We Should Care for Both Sides of Humanity in this Crisis

 

I say 13,600 children were killed.
You say, release the hostages.
Did those kids have the hostages?

I say two mothers are killed every hour.
You say, release the hostages.
Did those mothers have the hostages?

I say doctors were killed.
You say release the hostages.
Did those doctors have the hostages?

I say a record number of aid workers
and journalists were killed.
You say, release the hostages.
Did they have the hostages?

I say schools, hospitals, airplanes and
refugee camps were bombed.
You say, release the hostages.
Did this destruction bring the hostages home?

Don't know who wrote the above poem, but it states it well. We should be concerned about the death and destruction that are raining down on Gaza's civilians. Yes, we want the hostages released. Of course. Big time. But we also want the lives of the Gaza citizens spared.

When we post things such as this, we draw criticism from those who say we are pro-Hamas, and anti-Isreal. Can we not cry for justice for the Gazans without being accused this way? Caring for both sides of humanity in this crisis is not wrong. It is, instead, the only way to be humane.

We cannot dismiss the tragedy by saying Hamas hides behind the civilians, using them as human shields. Yes, that makes it difficult to get at the Hamas, but it does not justify us shooting straight through a civilian in order to take out the Hamas behind him.

I do not know that I favor a ceasefire. It just gives Hamas a chance to regather themselves. Fight on, Israel, but spare the civilians. If there were a six-week ceasefire, and then Israel resumed killing the civilians in the same fashion, what good would that do?

Bless the Gazans. Pray for them. They are part of humanity. Do not allow the innocent to be slaughtered in the name of pursuing the wicked. Let us have feelings in our hearts for these people, the Gazans.