I am a former student who received his bachelor's degree in July after spending five years at Ball State University. At this institution, I was able to form a few friendships. These people are referred to as brothers, because our relationships go beyond friendship.
Also, these brothers happen to be of a variety of different races. These relationships were unobtainable unless each of us had open minds. The fact that we explored the unknown and overcame all obstacles that society put on our relationships is a credit to us.
One of the best people I have met in my life is my roommate, and brother, from the Middle East. He is from the area that is currently occupied by Israelis. Many proud Palestinians have lived in this area for centuries. Unfortunately, these very same people have been forced out of their homes. Many Palestinians have been brutally killed by Israeli soldiers. These are innocent people who have homes and families.
How would you feel if someone, all of a sudden, took your home and tortured your family just because he or she had power to do so? This power was given to Israel by the United States.
Unfortunately, certain information is not disclosed to American observers because the media has a large bias towards Israel. It is a fact that there is a large Jewish lobby that controls the media. This does not mean that Jewish people are bad, because obviously there are good and bad people of every race and religion. This just means that Americans are not seeing the whole story.
When this happens, unjust anger surfaces instead of trying to learn about the whole situation. This element is referred to as "ignorance."
Just a couple of weeks ago I was in the midst of a conversation concerning the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, when an ignorant individual approached saying, "Why don't Palestinians leave the Israelis alone and stop throwing rocks?"
The best was to deal with this type of ignorance is to give the facts. It is true that Palestinians are throwing rocks, but at what are they aiming? They are aiming at the tanks of Israeli military, who have oppressed Palestinians for years. Most of these Palestinians are defending their homes and pride as human beings. What is a rock going to do against a tank? Before comments are made it would be nice if they were well-thought out and truthful.
I have pride in this country, but I do not agree with all the decisions that are made by our government. Why should my tax dollars go to a cause that hurts my Palestinian brother's family, who are suffering in the Middle East? These are the kind people who have been there for me. No, this is not because I am Palestinian. I am a Caucasian American, with ethnic roots in Slovakia, Italy and Portugal. I am proud to be an American, but I am also proud of my roots. I am also Catholic, and have not been happy with the recent unjust criticism of my religion. "God Bless America" is cool, but we shouldn't forget that all Americans have ancestry in other countries around the world. The only true Americans are Native Americans, who have unfortunately gone through similar conditions as what Palestinians are currently facing.
In closing, I ask fellow Americans to reach out and pursue information on the Middle East conflict. Make sure that both sides of the story are acknowledged. There are so many good people in the Middle East and my roommate and his family are prime examples.
Also, I ask that you reach out and try to understand people who are different from you. You may find that you can build a stronger relationship with people who are different than with people who are like you.
I did, and I thank God often for this opportunity.
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