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: Hear 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 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, 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

[mike_c]

1. thank you for such an excellent post-- K&R....

:toast:

[warrens]

2. Give smirky another year...

We'll have all that to look forward to. I was in Montreal last week with my daughter and took her by McGill University to have a look. If the Middle East goes to hell, I'm half-Canadian and I think we will relocate.

[northernsoul]

3. Thank you for articulating what I've been thinking myself

The Freedom From Fear painting is more relevant now than ever.

[Poll_Blind]

4. Shameless late-evening kick... n/t

PB

[renate]

5. nothing more can be added....

I think this phenomenal post has only received a handful of responses in the past eight hours because it is SO profound and thought-provoking... there is just nothing more that can be said in addition to those words of wisdom and the thousand words in that picture.

However, I just had to thank you for it. I wish I had the words to do so adequately.

[hopeisaplace]

6. oh my gawd, what you said I think about, it's scary beyond words

...holding my youngest when he was ill the other day, and
so grateful for the basics..peace, food, water, shelter and
healthcare<--from Canada here...My heart was breaking for
other Mom's who hold their children with none of the above.

(first verse to song I wrote)

"Beyond the sunset another child smiles
Held in her mother’s arms for a while
Cuddled up with faith her guiding force
She prays to her God for the same things of course;
For leaders to lead us down a path of peace
That her baby will always have enough to eat
That her neighbors get all the help they need
And imprisoned minds will someday be freed"



Great post.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[RagAss]

9. excellent post....but I'm afraid it's too late....the cards are on the

table..the cabal has dealt them and all that's left to do is turn them over and weep.

[Spazito]

10. Excellent OP, very thought provoking...

Rockwell's painting is the perfect way to visually re-inforce the truth in your text. Thank you for posting this.

[riderinthestorm]

11. K & R

The sentimentalist in me cries, even the cynic in me reads your post uncomfortably. Thanks for the reminder.

[Cleita]

12. Here's an interesting new's website from Lebanon.

http://yalibnan.com/site/

It has a lot of news about this. I haven't found an Israeli site yet to compare unless someone at DU has one.