“The dark periods of history are the creative periods; for they are the time when new ideas, arts and institutions can be brought into being.”
— Thomas Berry
I love Asheville. New experiences keep popping up. For example, I recently attended a performance of a contemporary dance group, Parsons Dance, and taiko drumming at the Wortham Center for Performing Arts. The creativity lifted my spirit that connects me to the universe: awesome, amazing and beautiful performances for both children and adults. Local schools and homeschoolers would benefit by checking out the children’s performances. The taiko drummers are an inspiration for our Friday evening drum circle downtown.
I share this to point to something good in our society. Yes, letters in Mountain Xpress unveil the imperfections of our local communities. That’s important. But, in order to move forward, we also need to take a stand on what’s good in our communities. Our local and national demonstrations express a longing for a more secure, united and compassionate society. Those in the streets don’t have the money and media access that the wealthy and elite leaders have at their disposal.
As far as I can determine, our media does not reflect the compassion, activism and wisdom of our youths, local Veterans for Peace, Resist Raytheon and groups like Jews of Conscience speaking out on the horrific brutality to the Palestinians, which includes 35,000-plus killed, including some 14,500 children. However, one can go to “Democracy Now!,” Free Speech TV or YouTube.
This violence has been brewing for years. My own experience goes back to my support of the Palestinians as much as 12 years ago in downtown Asheville calling for a solution and a just peace for both Israel and the Palestinians. We were falsely criticized for being antisemetic while we were actively gathering and passing on information directly from Jews and Palestinians.
Recently I have heard repeated reports on television of the big lie that student protesters across our nation are antisemitic. That’s a lie repeated to justify the murdering of children and innocent parents. Those students are a sign of hope and deserve our support and thanks for bringing the moral issue to the public. I say to the students and the younger generations, “Don’t stop resisting — devote yourselves to a better, more caring America!”
And I call for Americans of all stripes and ages to resist our present way of life and elect politicians who express compassion and wisdom for what’s best in humanity. Resist our materialistic consumer society and work for the dream of a more democratic, life-affirming and compassionate, caring society. It is we the people who create a more caring world — not corrupt or outdated institutions, power-hungry politicians or wealthy elites. Again, take a stand for what is best in the human species!
I can only hope that our local churches are educating their congregations on this. I know Land of the Sky United Church of Christ has sponsored at least two special events. Recently, it hosted a documentary film by Just Peace for Israel/Palestine. You can check this out online.
You can challenge me if you believe killing children is necessary to create a safer world at esacco189@gmail.com. I don’t believe God or Jesus is celebrating the slaughter in Gaza.
— Ed Sacco
Asheville
Hamas used schools and hospitals for bases. Take by force food and fuel from hospitals, kill Palestinians who disagree, steal food paid for by the United States and sell it to the people who it was intended for. Steal aid to build tunnels for terrorizing Israel. Taking terrorist accounts of people killed is not worth repeating.
Such is the way of life for terrorist
Palestians wouldn’t be suffering if they and the UN had stood up to the Palestinian leadership, Hamas. Israel didn’t start this current war, it was the invasion of a music festival by Hamas, UNRWA and Al Jazeera terrorists that started this. Lives could have been spared if Palestinian leadership would have returned the hostages and unconditionally surrendered. Your and the world wide hatred of Israel will never stop. So expect more death and destruction as Israel fights back in the future. Marg bar Palestine.