Winning Words 5/19/11
“Nobody ever said it would be easy—and that was an understatement.” (George Mitchell) How would you like to have the job of trying to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians? Mitchell has been recognized for his part in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. It was hoped that he could work the same magic in the Middle East. He resigned a week ago from that un-easy assignment. He tried! ;-) Jack

FROM EM IN MICHIGAN: I found your post today interesting. It's frustrating to watch the events in Israel/Middle East...if George can't handle it I wonder who can? At least he gave it a shot. FROM JACK: Even good and talented people can't win every battle or solve every problem. But, at least, they give it a try. That should be inspiration for us to keep on trying. Maybe, next time.

FROM MOLINER CF: You have to WANT peace to have it. FROM JACK: "You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist." ~Attributed to both Golda Meir and Indira Gandhi MORE FROM CF: Isn't that what I said? FROM JACK: Beauty is in the eye (words) of the beholder (e-mail writer).

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Don't we all wish we could have one of those buttons from Staples which read "Easy". In their commercials if you want something done you just push the Easy button. Life isn't easy but it is worth working hard. But it is "Easy" to believe there is something better waiting for us at the end of the road. FROM JACK: In this morning's newspaper I read about a man who has a lot of problems. He hopes that Armageddon happens on Saturday. MORE FROM OUTHOUSE: Yes I have heard him speak. He was on the radio and I listened to his thoughts. He is so sad. I know Jesus said not even he knows the time or the hour. We all have problems, some of us have terrible problems, but I know I'm not ready to meet my Maker yet. I have more scrapbooking to do.

FROM SH IN MICHIGAN: I appreciate your WW this morning. Here are Rabbi's words. A day to remember the stopping of the killing-such as found in no other faith. Respect between Jews and for Jews. These also give me much to think about. In my little corner of the world, among my friends, I am told that the Jews are powerful, more powerful than their enemies but, just from reading here and there, I start to believe that the Jews and their little country of Israel are actually very weak and that, if we could only see into the hearts of all people all over the world, there is a preponderance of people who don't want to see a Jewish nation or else are sort of passive about it and see it of really no consequence. I have the idea from most Christians I know that Christianity is what counts with God and, while they believe that Israel should exist (and from that they seem to draw a conclusion that people all over the world of rational and logical thinking also would be able to see this--you know like this is reason) but I don't think many of us actually see the enmity of so many towards Jews and their having their own nation. Everything that is happening now, people may interpret as being the Jews own fault for all the terrible things they have been doing in oppressing and occupying Palestine but I wonder, could it be ever more and more coming to the surface the enmity of people towards the Jewish people and their faith and their now living in great numbers (but really small numbers) again in the Holy Land. Again and again and again they stand in history like this and it's just sort of sobering that the Rabbi and other Rabbi's will see and write the way they do. Thanks for your WW again to day and that we actually awoke again today and I look forward to reading your blog to see what others think. FROM JACK: God certainly has many problems on his desk. It's good that he's all-wise.

FROM GM IN MICHIGAN: JACK i THINK THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AN AGREEMENT FOR 3000 yrs Give them another 25 yrs FROM JACK: The idealism within me says: "Keep on trying." If you believe that something is good, you don't give up on achieving it.

FROM JL IN MICHIGAN: It's impossible to shake hands with someone who has a clenched fist! FROM JACK: If someone offers to shake your hand, what is your response? MORE FROM JL: The question is not what I would do. Forget the Palestinians for a moment. The rest of the Arab world, and especially the Muslim fundamentalists, believe that the 'entire' State of Israel is occupying their land and should be destroyed. They don't recognize Israel politically nor do they want it on the map. That is the clenched fist about which I made reference. Until Israel's neighbors recognize it's right to exist as a nation and secure borders, there cannot be a peace. While I am an optimist, talk is cheap. I just watched President Obama deliver his speech. Sounded good; but, God only knows how it will be received by the parties in interest. Both Nazi Germany and Japan wanted to destroy us and overrun the world. It wasn't 'til we destroyed that mentality that they discovered the way to the peaceful future that now both enjoy. Just my thoughts. FROM JACK: If someone offers to shake YOUR hand, what is YOUR response?

FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: Did you read President Carter's book on the midEast , we can have Peace in the Holy Land? I loved it…that was before Peace Not Apartheid which I think was quite controversial but probably a wise tome just the same. no, I don't envy that job a whit. FROM JACK: Whit is an interesting word...the absolute least. Regardless of the politics, Clinton and Carter close to brokering the deal...."Close, but no cigar."

FROM TS IN MICHIGAN: I'm hoping that he didn't resign because he believed that resolution is hopeless. It does seem so at times. Obama tackled the issue today in his speech on the Middle East. I hope his speech bears some fruit. FROM JACK: I heard a comment today that "the Jews" probably would be opposed to the president's speech. I would hope that each individual would have an individual opinion. MORE FROM TS: Yes/No will create a histogram, not a bell curve. AND here's a link to the Jerusalem Post. The Left have one opinion; the Right have another. http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=221383
FROM JACK: I was absent the day they talked about histograms in school, but some histograms do sorta look like a bell (not the curved kind).

FROM TAMPA SHIRL: I wonder if God Himself could solve the problem. We know that He could. FROM JACK: The teacher could solve all the problems, because he/she controls the answer book. However, if that were done, there would be no learning experience for the student.

FROM BLAZING OAKS: Bill and I visited the Holy Land and sat in on a seminar involving the Israelis and Palestinians in 1970, and felt pretty hopeless that they'd ever come to any agreement, for any length of time, and it has proven to be true. I feel for ANYONE trying to work that out!!////FROM JACK: I have friends who support people on both sides of "the wall." I've come to the conclusion that the extremists are the cause of the problem. I'm like Goldilocks. I don't like "too hard" or "too soft," or "too hot" or "too cold."