Today was an interesting day. I went to the protest in the video above. I had friends, bloggers, who i respect, on both sides of the line: Jonathan Narvey wearing his Star of David shirt supporting Israel on one side and Sean Orr lookin like a commie-pinko-hippy-faggot on the Palestine side. Both are smart, articulate, compassionate guys but this is a topic on which it seems there is little common ground and the two found them hollaring accross the street at each other before they recognized each other.
I spent time filming on both sides of the straight and while we were hanging out JNarvey asked me what my take on this all was. I paused for a good long while, choosing my words careful in order not to become snared in typical rebuttals or knee-jerk responses. My answer was something like…
It makes me sad that in 2008 there is a such an immovable mountain of a conflict whose central tenants seem to be based on racism and religious intolerance. On both sides. All sides.
I feel sad and my had hangs a lil lower every time I hear about an escalation of the violence in the middle east. I like to be positive and optimistic in general and am frustrated not only in the terrible things that are taking place in terms of violence, but also that we don’t seem to even have the institutions in which we can seek forgiveness and resolution. I’m disappointed in all of us. 🙁
Thanks again for your excellent coverage of the protest as well as for sharing your own thoughts about this tragedy, Kris. I’d like to think I wouldn’t have been so knee-jerky and jumped all over your words had you decided to blurt out something I didn’t agree with, but I wonder… I know my weaknesses, and I CAN get confrontational at times.
Thanks for choosing your words so well. At times like these, we all should. I’m not talking about self-censorship. I just think we should say exactly what we mean as clearly as the ridiculously idiomatic English language allows, so that debate and discussion flow without tripping over red herrings. But of course, I’m preaching to the choir…
I’m also glad you were there, since I otherwise likely wouldn’t have clued in that the guy I was yelling at was Sean (Um, oops…). You may have a future as a conflict-resolution diplomat, if you decide to take up a tenth career.
Well said,pretty much my sentiments as well.
Definitely a tragedy Johnathon,so why does your piece in the Province,seems to suggest the opposite ?