My Views On Israel and Palestine
Digital Ebola 
4-14-2002 

My views on the trouble with Israel and Palestine seem to be rather 
controversial. I have friends from both locations. The Internet is a
wonderful way of keeping in touch with remote locations. Unfortunately,
I tick people off when I say what I think about this. So here is my 
rant. 

The situation, is the Palestinians are shafted. They say they are being
oppressed, the Israeli's say not. As a American, living on American soil,
we really have no idea what to believe. If what I am being told about the
oppression and concentration camps is true, then I can draw a parallel 
between my own people, the Cherokee, and Palestinians. 

The Palestine people say their homes are being taken, their children and 
women are being killed, their people are being locked up. The land is 
legally Israel, as of a U.N. decision in 1949? This is very similiar 
to what happened to the Cherokee before the trail of tears. The Cherokee
were very civilized. They had written language, they had plantations. 
They traded with all sorts of people. They were extremely good at being
white. 

My 4th great grandfather was John Ross, a Cherokee chief. He is apperently
credited with going to Washington more times then any chief for that period.
He saw the migration of his people coming. The white man was going to 
steal their lands, and destroy their culture. When seeing that negotiations
were futile, he met with the tribe, and explained that they could not win
if they fought the white man. They had to leave. There was much disagreement
between the tribe, and they split off. Another chief of the tribe took a 
percentage of people and fled into the swamp, ready to fight. John Ross, 
gathered the rest, and prepared to leave. In the process, they were forced
out, resulting in the first part of the Trail of Tears. They were given 
part of Oklahoma territory for their trouble. Many people did not make the
trip. When they made it to Oklahoma, they met the Osage indian tribe, who 
lived on the plains there. A war ensued, resulting in a treaty. The Cherokee
would not do to the Osage, what the white man did to them, so they went 
south towards Telaquah to settle. The tribe that had stayed back in the swamp,
fought for a period, and was eventually killed, or given up. 

Looking at Palestine, and at some of the people I have talked to there, I 
see the same thing basically happening. Except the Palestinians are being
stupid. Yes, I said it. Stupid. Anyone that is willing to strap a bomb to
theirself, and blow theirself up, is stupid. Anyone that hurls rocks at 
tanks, and at armed personel, is stupid. More people die. Palestinian 
suicide bombers are walking into cafes and detonating civilians. To create
terror. Their reasoning, is if the general populace is scared, that they 
will revolt against the government. This is dumb. They cannot win against
the Israeli army. Their only choice is to flee. I don't know where, but 
if they are going to get killed, then it might as well be while trying to 
escape. Some have been able to leave, making it into Lebanon and other places.
They cannot enter their country, for they are basically exiled now. 
This is sad. In the end, it might just save their life. There are times
to fight, and times to run, for them, this is definitely the time to run. 

I cannot support a people that supports terroristic activities. I have 
expressed as much. If Palestine is capable of doing this in Israel, what 
keeps them from doing it in the United States? It's scary, and it's sick.
Sick that they would kill theirselves off, and kill civilians. They need
a plan, they need to change. Their actions are just bringing on situations
that are just going to hurt them more. Terrorism does not gain you anything.

Maybe one of them will read this and understand. They cannot win this 
conflict. One of them needs to realize the same thing that John Ross did; 
leave or be killed. 

I don't have the answers, only a opinion, and maybe not even a very good 
opinion, but it is mine. If this conflict in the middle east continues, it 
will either wipe out the Palestinian people, or be a catalyst to world war 3.
There has to be a way to deal with all the events in a peaceful manner.