I am no Kurt Vonnegut but I will try to write this at least a tad comprehensible.
I was born and raised a Christian, though I have many passionate Jewish friends, and have found myself quite unnerved with all of Christianity and America as a modern country (though not its original spirit and ideals). As a child and young adolescent, I firmly followed Christian teachings and took many of the creeds as being iron rulings to my daily life. I look back upon myself and find the entire experience rather lacking and naive.
A dear friend of mine that I met through our conjoined dorm while attending college finally made me realize many things within my life and beliefs. He was born in Israel and was raised there as a small child, yet in the face of the growing dangers his parents uprooted all they had come to make and believe there to run to America as it was "safe". He is a staunch believer in the country and spirit of his home country and as we became closer friends he spoke more upon the matter. At first I found his rants stirring the stereotypical hurt pride and anger from my American roots, but as he kept and began showing me true hard facts and history, I finally relented and found everything I had learned severely lacking.
I have discovered that my country, and its subsequent allies, have not only held back the only country that stands with its beliefs and for itself above all others, but has jeopardized its very existence as we currently know it. From him, I learned all of the history and past dealings of Israel that he could tell me. I learned of how the Israeli people were willing to accept the initial UN Partition Plan, a plan that would take Jerusalem away from its rightful owners and make it an international city just to appease and bring peace with the Arab nationality. Even with this great compromise the Arab was not happy, and turned this plan down. I learned of how Israel proclaimed itself free, shaking off the bindings of Red tape and appeasing the world. The subsequent war with all the arab nations left much of what should have been in Israel's hands now in the hands of the very people who could not come to terms with anything less then explicitly what they wanted. It showed the true light of the arab goal and ideals. Shortly after, the capturing of the Sinai Peninsula is the first move that made me question my country, at the pressure to have Israel retreat being compensated with "shipping rights", and when these shipping rights were revoked as arab nations once again amassed for an attack upon Israeli borders, the UN allowed itself to be expelled from these countries and just sit back. If it had been Israel that was amassing for a move to annex all of its border territories, the world would be up in a storm at such a move. Israel struck first, and not only defended itself but enlarged and captured much of what a true Israel should contain. After proving its right by arms, Israel now had all of Jerusalem and many connecting territories. The arabs, seeing that they had lost spectacularly, resorted to the only thing they truly know. The unforgivable massacre of Jewish nationals, including the Israeli athletes at the Summer Olympics. From this awful act, Israel acted as all nations should, it hunted and killed those responsible for these acts. It did not wage open war upon nations or bring great chaos, it hunted down those directly responsible as a sign that your acts are yours alone and will not go unpunished. The arab world, militarily inferior, once again struck a low blow with an invasion upon the holiest day. Even after this horrible atrocity and surprise, Israel alone pushed the arab powers back from its borders. I have talked enough of history to slowly get to the point I am making. When the threat of nuclear war came under sway, Israel did not sit back and have the UN do its "sanctions" but decisively ended threats by aerial bombardment.
My point being, Israel is for Israel and all Israelis. America has forgotten this great ideal and has tried to become a world police. We have held back Israel from claiming what is theirs by right and history. We muddle politics and feelings within the Middle East region and we continuously cause threat of harm and destruction to Israel by our actions and holding back of their response.
We also discussed theology in great detail and I have come to find many of the very things I hold at my core from my Christian upbringing are not only irrational, but destructive to my very being.
Love thy enemy. Why love who I have declared enemy as he is against the very beliefs and ideals I hold true, he is a threat to my personage and advancement.
Turn the other cheek. Why bare harm and mistreatment if I have the right of arm and right of belief to stand firm and find peace through any means.
These are simple crude examples but I do not know nearly as much as I want or am not secure in what I do know to offend your sensibilities by trying to discuss any deeper within beliefs.
I have found my country and my religion to be severely lacking and disappointing in many ways. My friend, a dear friend, has invited me to attend the Synagogue that he attends, though even it he claims has fallen sway under American influence and is not what truly should be Jewish teachings. I am currently studying to be a chemical engineer, and upon graduation I have sworn to him that I will travel with him to Israel, as he intends to move back to his birthplace. I currently intend to also migrate to Israel, but I want to finish my studies as I intend to not come empty but with skills to offer.
In the end, I find myself confused, naive, and knowledgeable.
Topic: A Disheartened American Who Doesn't Understand (Read 1300 times)