Palestine (Gaza), Israel, Yemen, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, United States, … So (Too) many current examples where innocent people are suffering as a result of the actions of patriarchal societies, governments, &/or terrorist groups. It always begs the question in my mind - what is wrong with the way men (obviously not all, but far too many compared to women and others who identify differently) develop in our species that leads to this seemingly never ending litany of destruction and cruelty? No solution here, just profound sadness that for all the benefits we have evolved as Homo sapiens, we can’t seem to get out of our own way when it comes to living together on this amazingly beautiful planet.
The boys are treasures and their play together instills desperately needed hope. After a fifteen hour battle to resuscitate my frozen iPadPro, I am again one with the 🌎 with a fraction of their feelings of isolation repaired. Now I turn to my family 😽😽 eagerly awaiting my much needed rest. I can hope the coming days will bring some respite to the suffering in the Middle East but I confess to alarm at the escalation the evacuation will bring. My heart aches for all these people in duress by HAMAS; if only I could offer one measure of shared humanity.........
By your side sharing the same feelings and thoughts. On this side of the ocean doing my best to support the courage and humanity inside that painful and unnecessary reality. Nothing will be forgotten or redeemed but hope will always prevail. Any change begins within ourselves.
"Compassion constitutes a radical form of criticism, for it announces that the hurt is to be taken seriously, that the hurt is not to be accepted as normal and natural but is an abnormal and unacceptable condition for humanness."
Grateful to those who show up again and again to bear witness for all children, to say outloud there is a basic standard of humanity that we are failing.
The weight of these words caused a shock, especially at that time when we only had information from the press which was still incomplete...
Quickly after these terrible evenements UNICEF spoke :
(various extracts published in different newspapers)
“The current surge in conflict-related violence continues to take a heavy toll on the lives of children and their families in Israel and the State of Palestine…
Nothing justifies the murder, mutilation or abduction of children…
It’s a serious violation of international humanitarian law, in all circonstances ».
UNICEF called for the immediate and unconditional release of every child, with special protection, respecting human rights and international humanitarian law.
We are the spectators - our hearts in pain and anger - of the continuation of all this violence and suffering...
We can also wonder what the future of our world …
and reflect upon on the state of mind and the possibilities of “reconstruction” of these children, after all the direct and indirect trauma they have suffered or witnessed 🙏
The trauma that is caused in the region these days, adding to all that is already there, will stay for generations; the pain caused now and in the future is impossible to quantify, but it will be enormous and long-lasting on both sides. It makes me more sad than words can express.
As I sit here and read your essay, I have tears in my eyes. When 9/11/2001 happened, I was in total shock. I, sadly, am no longer as shocked by what I see and read about - just sad - and Man's inhumanity to Man still amazes me somewhat. Just when I think it's as bad as it can get, someone comes along and lowers the bar. I believe in demons, and I believe they have been loosed on Planet Earth. I do not believe this can be fixed - it's just in some people's human (or inhuman) nature along with greed, lust for power and the inability to be empathic to other's situations. I grieve for the people of Israel and Palestine, and elsewhere in the world who just want to live in peace, going about their day-to-day business in safety. As my niece says "Why can't people just get along?"
It's the key question, and it is easy to ask but complicated to answer. Today's anger and hatred will lead to more of that; it's about breaking the continuous circle of violence and hatred. Many opportunities have been missed. But after the recent mass-scale terrorism, I wouldn't know where to begin, and nor do I have anything relevant to say about what should be done in this situation, except that I hope the lives of ordinary people that haven't done anything wrong will be protected.
I agree with you. Where does one begin to break the circle of violence and hatred? And it's way above my pay grade to even offer anything constructive in this situation. I, too, hope the innocents will be protected. I became a fatalist very early in my life due to a serious illness: I believe completely that when it is time to go, we will go regardless of if we're sitting on a couch eating bon bons or in a senseless war. I do wish everyone was sitting on their couch eating bon bons instead of being terrified during the last moments of their lives. That is absolutely heartbreaking!
The pain is palpable. And so the hope. Banksy. Of course Banksy. Hugs for you and for the world 😪
See my short update in the article. It turned out not to be a Banksy but a Norwegian artist.
Deeply appropriate no matter the artist
Thank you
Came here to say the same. Hugs all around.
Palestine (Gaza), Israel, Yemen, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, United States, … So (Too) many current examples where innocent people are suffering as a result of the actions of patriarchal societies, governments, &/or terrorist groups. It always begs the question in my mind - what is wrong with the way men (obviously not all, but far too many compared to women and others who identify differently) develop in our species that leads to this seemingly never ending litany of destruction and cruelty? No solution here, just profound sadness that for all the benefits we have evolved as Homo sapiens, we can’t seem to get out of our own way when it comes to living together on this amazingly beautiful planet.
Yes, exactly; it is one of the reasons why I have practically always voted for women in any election (fair representation is another good reason)
But it seems, at least here in the US, females are becoming more and more aggressive every day.
The cruelty in our world . . . heartbreaking 💔
yes, heartbreaking indeed
Lizzie I agree.. very traumatic,shocking in these times we living in..you'd think that, we would have learned something from the past. 😪
The boys are treasures and their play together instills desperately needed hope. After a fifteen hour battle to resuscitate my frozen iPadPro, I am again one with the 🌎 with a fraction of their feelings of isolation repaired. Now I turn to my family 😽😽 eagerly awaiting my much needed rest. I can hope the coming days will bring some respite to the suffering in the Middle East but I confess to alarm at the escalation the evacuation will bring. My heart aches for all these people in duress by HAMAS; if only I could offer one measure of shared humanity.........
Yes, the heart aches, that's how it feels. And powerless to change anything for the better.
By your side sharing the same feelings and thoughts. On this side of the ocean doing my best to support the courage and humanity inside that painful and unnecessary reality. Nothing will be forgotten or redeemed but hope will always prevail. Any change begins within ourselves.
There is always hope; we can't live without it.
"Compassion constitutes a radical form of criticism, for it announces that the hurt is to be taken seriously, that the hurt is not to be accepted as normal and natural but is an abnormal and unacceptable condition for humanness."
Grateful to those who show up again and again to bear witness for all children, to say outloud there is a basic standard of humanity that we are failing.
Thank you, Alex. Voices carry.
Thank you Sharon
Thank you for this. I have dreams like this and visualizations after meditation too.
I think it will keep many people awake all over the world, and when they sleep there are dreams and nightmares.
There appears more humaneness and sanity in the animal kingdom...how can we humans have gone so wayward?
Indeed, we witnessed cruelty unseen in the animal kingdom
A very touching and realistic article, Alex! Thanks much 🙏
The images and the narratives that reach us are more and more terrible, unspeakable. It is a never-ending escalation of violence.
Yes, the most vulnerable, the children, pay a very heavy price.
I remember the speech of the President Biden during the early events, which said notably :
“deadliest day since the holocaust.”
Then, as he put his notes away, he had these more personal words, which still resonate in my mind:
“…I never thought I would see photos of terrorists beheading children, I never thought I would see that…”.
https://x.com/bfmtv/status/1712209642288242696?s=10&t=EuVUNFi3Df1A0MVAf3Z2TA
The weight of these words caused a shock, especially at that time when we only had information from the press which was still incomplete...
Quickly after these terrible evenements UNICEF spoke :
(various extracts published in different newspapers)
“The current surge in conflict-related violence continues to take a heavy toll on the lives of children and their families in Israel and the State of Palestine…
Nothing justifies the murder, mutilation or abduction of children…
It’s a serious violation of international humanitarian law, in all circonstances ».
UNICEF called for the immediate and unconditional release of every child, with special protection, respecting human rights and international humanitarian law.
We are the spectators - our hearts in pain and anger - of the continuation of all this violence and suffering...
We can also wonder what the future of our world …
and reflect upon on the state of mind and the possibilities of “reconstruction” of these children, after all the direct and indirect trauma they have suffered or witnessed 🙏
The trauma that is caused in the region these days, adding to all that is already there, will stay for generations; the pain caused now and in the future is impossible to quantify, but it will be enormous and long-lasting on both sides. It makes me more sad than words can express.
Yes, I share your opinion... it's infinitely sad and so unfair.
How bear, accept, the atrocities inflicted on these generations of children?
I don't know how these deep traumas will evolve and it's a real fundamental question.
How can’t think that these atrocities could lead them to avenge their loved ones, their compatriots in the future ?
* Sorry, correction, in last :
…that they will have
(and no « that they have… »)
As I sit here and read your essay, I have tears in my eyes. When 9/11/2001 happened, I was in total shock. I, sadly, am no longer as shocked by what I see and read about - just sad - and Man's inhumanity to Man still amazes me somewhat. Just when I think it's as bad as it can get, someone comes along and lowers the bar. I believe in demons, and I believe they have been loosed on Planet Earth. I do not believe this can be fixed - it's just in some people's human (or inhuman) nature along with greed, lust for power and the inability to be empathic to other's situations. I grieve for the people of Israel and Palestine, and elsewhere in the world who just want to live in peace, going about their day-to-day business in safety. As my niece says "Why can't people just get along?"
It's the key question, and it is easy to ask but complicated to answer. Today's anger and hatred will lead to more of that; it's about breaking the continuous circle of violence and hatred. Many opportunities have been missed. But after the recent mass-scale terrorism, I wouldn't know where to begin, and nor do I have anything relevant to say about what should be done in this situation, except that I hope the lives of ordinary people that haven't done anything wrong will be protected.
I agree with you. Where does one begin to break the circle of violence and hatred? And it's way above my pay grade to even offer anything constructive in this situation. I, too, hope the innocents will be protected. I became a fatalist very early in my life due to a serious illness: I believe completely that when it is time to go, we will go regardless of if we're sitting on a couch eating bon bons or in a senseless war. I do wish everyone was sitting on their couch eating bon bons instead of being terrified during the last moments of their lives. That is absolutely heartbreaking!