"No Man is an Island ...For Whom the Bell Tolls"

In these trouble times this famous passage by John Donne (1573-1631) is something we all should remember. "No Man is an Island ...For Whom the Bell Tolls... Now this bell tolling softly for another, says to me, Thou must die. ...No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee...

I remember this passage from my old high school English teacher and if you think about its meaning and if we can get others to think about its meaning, especially the part that says "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind" maybe the violence in the Middles East between Jew and Arab would dimish? Can we can really subdue hate with love, darkness with light. The moment we give up on peace is the moment all hope fails. Fighting amongst ourselves when our true enemies remain in power is what will destroy us all - American, Jew, Arab, Australian, Swedish and Korean. Stick together, walk together, finds alternative ways to reach a common ground instead of hating, killing for nothing more then to call a little piece of Earth Isreal or Palestine. Thats not to say that one should not fight for your own rights, there are times one mustl? The trick is to determine when to talk and when talking has been exhausted and it time for a fight. Leaders know a great deal before they let on when all efforts have been exhausted and they often are spoiling for a fight, they will play on the their people's fears ... we the people must be able to shift through the crap our leaders tell us and be able to make a educated decision if the current course is the correct course. The moment we give into that fear that our way of life - everything we hold sacred could end... that's the moment that it becomes true. Whether you agree or disagree with the current war in Iraq or the situation taking shape in Isreal I would like to remind everyone that it is very important to document the events around you in an objective manner. Don't cast blame on one side and not the other without knowing all the facts. Documentation must trump propaganda. Despite my mindset of objectivity and observation, I do have a high regard for my country, community, law enforcement and leaders, this war in Iraq I feel is not justified but my patriotism is as strong as any conservative republican.