama to do something to stop it.

Yes, Israel does look like the Jolly Green Giant to Gaza’s Jiminy Cricket, but do we really expect them to tolerate incoming rockets, day in and day out, sending a majority of the Israeli population to bomb shelters several times a week? We wouldn’t put up with it if it happened once every quarter!  Why do we expect Israel to put up with it?

On the other hand

The long, narrow strip of land called Gaza, situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, has 1.816 M people residing, working and fighting within 139 square miles.  My city of Atlanta, Georgia, USA is 132.4 square miles, with roughly 500,000 residents, just to help with perspective. 

When the Israelis drop evacuation leaflets or drop their “knock” bombs, where are the people expected to go?  Schools you say?  That would make sense, since the Israelis are determined to minimize the number of civilian casualties, but the Palestinians elected and put into power members of Hamas, the terrorist organization that has repeatedly vowed to blow Israel off the face of the earth.  And, although this school was actually vacant at the time, 20 Hamas rockets were found stashed in a school building.  It is widely reported that Hamas “hides themselves and their munitions in plain sight,” making collateral damage to women, children and the elderly almost certain.

I am a pushover for a suffering child.  My brain doesn’t work the way it is asked to work by those supporting Israel.  Eighty dead children are 80 dead children.  They have done nothing to anyone.  They didn’t even vote for the terrorist regime!  Telling me what the number of dead would be if Israel actually unleashed their fearsome capabilities does not make me feel better.  My brain understands the point.  My soul cannot.

Hamas is using their own people as human shields.  That is against international law.

Yes, they do seem to be doing that.  So what?  Is that supposed to make me feel resigned to the fact that women and children and the elderly make up far more of the Palestinian casualties than do Hamas operatives?  Am I supposed to be comfortable with the Palestinian voters’ chickens coming home to roost on the heads of their children?

I cannot take a stance.  This is one of the few problems I have encountered that doesn’t seem to have any kind of viable solution.  Because the conflict is based primarily on religious principles, there is little chance for a compromise that will last longer then the failed two hour ceasefire the Palestinians refused to honor.  Logic and rational thought are taking a back seat to differences in belief systems and extremism courtesy of both regimes. 

I have never felt so frustrated.  World wars have started over these kinds of clashes.  We are expected to take a side, when there is no logical side to take. 

And, I’ll admit it.  Sometimes I wonder where the hell this God, this Allah, for whom all this allegedly is staged – where the hell is this entity who is believed to be all-powerful?  I could never believe in a deity that expects its followers to kill in its name.