The Days of August

Were I Jewish (the majority of my nieces and nephews are), I could imagine myself being haunted by the nightmares of the Holocaust. Had I not studied the history of Christianity and discovered its barbaric cruelties initiated by its first 'published' spokesperson, "Saint" Paul, converted from Judaism to become, as so often happens with converts, a persecutor of those who refused to follow in his tracks, I might be a hater myself. However, when one knows the long history of good and evil embedded in each of our Western religious traditions and becomes aware of the terrible hazards of culture wars in an era of WMD, one cannot but struggle in any way that one can to keep the peace. Down the line lie the all too obvious types of real disasters that became the lame excuse for the mad Bush war on Iraq.

At the present moment one must hope for the minimum of harm to Israelis and Palestinians during and following the removal from Gaza. The hatreds are all too manifest there on the part of significant minorities on both sides -- and that is all that it takes to kill, assassinate, murder. We legal philosophers are all too well aware how frail the controls of law are upon people. The great bulk of a population for one reason or another must be persuaded/conditioned to obey legal rules for any system to operate. The reports of corruption and/or violence around the world are all too obvious evidence of this fundamental truth. This is why those of us who have worked to maintain the rule of law and to implement human rights are so disgusted with their violations lightly undertaken by the Bush honchos. They have been setting horrendous precedents that are already returning to haunt us. Another 9/11 or worse seems almost inevitable. And our soldiers are dying over there daily.

I deeply hope that the Gaza removal will not engender more harm to persons and with it rage against 'enemies'. Already there are deaths and woundings connected directly therewith and we shall probably see more in the days of August. Let us hope not.
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"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort
to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy)
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Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
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