Peace in Gaza

Today a peace vigil was scheduled for noon - two in the triangle in the center of Durham. I looked out at the storm today and thought "they'll never hold a vigil in this weather." I went about cleaning out my bathroom cabinets and then ironed some fabric and got ready to make a pot holder.

My phone rang about 5 minutes before the scheduled vigil, and it was Andrea, saying she was about to leave her house and drive to Durham. Well, what am I, a fair-weather vigiller? (vigilante?) I said, o.k., I'll walk into town and meet you there. I donned snow pants, two layers of socks, my new warm Ugg-type boots, jacket, scarf, hat and new, waterproof ski gloves, grabbed a waterproof sign from the basement which says "War is unhealthy for children and other growing things" and walked on into town on unplowed roads, with about 10 inches of snow on the ground and still coming down hard.

Much to my surprise and delight, there was a good turnout of people holding signs calling for peace in Gaza, including one of my former Poetry & Fiction students who told me how much he had loved my class. That always makes me feel good, and doubly good that he is now a peace activist with the UNH Peace and Justice League. Today's event was organized by them and the Students for a Democratic Society at Oyster River High, so of course, I saw some kids from there whom I also know.

One of the great things about today's vigil was the fact that there was a Palestinian man there with his children and an Egyptian man with his children. Just talking with them was an interesting experience. There were some other regular vigilers who are often in Portsmouth on a Friday night, including one guy from my neighborhood who has made it his business to give away signs saying "Support the Troops, End the War," by placing them on his lawn with "Free" signs on them. He has managed to populate our neighborhood with those signs.

After an hour and a half, with frozen toes and noses and fingers numb from holding our signs, Andrea and I went for hot drinks at the Bagelry, then she drove me home on the still unplowed streets of my neighborhood. I reflected on how our momentary discomfort from standing in the snow was so easily remedied; how we have warm homes to return to, free of the fear and uncertainty which must accompany daily life in Gaza.

Momentary peace has come to Gaza. Not even peace, really, but a cessation of the massive military assault by the Israelis. If you view the images of destruction in Gaza, including schools, hospitals, homes and mosques, you know that peace will not return to Gaza any time soon. Perhaps, in a generation, or more likely two generations, peace might return. But those families whose lives have been devastated by the deaths of loved ones and the loss of their homes, will be unlikely to find peace in a week-long ceasefire.

I would like to hear our government speak with one voice to support the end of the violence between Israel and Palestine. We cannot take either side in this conflict, in my view, and to that end, our heavy financial support of the Israeli military machine must stop. It is not how I want my tax dollars spent. Now is the time to modify our policy, and it is already too late for 1100 Palestinians, most of whom were civilians. It is time for change, both here and in the Middle East.