Adam L. Reiner - Splitboarding, mountaineering, and lifestyle in the Colorado Rockies

I tuned into the evening news today and I was appalled at what I saw.  Not uncommon, there was a protest on the State Capitol over the conflict in the middle east.  However, what I saw on the news looked more like an aggressive standoff.  One group of people were waving Israel flags and shouting into bullhorns at another group waving Palestine flags, who were shouting back.  The tone was VERY AGGRESSIVE, and I even saw someone throw something at a car.

In my opinion, these people are discracing my state capitol.  Protests there are supposed to be PEACEFUL.  Yet, when I see Isreal and Palestine supporters screaming and yelling and throwing things, I think that their behavior is not much more peaceful than the behavior of the two nations they support.

The world (and the U.S.) seems so intent on creating TWO nations out of the holy land.  Why is this?  It is all ONE land, yet the Jews want their own country, and the Palestinians want theirs.

It shocks me that NO world leader (or anyone at today’s protest) has advocated for one, peaceful country in the middle east.  Especially when the U.S. has its own bloody and personal history concerning a “two-nation” land.

History lesson for you: In 1861 a group of states exercised their rights of federalism by withdrawing their membership from the Union.  The President, Abraham Lincoln, commanded over the bloodiest war in American History on the simple premise that “The Union MUST be endured, at any cost).  Lincoln never entertained the thought of TWO nations living side by side in peace.

How is the case in the middle east different that that of the U.S. in 1861?  The answer is RACISM.  Jews and Palestinians do not want to share a country together.  Imagine if the United States was split into different countries based on race: the Jews take California, blacks get Florida, Latinos get Texas, Italians get New York, etc.

Are you laughing at that thought?  Of course, that type of arrangement doesn’t seem feasible.  Would black people be upset when they are displaced from California?  I know I would not be too happy if Illinois became a “Polish Catholic Nation” and my family was forced to pack its bags.  Yet this same type of racial segregation is occurring in Israel/Palestine right now, and the United States, in true hypocritical fashion, is the biggest supporter of this violent arrangement.

1. I’ve reorganized my “Categories” dropdown menu in the sidebar.  You will see that I’m attempting to separate the two distinctive areas of my website.  One half is devoted to personal experiences, adventure stories, and trip reports that occur in my life.  The other half is devoted to commentary on politics, world events, books, movies, and other things that I don’t personally experience, but definitely have a “blogger’s opinion” on the subjects.
2. Added a new page: “PLEASE READ this if it is your first time here!“.  It basically describes the process of “subscribing” to my blog, so you can get updates sent to you as soon as I post them.
3. Added some clickable links to the following posts (some photos, some trivial):
   http://adamlreiner.com/2008/03/i-should-get-a-subscription-to-netflix/
   
4. Adjusted HTML and added a few links to information on the different segments of the Colorado Trail:
   http://adamlreiner.com/2007/10/mountain-biking-the-colorado-trail/
5. My “About” page has disappeared.  I’m working on a more detailed version with plenty of links!

Late,

Rein-O

(This is called a “Rutschblock Test”)

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