@Parsifal; thanks for the time, thought and effort you've put into expressing your views in this thread. Your frankness is refreshing and acknowledged.
For your most recent posts I noted the following in particular: "... I will not and cannot express sorrow and grief as you suggest or seem to want me to do....".
I suspect that's why you're finding some of my comments confronting.
Throughout my professional career as an educator I sought to develop systems, policies, processes and the expertise to minimise conflict and to resolve such when it still flared up.
As a pacifist I loathe violence - I was appalled, sickened and distressed by the slaughter of Israeli civilians by Hamas on October 7th, 2023. I'm sickened by what I regard as those in positions of power who default first to violence and who pursue Win-Lose outcomes. IMO they seem to think it's their right damage others. When they're fighters as with the IDF, Hamas, Houthis and Hezbollah I see that as 'par for the course' - they choose to engage in violence or they willingly comply with the edicts of political leaders.
But when their strategies damage babies, toddlers, kids, teenagers and vulnerable people including women looking after their kids; I find it absolutely unfair, irresponsible, appalling and distressing.
Nor am I alone in that, indeed many Israelis are also sickened and distressed by what they regard as Netanyahu's genocide against Palestinian civilians and have been speaking out and protesting in the streets despite the heavy-handed actions against them.
