LIBERAL PATRIOT

The Liberal Patriot

Mary MacElveen - June 2, 2005

So Why Do They Hate Us? Our Own History May Tell Us....

President George W. Bush's consistent theme in this war on terror has been, "they hate us for our freedoms" but I would have to say it goes far deeper than that. I think that our own American history may give us the answers to the present day strife that takes place daily place on the global stage.

Senator Hillary R. Clinton (D-NY) recently commented in an address before AIPAC referring to US Israeli relations she said, “These are more than shared interests. They are bonds forged in a common struggle for human rights and freedom, bonds that predate the creation of the state of Israel, and even the creation of the U.S.” In debates such as this, what is often left out is that our land was already inhabited by a group of people that we call today, Native Americans. This history may give us answers as to why there has been a consistent Israeli/Palestinian clash since the founding of that nation. In both cases a group of people were displaced and cordoned off.

In our own American history we often referred to Native Americans once called Indians as savages. If these Native Americans were still fighting us today within our country, they would be labeled terrorists or insurgents. What human rights or freedoms did the settlers of our country give these Native Americans? We stripped them of their land and placed them on reservations. Many of our settlers were aghast when these 'savages' came after them where they fought back. There are similar reactions when we see Palestinians fight back today.

Please do not take this editorial to mean that I am anti-American or anti Israel because I am not. What I am trying to illustrate is a parallel perhaps at the root cause for all of these uprisings. Both America and Israel must equally look within their souls to see why there have been uprisings against both countries. It is the only way we can go forwards as a truly peaceful people.

According to an YNetnews article, Senator Clinton also stated, "Middle East should look to Israel if they want to see what democracy looks like." But after reading an article from Amnesty International that stated, “Increasing numbers of Palestinians were killed and homes destroyed by the Israeli army in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Some 700 Palestinians died, including about 150 children. Most were killed unlawfully, in reckless shootings, shellings or air strikes on refugee camps and other densely populated areas throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli forces continued to carry out extrajudicial executions of members and leaders of Hamas and other Palestinian groups, in which bystanders were frequently killed or injured."

Why should the Middle East look to Israel or the United States of America as a beacon of freedom when we have tortured Muslim detainees in the name of democracy? I know of no other democracy that holds detainees without due process and among which there have been reports of abuse by our own hands. There seems to be a disconnect here. A freedom loving people should never stand for any group being targeted thusly.

To the people of Israel or those that side solely with Israel, Jews were once targeted in Nazi Germany and one could argue, treated much like the Palestinians are treated today. The common theme after the Holocaust was 'Never Again'. Today my question is--will the Parisians say that in the future and more importantly are they saying that now as they react violently to violence in the state of Israel? This does not excuse the violent these reactions, but it is a symptom of a plague that has festered too long.

Having just read a web site called, "Native Americans Bigotry is Still Alive" the first line of this page jumped out at me where it states, "The Native American is the original American. Europeans came here and brought them disease and tried to force their religion and way of life on them. When that did not work they tried genocide. When that did not work they stole their land and moved them to reservations." So, I ask myself are The Palestinians feeling the same way. Also is the Muslim world reacting violently as we force our way of life on that region through our greed and the invasion of Iraq?

This editorial may lend my readers to think that I am anti Semitic and anti American; nothing can be farther from the truth. What I am is a freedom loving writer who is pro peace and the only way we shall see peace in our time is if our leaders learn from history. I will remind my readers of this quote, "Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it" and we as a human race seem to always miss that fact. When will humanity learn this, will they ever learn it?

I will leave you with another quote to ponder, "How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right.” From Black Hawk (Makataimeshekiakiak) (1767-1838) war chief of the Sauk.

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