There's Hope For Our Future

I've read about these groups that bring Israeli and Palestinian kids together for summer camp, with the hopes that the kids will learn that the Hatfield and McCoy hatred is unwarranted, that they are all very much alike and that people can get along, if they actually open their minds to it and accept that we aren't all the same.

This morning I read more about the current situation in the Middle East. It always makes me ill.

Then I read about the plane that went down in the Hudson yesterday. The pilot's heroic landing, which has never been accomplished with zero fatalities (according to the Daily News) was incredible but to read that he then walked up and down the aisle, making sure everyone was ok, then he got everyone off the plane and then, as the water was rushing in, he took one more pass thru the plane to be 100% sure he was the absolute last man off the plane. A local cop was talking about the pilot and how cool he was. He said the pilot was sitting and drinking coffee a short while after, smiling and talking as if it was just another routine day.

The article went on to talk about the actual incident and, as a New Yorker, the first thing that came to mind was 9/11. Everyone who saw the plane said the same thing "oh no, here we go again."

One of the passengers on the plane was quoted as saying "god put me on that plane."

What? The fucking plane went down in 20 degree weather, crash landing in icy waters and you say god put you there?

I read on.

This gentleman, it seems, missed his flight and wound up on the doomed flight. He was responsible for saving an infant's life yesterday. His first reaction wasn't to think "why on earth did I have to miss my flight." No, this brave soul said he was put there to help.

Then I read about how the pilot gave very little warning "brace for impact" and then the plane went into the water. The passengers all helped each other off the plane. Women and children first. Ferry boats pulled up to immediately assist in the passenger removal.

All done in a calm, orderly, humane manner. The pics in the paper look horrific but the people? They all seem to be calm and in control.

Thank you humanity for showing you can, once again, rise up and act in a proper manner.

So, anyway, Gaza, Israel, Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, airplane crashes....What the fuck does this have to do with anything, right?

Here's the thing. I had a cute little story to tell from last night that, when taken in the context of current events, made me think that, perhaps,humanity has hope.

Here's the story.

My son is sick (both kids are - raging strep going around). So, he slept all day and now he's up all night and who does he keep up? Me.

So I'm lying in bed with him and he's talking talking talking about everything anything nothing. He's telling me about the store across the street with the magic box and how he has a present for me and on and on and on and suddenly he says...

"Dad, a plane crashed in the water yesterday. Near the Trepid (intrepid, we'd just visited a couple of weeks ago). A plane crashed and a boat hit the plane. I saw it on the news."

I tried to interrupt him, to tell him everyone was ok, nobody got hurt but he wouldn't let me speak.


"Dad, put your finger up. Now, put it to your mouth. Say shhhh"

(always makes me feel like a little boy when he does this. I almost say yes sir)

"Dad, the plane, it crashed. A boat hit it and then they took all the people to the hospital. It happened in the city."

I know, it happened in our city

"DAD, No, it happened in a city, where everyone is black. All black people"

(I'm clueless as to where this came from or where it might headed so I give him some rope)

all black people?

"Dad, yeah, Rock Obama is from there. He has two daughters you know. They're little girls, not as little as me but little. And he has a wife, Michelle. He's the president of the flag of the united states of america."

(he's 3 and a half)

I'm stunned. Not that he thinks all black people live in a city but that my three and a half year old, who can't even get his colors correct can tell me the name of our next president, his wife and that they have two daughters. Fucking impressive.

About ten minutes later my son gets up to pee and when he comes back he says "Dad, my hands have ink on them from before"

I tell him that the stamper he was playing with colored his hands and fingers and that was why I told him to be careful with the ink pad. He said "it won't come off" so I tell him it is permanent.

He gets this freaked out look on his face and starts rubbing his hands.

He then says "Dad, Barbara (his pre k teacher) is going to think I'm turning into a black person"

I start laughing and he looks up, his face is still red from the fever, his eyes are swollen and bloodshot and he looks, pretty much, like a tired, sick child. A smile creeps over his face and his eyes brighten up just a bit.

Dad, if I turn into a black person, I can be president too.




So, there you have it. My son only knows of a black president. He doesn't know that the current president is a mental midget from a wealthy family. He doesn't know that since the beginning of our nation's history, we've had white folk fucking things up and now we're giving a black man the same opportunity.

My son, only knows black presidents. In his eyes, if he were lucky enough to be black, he could, one day, run for president.

Oh, the times they are a change ing.


The Israeli/Palestinian Camp concept is pretty much the same concept. Get people when they are young, teach them the way it should be and maybe, just maybe, the prejudices of the world will fall by the wayside.

Of course, in most cases, the kids go home to parents who teach them that one color is better than the other, that one faith is better than another, my god kicks you god's fat, hairy pimpled celestial ass etc.

Not true.

Here's the deal folks. Pass this on to your kids. Maybe then we'll break the circle.

all colors are good, all colors are bad
all faiths are good, all faiths are bad
all gods suck ass. if they didn't, there'd be no death and no suffering.
there is only on race. the human race. better to run together than go it alone.