Something to think about in regards to the Middle East Crisis tonight...

[Poll_Blind]

Like myself, you will probably come home from work, enjoy dinner, watch a bit of television or play with the kids and then curl up for a good night's sleep. Or something similar, I guarantee.

 What I can guarantee you won't do tonight is:

:redbox: Wake up to the sound of an armored personnel carrier's machine gun raking bullets across your home

:redbox: Be awoken by an explosion and stumble through the dark only to find the remains of your dead children or spouse

:redbox: Worry that your children or spouse will be killed by a suicide bomber or an indiscriminately-fired rocket on the way to work or school tomorrow

:redbox: Wonder when the next time you will have clean or running water to serve your family or yourself

:redbox: Worry that a person will sneak into your home and kill you and your family just because their leaders disagree with yours

:redbox: Have to comfort your terrified children who have been awoken by the sonic booms of attack jets on bombing runs in the dark sky above

 I make this guarantee to you. You will be enjoying some of the "silent" benefits of Freedom. But I cannot make that guarantee to everyone. Tonight there are hundreds of thousands if not arguably millions on this planet who will be attempting to go to bed with just such concerns in the Middle East and elsewhere. Take a moment, as I have these last few weeks, despite the financial crisis in our own country and the dangers it may imply, and really savor how good you have it. Remember that for the moment, maybe just this night, you are free from a real and terrible Fear which stalks openly in other parts of our world.

 Also, please remember that the permanence of your Freedom from these awful things is merely implied and that its continuance is contingent on your vigilance and action.

 Maybe it's a call to your Senator or Representative's office. Maybe it's writing a Letter to the Editor of your local paper. Maybe it's just as simple as striking up a conversation with a stranger at a bus stop. What it's not is taking the same ten minutes to write another message about your concerns on this or any other forum or the internet. I don't particularly care which ideology you follow or who you blame or who you blame more about this whole mess. Just do something, something in reality, to help pay for your small but savory portion of Freedom from Fear tonight and maybe help make a world where your children do not have to read or write a message like this one ten years from now.

 Below is Norman Rockwell's painting, Freedom from Fear. It is a beautiful piece but I would hope that some day no man or woman will be able to appreciate this picture as you and I and the other citizens of the world do, today. The subjects are very reminiscent of the culture and time in which this piece was painted but the sentiments ring true whether their skin is pink or brown, whether there are two men or two women tucking the children in at night, whether the subjects wear a kippa or a keffiyeh or a baseball cap or nothing at all.

Appreciate your Freedom from Fear tonight and do something today to ensure it.

PB

ACT NOW

:bluebox: Contact information for your Congressional Representatives
:bluebox: Contact information for your Senators
:bluebox: Contact information for any embassy in any country
:bluebox: White House Comment Line:<202> 456-1111]

Originally posted July 13, 2006- the day after Israel began the Second Lebanon War- and unfortunately made appropriate again by recent events.

[Fire1]

1. k&r

[Poll_Blind]

2. bump

PB

[Mnemosyne]

3. "Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours"

I can never truly be happy with life until no one has to suffer as such.

Peace to you, P_B. :hug: