Under my skin

I realize posting this has the potential to cause me grief, but it needs to be said.

I came across a profile of a young muslim woman, living in Jerusalem, Israel. A fact not too suprising as there is a representative population of Christians, Arabs and Muslims in Israel.

As allowed in free Democracies, she is protesting the government that she is currently living under the protection of. This is her right. She has pictures posted of women and children who have been casualties of the conflict between what I presume is between Israel and who knows, could be any number of Israeli conflict, but most likely Palestine.

She makes an argument that Israel wants to kill all people and take over the world. I suppose it must feel that way at times. I'm reminded that she, a muslim, lives in Israel.

In her profile she also hopes to "see all the people become muslims" which is the item I read that prompted this post.

I cannot even begin to claim to understand what it's like to live in that region as a muslim, arab or jew. I cannot claim to know the truth of the history of the conflict. I cannot claim to know the reality of the actions taken by any side of the conflict.

Yes. Israelis kill people. Israelis conscribe jews. Arab, Christian, Druze, and Muslim service to the IDF is voluntary, but possible. Americans kill people; Christian, atheist, Muslim, Jewish, whatever are all volunteers to the armed services. I would guess, just a guess that nearly every nationality, every proclaimed religion, has some current or past history of killing people. It's deplorable. It's the human way. History has no refute of this fact. The future is up to us to write.

It's a mentality of intollerance,revenge, and jealousy that fuels this carnage. It's not about religion, although religion is often used as a crutch. It's about people. Ultimately people determine how to use the abilities their God gives them and currently, those spilling each other's blood believe in the same God and largely share an ancient heritage.

What's the answer? Quit messing with each other and just live. That's too easy though isn't it. Ego, pride, jealousy, revenge, hatred, tradition, intollerance, and group-held beliefs will not allow for it. As long as any group with enough power to harm another group chooses to do so, there will be no peace.

All parties must decide enough bloodshed has happened. All parties must accept the differences amongst people. All parties must agree to fundamental human rights, morals and ethics and forgive the trespasses of the past.

Without total agreement there is a higher likelihood that we will see our demise in our generation, than to see peace. I'm not talking of Armageddon or anything like that. I'm talking about the downfall of human civilization as we know it today. It's happened before.History is littered with the carcasses of so called advanced civilizations. Greeks. Egyptians. Persia. Celts. Myan. Ethiopian. Ancient China. India and more than I'm sure I know of.

Today we have the ability and our leaders seemingly have the desire to bring us to ruin globally. And no, I'm not singling out the current American administration. All leaders have shown their ability to take their people down the road to ruin.

As long as the argument begins with "look what they're doing to me" and ends with "I will get them back" we are never going to taste the sweetness of peace. And perhaps that's what we need. A do over. A clean slate.