My intent was not to start controversy over the various causes or issues at the root of the various struggles but rather to simply point out the inescapable fact of the existance of those struggles. There are individuals who for whatever reason instigate and preach hatred and violence. Often these folks garner sufficient followings to become destabilizing to the peace of a reagion and when they do their cause is still as irrelivant to the average citizen as it was before but suddenly surviving the violent environment that those struggles sets up becomes paramount in their life. This is as true in Gaza as it is in Belfast. There may be reason to argue the truth or falsehoods used to instigate this level of hate and violence and there is certainly reason to condemn it. There is more importance in not denying it. To live in denial of such circumstances and think that "it won't happen here - to me - during my life may be disasterous.

Become individually prepared at least to the level of alertness and awareness of the things that could cause disruption in your life, family, neighborhood, country. Don't deny the possibilities - evaluate them and rank them. Use that ranking to determine the priority and extent of your preparations. If you have lived in LA you would be a fool to ignore the possibilities of riot closing you neighborhood for a weekend of mayham. If you have lived in Gaza or Bethleham, or Belfast to ignore the possibilities of a bomb going off in your favorite deli is equally foolish. To ignore, deminish, deride the possibility of the racial, socio-political, or economic tensions within a multicultural society in which there are leaders on every "team" loudly proclaiming that it's all because of the other "team" mistreating us is just rampant denial. Such tensions can and have errupted in large and small ways. From drive-by shootings to total social collapse as the Balkans experienced.

Continue that it isn't worth considering, hide your head in the newspaper and finish your tea, feel comfortable that you are safe because your brothers will band about you when the enemy is at the gate; but please don't ridicule or deminish me for trying to prepare and protect myself and mine from those very "brothers" and "countrymen" who each and all could choose to belong to some minority grouping that has proclaimed itself against whatever they accuse me of being affiliated with.