An opinion and sad commentary

 The news outlets are all abuzz with news about who wore what to the Oscars. The top 10 searches of the day so far are all Hollywood entertainers’ names. Then there is the Israel-Gaza war. The ‘Stop the war!’ red buttons a few entertainers wore to the awards ceremony.

Did you notice anything odd about that statement? Because I did.

Israel-Gaza war. Traditionally the first country is the aggressor with the ‘underdog’ victim as the second. Ummmm,, where did Hamas go? When did Israel become the aggressor? What happened to the hundreds of Israelites that Hamas killed Oct 10? Where are the remaining hostages that Hamas is refusing to return to their homes? And why are we as a nation demanding that Israel just ‘suck it up’, return any prisoners and forget the Hamas-held civilians that are now well documented as being tortured and severely abused?

But, you say, there are thousands of innocent civilians being killed in Gaza by Israel. We see photos of crying children and bombed out buildings. The news is full of these!

Have we all forgotten an essential fact? All ‘official’ news that is coming from Gaza or ‘Palestine’ is controlled by Hamas. Let’s read that again. All official news - that means numbers of civilians displaced or dead, casualties from Israeli bombings etc - are produced by a terrorist faction. Not the free press. Not a neutral source. It comes from a group that has been documented as murderers. Torturers of civilians including women and children. Liars. Manipulators. Aggressors. And yet it is now being presented as ‘fact’.

And we believe them.

I am worried. Deeply worried. I am worried about my country. We are a free nation and have always supported other free nations.  We have traditionally stood strong with other countries that believe in freedom of the people and intolerance of oppression. These are fundamental rights that we support and have had as our bedrock.

Until now. Now we are more interested in who wore what to a party. We want to know who wore a ‘righteous’ red button. Down with aggressors! Stand up for the victims! Only we have flipped who those people are. Who is the victim? Who is the aggressor? What is the truth? Who is telling the truth? And can you believe the color of that actress’s gown?

Yes, I am worried. But perhaps more than worried I am sad.

I know some people may be offended that I even mention this subject. What do I know of politics? Some may even ‘un-friend’ me because I have stated an opinion. And that opinion goes against current feelings. That’s okay. 

But it makes me sad that we are so intolerant of others’ opinions. That we must attack a person because they dare to think for themselves. To question. To research ‘facts’. I am sorry if you feel you must leave a nasty comment, or delete me from your queue. My intentions are not to offend, but to make you question.

Amen. (So be it).

Inkspired