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*Wisdom is a curious and peculiar gift. Ostensibly, one attributes wisdom to extensive experience, combined with advanced age and moments of introspection along the way. I guess you could say that’s a reasonable explanation as to how one acquires wisdom. But we all know plenty of old ‘fools’ too. In other words, there is no perfect recipe to cook up some good ol’ fashioned wisdom.
Enter Ashley Wright.
Ashley is my friend, my protégé, my little sister of sorts and I think about her often. I remember her nearing graduation from high school here in Los Angeles and seeking my advice about attending college either close to home or away in Virginia at Hampton University. I said to attend Hampton…”home isn’t going anywhere and you need to go become your own person.” And as she is set to begin her senior year this month, she has thanked me often along the way for that supposed “wisdom.”
I mention Ashley because some of the greatest wisdom I’ve ever happened upon in life came out of her mouth, from her heart. During a tumultuous relationship with a woman years ago; I shared my frustration and anger to Ashley…not seeking advice but more to vent. Her response was simple, concise, clear and inarguable.
“Mo’Kelly, you just haven’t had ‘enough’ yet. And when Mo’Kelly has had enough, he’ll leave her and all the drama that comes along with her…alone.”
Here was this teenager schooling Mo’Kelly on the subtleties of life (and in fact world politics)…and she was more than just ‘right.’
She was right on the mark.
With all of that as a precursor, I couldn’t help but think of sending Ashley to the Middle East instead of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to help talk some sense into both Israel and Hezbollah with maybe a stop at the White House along the way.
There has been overwhelming speculation and condemnation as to the actions of both Hezbollah and Israel in the latest Middle Eastern conflict. Either you believe that Hezbollah, as a known terrorist organization is bringing this Israeli wrath upon itself or you believe that Israel’s response is disproportionate and unjustified. Or maybe you even believe a bit of both…who knows. But irrespective of which ‘side’ you’re on in this debate, the truth does not change.
Neither Israel nor Hezbollah and Palestinians overall have had ‘enough.’
It really doesn’t matter whether you believe the initial abduction of Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah militia was justified or not. It doesn’t matter if you’re in agreement or disagreement as to whether the subsequent Israeli army response was disproportionate in nature. And most importantly, it really doesn’t matter whether any of us might think this latest violence adversely affects the prospect of peace in that region.
The only salient fact in this sad state of affairs is that Jews and Palestinians just haven’t had ‘enough.’ Not yet at least.
If you think that Hezbollah will allow the Israeli military to have the last word, given the number of Lebanese civilian casualties in this conflict…you are a fool. Hezbollah surely hasn’t had ‘enough.’ If you think Israel will then be able resist the temptation of responding to the next car bomb or suicide bomber…you are a fool. Israel clearly hasn’t had ‘enough’ either.
Hezbollah was formed in 1982 to fight the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. After 24+ years of fighting, it’s safe to assume that Hezbollah isn’t going anywhere.
Israel was formed and given nation state status in 1948, arguably as response to the Jewish Holocaust to give Jews a homeland. As the land was parsed from the surrounding Arab countries, war immediately ensued. After 58 years, it’s safe to assume that Israel isn’t going anywhere.
Crips, Bloods, Israel, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, Bush Administration…it’s all the same. Red, blue…red, white AND blue…”tomayto…tomawto.” If and when ‘peace’ is the ultimate goal…it will come to fruition. You can’t beat someone into submission to ‘achieve’ peace. You can’t kill enough of anybody’s children to ever ‘ensure’ peace. There will never be enough suicide bombers to “inspire’ peace. Why these approaches and practices continue, I don’t quite fully understand.
Revenge? Maybe. But never peace.
In fact, you can’t even overthrow an Iraqi government under the guise of “weapons of mass destruction” to ‘incite’ peace. History has proven this to be true. The reason we don’t have peace in the Middle East arguably has little to do with Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory or the terrorist acts of groups like Hamas or Hezbollah.
Let me digress for a moment. We overthrow Iraq, who ALLEGEDLY has weapons of mass destruction, but ‘negotiate’ with North Korea who FACTUALLY has NUCLEAR weapons of mass destruction? That’s rather odd and inconsistent.
OK, digression complete.
Undeniably; neither side comes to the Middle East table with clean hands. Let’s take a step back and not examine this issue with any religious conviction clouding our judgment. Neither side is ‘right’ and surely neither side has been ‘righteous’ either in its quest.
Hezbollah knows that any action on its part will bring an immediate and violent response from Israel. Israel knows that any military action on Hezbollah will likely incur tremendous civilian casualties and in fact, strengthen the movement of Hezbollah. For either side to continue its efforts in the manner it has for the past 24 years is insanity. It isn’t advancing either cause and it isn’t helping bring either adversary to its knees.
Neither side wishes to coexist in peace, only for the annihilation of the other. The moment they both want peace, the violence will cease…and not a moment before.
‘Peace’ is not to be misconstrued as a temporary cease-fire. ‘Peace’ is not wiping Hezbollah off the face of the Earth and ‘peace’ is not Israel denouncing its nation-state status.
I’m talking real peace.
If anything, you’d think the Bush administration (the ‘C’ component of an ‘A’ and ‘B’ Middle East conversation) would have at least taken a page out of its own American history in addressing terrorism and the Middle East in general. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X didn’t end the civil rights movement; it simply advanced the need and heightened the urgency of it. Let’s not forget, the civil rights movement was considered tantamount to ‘terrorism’ back in the day and was treated accordingly by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI.
The Bush administration should understand that any War on Terrorism must first and foremost address the fundamental ideas behind the hatred of America. Toppling Saddam Hussein has done nothing to eradicate terrorism, simply solidified the ideology as its foundation.
Ideas give way to terrorist groups and terrorist acts. Ideas can’t be ‘defeated’ and neither can the hatred of Israel or the U.S. (for its unilateral support of Israel) be destroyed through violence and in effect hatred. Instead of addressing the hatred, we’ve simply added to the reasons behind the hatred. Have we killed more terrorists than we’ve in effect helped recruit? Has Israel actually lessened potency of Hezbollah or further insured its relevance in the minds of Lebanese children?
To be fair, the flipside must also be examined. Has Hezbollah moved closer to its political goal through the abduction of Israeli soldiers? And was it worth the subsequent death of hundreds of innocent, civilian Lebanese? Has Al Qaeda really advanced its cause because of 9/11 or since 9/11?
Ashley…pack your bags, I’m sending you to the Middle East. You’re cuter than Condoleezza, have a better hair style and obviously have more sense than just about every world leader involved in this Middle East conflict. I don’t think Hampton would mind if you took leave from school to go save the world. It is in need of a little bit of your wisdom.
When the Middle East has had ‘enough’ then and only then will there be peace. Ain’t that right Miss Wright?
The Mo'Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse...as well as entertain. For more Mo’Kelly - http://mokellyreport.blogspot.com. Morris W. O'Kelly can be reached at mokellyreport@sbcglobal.net and he welcomes all commentary.