On this day celebrated and commercialized around the world, Valentine’s Day, I want to ask this question; what is love? So many people use this word to describe all kinds of things. They say they love someone, love their cars, love their jobs, love their pets and love the world…so many things with the same word. People also say things like they have “fallen” in love, discovered a new love of their life etc etc. What does this word love mean? Just looking at some of the things people attach this word too tells me that what its means to one person can be a totally different meaning to someone else.
For example, I am not so sure I would trust someone if she says, she loves me and later on she would say she loves her car. Then I would question her meaning of the word love. If she uses the same word to describe how she feels about me and then later use the same word to describe her car, then I would really question her knowledge of the word love.
Is love not a selfish thing, something you want, something you desire or need? Is that word as used in this world then not a term used by people interested in service to themselves? Something they want and as long as the other person is to your liking, then you are in love with that person. If that person does something you do not like or make a mistake, then the word hate is very easily used. People seem to use both words very easily and both are potentially very meaningful and very damaging words; love and hate!
So on a day like this where people buy flowers, cards and chocolates to “show” their love for someone else, how real is that gesture? Here we attach a physical item to show our love for someone. Most people are now doing it out of convention and that they “have” to do it, it is expected to do this when you are engaged, married, attached to someone… Am I the only person that find reading those cards with all those romantic words an empty gesture to give to the person you care about?
But here I am off to the shops to buy exactly that, an empty gesture, just because my wife is sold on the idea that if I don’t get her something, then our marriage is in trouble. They do create great marketing concepts don’t they? Here I will do something I don’t want to, to satisfy my wife’s attachment of love to a physical object. I don’t think this is the meaning of love…but let me go and buy it for her anyway…I hope she doesn’t read this article!
14 February 2007
11 February 2007
Will Israel give its land back to Palestine?
The state of Israel has now occupied Palestine and its people for a very long time. It is a repeated history of people from a different country takes control of a land, set its own rules and borders and make the original native people the oppressed. Some destroy the original native people or reduce their numbers significantly as was evident in the United States of America with the Indians. Some make sure they remain in control by sheer numbers. They move the native inhabitants into their “land” and take control of the rest.
In some areas the minority “settlers” creates rules of separation between themselves and the native people. This was evident in South Africa and is still the case in Israel. In South Africa the ruling minority realized (or was forced to realize) that they’ve made a mistake and that they need to hand the control to the majority in the land.
For this process to happen peacefully both sides needs to give up something. The side currently in control needs to know they have to hand over (give way) this control and the previously oppressed needs to take control over without the need for prosecution. Both sides need to compromise and give up something.
In South Africa it worked very well by the means of a process called; Truth and Conciliation. The process works where any previous transgressors of Human rights may receive pardon or amnesty in return for full testimony. This process resulted in the transition from a minority white government to a black government without bloodshed or civil war as everyone predicted during those days.
Can the people of Israel do the same? Firstly, would they recognize that they have received a piece of Palestine illegally? Do they recognize that England had no right to offer Jews a piece of this land, just like they had no right to offer Uganda to the Jews in 1903?
In this world we have many nationalities with many borders. Do we really need borders based upon religion? Why must the Jews have their own land? Do Muslims, Christians, Buddhists ask for their own piece of land? Why cant people live together without borders? Within countries we even have economical borders between the haves and have not’s.
Will Israel realize the injustice and hand the land back to its rightful owners? Will the Palestinians be able to negotiate a peaceful transition should this hand-over ever happen? Let’s hope there will be some sort of resolve in this region, otherwise we will see other countries getting involved and a potential World War 3 will be on our doorsteps.
In some areas the minority “settlers” creates rules of separation between themselves and the native people. This was evident in South Africa and is still the case in Israel. In South Africa the ruling minority realized (or was forced to realize) that they’ve made a mistake and that they need to hand the control to the majority in the land.
For this process to happen peacefully both sides needs to give up something. The side currently in control needs to know they have to hand over (give way) this control and the previously oppressed needs to take control over without the need for prosecution. Both sides need to compromise and give up something.
In South Africa it worked very well by the means of a process called; Truth and Conciliation. The process works where any previous transgressors of Human rights may receive pardon or amnesty in return for full testimony. This process resulted in the transition from a minority white government to a black government without bloodshed or civil war as everyone predicted during those days.
Can the people of Israel do the same? Firstly, would they recognize that they have received a piece of Palestine illegally? Do they recognize that England had no right to offer Jews a piece of this land, just like they had no right to offer Uganda to the Jews in 1903?
In this world we have many nationalities with many borders. Do we really need borders based upon religion? Why must the Jews have their own land? Do Muslims, Christians, Buddhists ask for their own piece of land? Why cant people live together without borders? Within countries we even have economical borders between the haves and have not’s.
Will Israel realize the injustice and hand the land back to its rightful owners? Will the Palestinians be able to negotiate a peaceful transition should this hand-over ever happen? Let’s hope there will be some sort of resolve in this region, otherwise we will see other countries getting involved and a potential World War 3 will be on our doorsteps.
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