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| (Photo: flightclub.jalopnik.com ) |
I feel, almost hung over this morning. All of the world events from yesterday caught up with me, making it hard for me to sleep, and I sat up late until almost 2 am listening on television to everyone from Russia Today, CCTV (from China), to Nightline with all the information and perspectives on both the downed 777 jet over Ukraine, and Israel's ground mission into the Gaza Strip. No, I don't know anyone who lives on the Gaza Strip. So far as I know, I don't know anyone who was on the Malaysian Air flight yesterday from Amsterdam to Kuala Lampur, however we all could have. KLM (Dutch) Airways sold tickets and then had to transfer a certain number of passengers to Malaysian Air, and so a fair number of Dutch families with babies and small children were headed on the flight to a connecting one bound for Australia. US News kept saying yesterday that "we don't yet know whether any of the nearly 300 people on the flight were American". Who cares ? They were people. They were families, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, employees, who were simply using modern transportation to either vacation, see family, or go somewhere on business. The crew was simply doing their job. These people were from Earth. These souls were simply flying in a plane when at 33,000 feet a surface to air Russian-made missile blew their plane into pieces, ending all of their lives. Their families are now thrust into my own daily existence of the instant and unanticipated vaporization of a family member caused by a sudden death. Not to whine, but almost six years later, there is no real "closure". The family members who remain will function again, but they will never be the same. Whether these families are Malaysian, Dutch, Chinese, American, French, German, or anything else is of no interest to me. We all have more in common as human beings, than we have differences.
I hope that Ukraine is able to begin to control and police its territory again. I pray that Russia realizes that by virtue of its land mass, it is already the largest nation on Earth and doesn't need to occupy and foment insurgencies in its neighbors. I hope that Gaza stops lopping rockets into Israel. I hope that Israeli forces are fair and just while "mowing the grass" (their phrase, not mine) in Gaza this week as they seek those who would intermittently attack Israel.
I pray for common sense, for peace, and some level of understanding. Sometimes, it seems that no progress at all has been made since Jesus visited.
12 comments:
On the money, Jane!
As a former airline employee you have to let these matters not get to you. Otherwise the more you think about it the more it will eat you up. I'm not trying to be of cold hart, but that is the way you have to be to do your job. I was not a flight crew member but I had contact with them daily. As a former airline employee you have to feel for the family's of the airline employees, and as a parent feel sorry for all lost.
Israel has been fighting for its survival since the beginning of time. They do what they need to do. Its the same with the U.S. We get involved because that's what we have to do. You can't please everyone.
Rob,
Certainly, you're right. I think that sometimes though, the facade we wear isn't waterproof, and it gets through to us. Thanks for listening !
Thanks for posting. Sometimes there seems an abundance of loss and grief on the planet. I think we are all due for some good news.
Life is a constant struggle to close rank and keep walking as others fall. But when those who fell were considered collateral damage and nothing more, then the wound festers.
Yes, and this makes it harder and harder to be philosophical about our having limited time here on Earth. No one expects the world to be fair, but we also don't expect it to be filled with unfairness either. Thanks for posting.
I agree - both of these instances make no sense. For man to stoop to such depths in order to "win"... what have we allowed ourselves to become?
People are people irrespective of their poltical leanings or religious beliefs. All those families which have been so horrendously changed. One understands loss of armed forces during conflict - as unacceptable as they are. But innocent civilians...?
What has man become...? Stop the world, I think I need to get off. I don't identify with any of this conflict - political / religious or idealistic in origin. No religion advocates this action. NOT ONE.
Thanks for posting, Dani. It's very sad. The families whose lives are forever changed had nothing to do with the conflict that brought down the plane. "Collateral damage" is a terrible thing.
No progress HAS been made, and none ever WILL be. Only his return will change anything.
I think it was easier in the sixties and nineteen seventies to believe that we had become more civilized than in Biblical days. Of course, it does not appear this way today. Thanks for contributing, Gorges.
Jane,
I was glad to read this post. I was sad and kept telling exbf how sad that plane being blown out of the sky made me feel. Finally, he said kindly, "Yes, Linda. I know. You told me." I still have not shaken that feeling of sadness.
I think the reason they are saying they don't know if there were Americans is twofold. First, if an American citizen is killed, then somehow we have an invested interest in finding the murderers, not that we won't anyway. But, it puts us in a stronger position. Second, if they can find a family here who has lost someone, then there is another news story.
If only His return will change anything, why do we even try. All our efforts are an exercise in futility! We should just hunker down and wait this thing out.
Did you hear that one woman lost a brother, I think, in the last Malaysia air loss and a step-daughter in this missile attack?
Thank you for your perspectives, Linda. This does better explain why American news seems only to care about American loss of life. I did hear late last evening that one family lost family members on BOTH the lost Malaysia flight and the Malaysian Air flight that was shot down. My heart goes out to them.
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