The Stages

Originally posted Novemeber 14, 2000

It's gone from occassional rock throwing to daily road closures.

It's gone from throwing rocks at passing cars to sniping at them with automatic weapons.

It's gone from sniping at cars with automatic weapons to standing at the side of the road and firing on passing cars and busses.

It's gone from standing at the side of the road and firing at passing cars and busses to drving alongside a car or bus and opening fire.

It's gone from having your car hit by rocks to having your car hit by bullets.

My neighbor is in the hospital, a victim of Arab terror with 5 bullets removed from his belly.

And this morning I had to tell my children that they wouldn't have gym today because yesterday, along with an 18 and a 19 year old soldier, their gym teacher, a 42 year old mother of 5, were shot and killed in a drive-by.

But somehow, it's all still Israel's fault.

It's weird. They say that most of the victims (and I use this term loosely) have been Palestinians. Mostly between the ages of 16-21 and generally termed "young Palestinan". Of course they'd be the majority. They're rioting. When you see a tank roll up your street and a voice demanding you disperse and go home, there's no heroism in throwing a rock at it.

But the Israeli victims...the majority who are between the ages of 18-25...they aren't classified as "young Israelis". Why not? Because most of them are soldiers. It seems one loses one's humanity in the media when one is a dead soldier.