Friday, July 28, 2006

A Matter of Perspective

I have been keeping myself from posting about the war because it is a complicated and charged issue, and I usually don't write of such things here (or anywhere for that matter). However I have been thinking about it a lot lately and might as well express my thoughts. After days of reading CNN.com and listening to NPR I am blown away by the strange American perspective presented in these news outlets.

About a week or so ago when Israel really began its assault on Lebanon, I was listening to a fascinating interview between the host of Airtalk on NPR, a Strategist from the Israeli army, and an opinions editor for the LA Times. The Israeli officer was introduced first and gave a eloquent and interesting presentation of his side of the story. He spoke about the terror in which his country lives, why they need to stand up for themselves now, once and for all, and all the many precautions the military was taking to insure the safety of innocents as much as they could in war time. When the editor was announced I expected to hear a counter argument to the officer's claims, but I was greatly surprised. This man was a student of the history of war and had recently published a comprehensive history on the many forms of warfare throughout time. He was adamantly pro-Israel and worried that they were not being strong and forceful enough. He said that a nation cannot survive and its people prosper if they are not willing to defend themselves tooth and nail for their freedom and right to survive. He said this is exactly what Hezbollah was threatening, both to Israel AND the citizens of Lebanon itself. After both of these men spoke with force and intelligence on a matter of two nation's survival, the host says, "Yes, all this may be true, but what about the public relations battle that will inevitably ensue? Shouldn't Israel be worried about what people are thinking about them?" WHAT!? Public relations? Have we as a country so lost touch with real threats to peace and prosperity that we are more concerned with what Britain or the UN will think than what will help two entire people groups survive?

This morning when glancing through CNN before work I was again surprised to read a headline emblazoned across the page reading "12 Lebanese Confirmed Dead Since Israeli Bombings Began" right next to a picture of a bloody woman being pulled from a danger zone. Though every loss of life is incredibly tragic and twelve deaths mean twelve families devastated and 12 communities damaged, it also means that Israel has been cautious and careful. The number in total is closer to about 450, but even then I couldn't help but wonder at why we were not celebrating that it is only a small percentage of the population loosing their lives to such dangerous and terrible circumstances. We are able to count each person who has died, a luxery not often afforded in battle. Surely we must remember the loss of life that comes with war and celebrate that our numbers are not closer to that of any of the world wars, in which the death toll cut down entire populations.

I am afraid for the citizens of the middle east. I mourn that they are in danger and that their communities are being damaged and destroyed, but this is war. This is what war does, and as long as we believe that this war should be fought (a matter of debate, certainly, but a different debate), we need to regain an international and historical perspective that celebrates the caution and respect for life the Israeli and American forces are employing. If the same could be said of Hezbollah and Al Queda perhaps we wouldn't be involved in this war as a third party in the first place.

As a side note, this twisted perceptive is not exclusive to international news. I hate that Pamela Anderson's wedding (I wish we didn't have to call it that) to that human pile of grease gets a billing next to President Bush and Prime Minister Blair's international address. I hate that after a headline featuring a famine, we see that Jada Pinkett Whatever saw Tom Cruise's baby (and that this is somehow news!). I hate that as a national heat wave kills over 120 people, as well as cattle and crops, the sub-headline is "Lindsay Lohan overcome by heat on movie set". Why the hell do we care? This world is enormous, full of tragedy, need, and world changing events. We are fortunate enough to live in a world-wide community where we can know about the lives and needs of people removed from us by thousands of miles, a different culture and a different religion. It is my hope that I and those I love can refocus our perspective from the limited and confused nation we live in and open our eyes to life, war, death, and true prosperity with all that it entails.

I am very proud of my sister for joining the Navy. I am extremely proud to know that young men from The Torrey Honors Institute such as Nathan Tourtelotte and Colin Anderson are serving their country, even though they have the brains to get any other job they want. I am proud that one of my best friends from high school spends most her time feeding and teaching the poor in Guatemala. It is not only what they are doing but their reasons for doing so that make these people so special. In a culture that would rather discuss some crazy actor's reasons for not selling his youngest child's pictures for public consumption, at least some of my peers are reaching for something much more important. Please friends, continue to do philosophy, learn how to teach, turn off the TV, join the marines, or at least read the news. Our country and our world need you.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

So, It's been 20 days...

Hello my three readers who care that I have not written. I can't really explain why posts have been so few and far between lately. The blogging bug has left me for a while. I have been indulging myself in reading books for pleasure and spending hours with wonderful new friends and precious old ones. Work has been great and degree number two will be starting all too quickly.

Life has been a flurry of good conversations, new furniture, video games, the best roommates I have ever had, and summer parties. There was the barbecue where we ate grilled hamburgers and a homemade cheese plate, the weekend away in the mountains, the pre-wedding revelries that involved neither the bride nor groom, and Andrew's going away party where I talked for half an hour with a Russian about one's fire for Jesus going out. For the first time in a long time I can say that I really love my life.

I guess this has been the real reason for not blogging. I've been doing so much talking lately that my writing has seemed unnecessary. Maybe this is why writers are largely introverts with a disproportionate number of near-hermits; they have the quiet time to sit and write something legible. I will begin blogging again soon enough, but for now enjoy your summer, your family, your work, and your friends. Life is so much better when you do.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

The AARP

Today I turned in my parent's credit card and enrolled in a 401K.

Life is progressing too quickly.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Small Town, 4th of July

The 4th of July is a holiday made for small towns. Though the fire works are bigger in New York and the President addresses the country from one of the most population dense areas in these United States, it is the small towns that really know how to celebrate our nation's birthday. For a town of 90,000 we sure are small sometimes.

The red, white and blue stream into the 200 year old streets in the center of town on the backs and heads of the mothers, fathers, and their smallest children (the high-schoolers are much too old to dress for the occasion, even when their parents aren't). Flags wave and dogs wear bandannas around their already too warm necks. The announcer begins the parade from his post at the old theater (the theater is new, but we pretend it has been there as long as the rest of the pony express route on the street). We all stand to sing the national anthem and before we can sit down again, the soldiers walk through and get everyone on their feet again in gratitude.

The general store on the parade route is crowded with dad's sent to retrieve water bottles and kids attempting to reach the candy in the big barrels lining the walls. Though the town marching band (comprised of about 9 people) and the mayor receive an adequate amount of applause, it is the boys gun club, the Temecula Republicans and the Navy sailors that receive the most. It is as if our "little" town wanted to make sure everyone knew we still had the right to teach boys to shoot things and that the democratic club has a long way to go before it will want to parade itself in public.

The DAR and the quilting club make a strong showing in the red, white and blue hat department, and the cowboys groomed their horses cleaner than they themselves had been all year. As soon as the parade is finished everyone will move to the newly renamed Ronald Reagan town park and visit the many booths for churches, and the Temecula historical society hoping to recruit more people to their cause and save the neighboring old farm Vail Ranch. As families finish up their barbeques we will all gather again and watch the fireworks shot out of the fire station on the hill and the firemen will spend thr whole show running up and down the hill putting out the fires the somewhat unsuccesful fire works will inevitably start. I think that is why we built a fire station up there in the first place. Every 4th of July it pays for itself.

I couldn't help but love the town a little more today. We are so strange at heart. Smack dab in the middle of Southern California, we forget our overcrowded freeways, proximity to LA, and immense population of Hummers and we gather together as if it were 1955 in Lake Woebegone. We wave flags that the boy scouts give us and clap for the beauty queens no one knew we had. On the 4th, life is good, America is great, and we love our small town.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

It's Official

I am a college graduate. The last grade came in for the last class and I passed (online Spanish=very bad idea. This was a close one people).

From now on you can write to me as Cate MacDonald, B.A.

I'm not kidding.
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