(no subject)

[threeplusfire]

The New York Times has an article today on the culture of suicide bombings. Such things are never as in depth as one would like, but it makes the important point that violence and despair are becoming ingrained in Palestinian life. Small wonder that children now trade plastic medals with the pictures of their matyrs rather than Pokemon cards.

Matt got a tshirt at the ISO conference in Chicago that says Free Palestine with a picture of a young man throwing a Molotov cocktail. I find it interesting that the Jewish community here has this small, vocal segement in support of a Palestinian state. Melynda knows one of the original organizers, who apparently comes from an old New York Jewish family. She recieves death threats on a regular basis, I hear.

Comments

[ex-candles994.livejournal.com]

I suppose if you can go and pair the words 'American' with 'culture' I gather the same can be done with 'suicide.' I think of what's going on over there often. It's a bit difficult not to when paying attention to news updates from time to time. It's impossible to gain anything positive from what's happening, and yet there's nothing anyone can do about it. It's hard to reconcile with the fact such things exist.

Re:

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Good question: can anything positive come out of this? I think perhaps not for those living in the midst of this nightmare. But perhaps for those of us outside, perhaps it could. Maybe we will wake up and see something more.

I don't know. It kills me. I can't read the news without crying anymore.

[day.livejournal.com]

You should rent _The Terrorist_, it gets inside the head of a girl suicide bomber and it is an amazingly wonderful movie. It really helps you understand why people would do this. Also the girl in the movie has eyes so big she's like a Tamil Amelie.

(The movie is about the Sri Lankan conflict rather than the Palestinian one though)

Re:

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I'll stop by Vulcan sometime and check that out.

Interesting too, that the conflict in Sri Lanka, and in Kasmir generates a lot less publicity even though it's been just as bad.