Friday, November 17, 2023
A couple of years ago in a conversation with the publisher of Amandala, he expressed the opinion that we were just shouting into the wind, that the younger generation wasn’t listening to us, that their interests were centered elsewhere. At the time I refused to believe that theory, but the current conflict in Gaza has proven him right. The norms that we grew up respecting and believing are antiquated and outdated, and the older generation is out of step in this new world. We should start paying more attention to our children’s and grandchildren’s view of the world, of politics, of religion, of fairness!
The government of Belize is in step with the younger generation and with the majority of the nations, not their leaders, but their people, in condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza. I was just reading in the New York Times about the disconnect between the British government, and its people. While the government supports Israel, the majority of the populace does not. All this has nothing to do with politics; it’s about fairness. It’s about seeing the constant bombardment of a ghetto that is defenseless, and the unacceptable loss of lives of thousands, especially children.
I’m not so naive as to not recognize the barbarism of Hamas; no one should be, in my opinion. What they did to the border regions on October 7 is indefensible. I understand fighting for one’s freedom; this was much more than that, this was terrorism! And we can discuss the history and the cause for this hatred at some other time, but right now most of the world believes that the response from Israel is too indiscriminate, too destructive, especially to the innocent civilians. Israel has to also realize that the world has moved on, that they have to change their policy regarding the Palestinians living in an apartheid state! That the younger generation will not look too kindly on the overkill! That the world will not turn a blind eye anymore, to the way the Palestinians are being treated, especially by Netanyahu and his cabal!
The Council of Churches in Belize has called upon the government to change its policies regarding Israel and the Palestinians! The Council of Churches should look inward at themselves and their own policies. Why they are losing members, why young people don’t believe what they preach anymore because of their hypocrisy, why in some counties in Texas the evangelicals are banning the Bible because it’s too woke! Stay in your lane and take care of your flocks, and your so-called leaders, who are more interested in politics than in religion!
The world has moved on; gerontocracy might be still acceptable in governance, but the young will decide our future. We, the older generation, had better stop, take a breath, and listen to them. The old ways are exactly that: old! In politics, in religion, in economics, in lifestyles, this new society is taking over. The young, the impatient, the hungry, and the new. There’s hardly a distinction between the sexes for them; it’s all fungible. Race and class and education and religion and even relationships are not being translated or understood in the same old ways anymore. The world is moving on, or has already moved on!
Glen