No, not about WFU’s shameful loss at Florida State tonight, though I am upset about that. I’m more upset though by the filibustering coming out of Condy Rice’s office, Ariel Sharon’s office, and Mahmoud Abbas’ office about this supposed “moment of opportunity” for peace now that Yasser Arafat is dead and gone. He so obviously was the only real problem and stumbling block to peace that everything should just fall into place now and all would be happy. Ehhh! Wrong! The past few days’ events have shown us that truth, as if anyone with half a mind wouldn’t be able to tell anyway. Arafat couldn’t control Hamas, Islamic Jihad, al’Aqsa, or any of the other radical factions/terrorist groups any more than Abbas or Sharon can now. Despite our overwhelming human need for a single scapegoat (and I mean no disrespect to my Jewish brothers and sisters for the use of that term), one man was not, could not be the whole of the problem. To borrow from my New Testament professor, it’s more complicated than that! How many more innocent people have to die before you can learn that?

Abbas – You know exactly who and what you can and cannot control. Be honest about it and don’t give in to the illusion that you as one man can solve this conflict anymore than you should give in to the illusion that your predecessor as one man was its source and fuel. Only through truth telling can we advance the cause of peace. And stop blaming the victims.

Sharon – Stop blaming the victims too, both Israelis and Palestinians. Quit bullshitting about this non-existent, oversimplified idea of a “moment of opportunity”. For goodness sake, get over yourself and work genuinely together with your neighbors for once in your life. Stop pointing fingers (and guns) and get down to the roots of the problems; consequently, one of them isn't that "they" are on "your" land, but rather that you both are occupying the same parcel of God's land and neither of you quite know how to negotiate that. For crying out loud, read Ezekiel 47!!

Rice – shutup. You lied to the nation tonight on public radio about WMD in Iraq and what you did or did not supposedly know before committing to a war that would claim, at last count, 1,364 American lives and thousands of Iraqi lives. I am usually very careful about claiming to know more about a given international situation than our elected officials, but in this case I’m close to making an exception. You need to go home and study hard, accept good advice, and learn all you can about Israel/Palestine before you go popping off at the mouth about a “moment of opportunity”. There are layers of meaning, history, hatred, and religion involved in this whole mess that no one, not even an American politician, can know in full. Don’t be afraid to admit when you’re wrong or when you don’t know something; contrary to popular opinion, doing so actually makes you the stronger person.

To my sisters and brothers who are enduring this on both sides of the Green Line – my prayers are with you. Have faith in the one God, not in politicians, not in guns or rockets, not in fences or checkpoints. And pray for peace.

-R