On Syria

Tonight, I walked home from work.  On my way, I passed a man and woman arguing on the sidewalk.  They didn't seem to know each other.  As I walked closer, I could hear and see the verbal assault escalating.  When I was about to pass them, the man spit on the woman and walked away.  She shouted "someone call the police" and continued to follow the man.

I felt bad, for both of them.  For the woman, no one deserves to be spit on.  For the man, why were you driven to such actions?  I didn't see what caused the argument.  Probably something stupid.  But as a third party, I couldn't help but feel obliged to do something.  I should have done something right?

It pains me that my country is in this same predicament.  Except, more than spit and a few harsh words are on the line.  People are dying.  Should we do something?  What are the options?

I won't pretend to know much about the confrontation--I don't.  I'm just a person walking by.  But, I do know that violence doesn't cure hate.  Americans don't want to fund another war far away from home.  So, we wait for government to decide.  Should we defend our stance against chemical weapons?  Should we do anything at all?

I have no answers to these questions.  But somehow I'm hoping we "do the right thing".  Is there a right thing?  Someone is going to lose.  Who am I to ask "what should we do?"  Just keep walking.  Just keep walking. 

Permission Slips

Remember permission slips--those little half-sheets from school to be signed and returned no later than 3:00PM Friday.  If you didn't have your form, you were screwed. I still see people searching for "permission" and here's my advice--sign your own paper. Don't wait for someone else's approval to get your hands dirty. You won't be graceful at first, but even the best start somewhere. Do you think Michael Jordan asked for permission before dribbling the ball to his neighborhood court?

Usually, we wait because we're afraid. Who wants to look like a fool? Then again, who's really making the mistake?  I'd rather be on the court missing shots than sitting in the bleachers laughing. It's like Double Dutch. For a while you just stand there watching. Then you figure out the pattern and calculate your entry. Finally, you jump in and pray you don't step on any ropes.  But if you never leap, what will you learn? What do you gain? You don't need any more signatures--only your own.

Date: August 31, 2013   

Signature: Brian Hertzog