Today was one of those days where frustratingly nothing much got done. Had to go into town early to see my youngest childs teacher for teacher/parent day. We live 22 km from town and it was quite apparent from her report that she is doing very well- but I guess we still have to show her we are interested enough to go and talk to her teacher. Then home again and as she was home we went for a walk up the Old Beechy Line ( an old railroad track- whichhas been made into a walking/bike riding track) that has recently opened. It is quite lovely and we are lucky to have it.Then back into town to pick up the Bernina that Bernina is lending me as I will be demonstrating on the Aurora at the Melbourne Craft and Quilt Fair on 27-30 July. Unfortunately they had already allocated all their machines for this year, but i am hoping that maybe I will get one next year or be able to roganise one for France.
Then got home to find ourselves locked out and the spare key we hide is no longer hiding where it is supposed to. So we had to break into our own house via a small louvered window in the laundry - that was covered in spider webs) and the littlest kid had to go through it and she is arachnaphobic- hope she does not have nightmares about it!
I have been following the latest happenings in Palestine via Um Kahlil's Blog and the news links she has there- I can only shake my head and wonder why we have become so immune to suffering that the IDF are continuing to do what they are without constraint or criticism of the international community. I know the whole problem is far from simple - however this is surely one instance where the retaliation and its toll are inhuman. And the palestinian toll since 1948 in human lives has always been greater, let alone loss of land, houses and livelihoods. As i said before i was shocked when I went to israel and ramallah and saw the difference in living standards and amenities- even in east Jerusalem- where one side of the road was israeli and the roads were clean and neat and tarmaced and across the road which was Palestinian and where the roads were dirt/potholed and rubbish wasn't collected- despite the fact that the same amount of rates was paid. Not only that, the wall continues the be built despite an international court ruling that it is illegal- if everyone were to flaunt the law in this way then what is to happen? And lastly but not leastly there is no excuse for the death of any children- no earthly reason that can justify a childs death when they are at home sitting down to a meal or going to the beach.
2 comments:
It is difficult to know what to say. I spent a lot of time in the early 80s ranting about the fact that every nation seemed to ignore the UN resolution that Israel should get out of the West Bank and Gaza. I could not believe it that my own country invaded Iraq ostensibly because it had not complied with a UN resolution.
But the sad fact is that some peoples are dispensible - sometimes thought so even by their own rulers, as I discovered in reading the excellent but thoroughly depressing biography of Mao by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday. The world's politicians do not raise a finger for the dispensible if there is nothing in it for them. Look at how after the palestinian elections the aid from Europe was halted - by why are they so totally dependent on EU aid. What about all the other arab nations who say they support the palestinians? What about Dubai with all it's wealth?
No. If we feel strongly enough we have to do our own thing in our own way. And always be incredibly aware of just how lucky we who live the soft life really are.
Being locked out is one of my greatest fears. However, being locked out, years ago in Oxford, led to meeting a neighbour who became one of my dearest friends -- she lives just down the road from you, in Melbourne!
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