Last
Sunday night I attended what was called a Candle Light Vigil for Syria. My friend Charlie Johnson who spoke at the
event invited me. Charlie is the pastor
of Bread Fellowship in Fort Worth and had been tweeting for weeks about the
tragedy in Syria. Some Dallas Syrians
picked up his tweets and invited him to join in the vigil and to share his
thoughts.
Around
9pm about 75 people gathered at the Grassy Knoll in Dealey Plaza in downtown
Dallas to remember the ongoing suffering of the people of Syria who live under
the endless brutality of the Assad regime.
Descriptions
of some of the horrors of the conflict were read. Poems and prayers were given. People lit candles and raised them in
solidarity. There were speakers,
including Charlie, whose own words were calm and encouraging but passionate and
wise.
As
far as I could tell Charlie and I were the only ones there who were not of
Syrian descent. I had hoped there might
be a more diverse group of support.
The
atrocities taking place daily in Syria is not simply a problem of the
Arabs. It is a problem for all
humanity. The plague of violence going
on there transcends all races and religions.
You cannot be a human being and not be outraged by the barbarism of the
Assad regime against its own people.
The
politics of it all are complicated. I
keep wanting the US government to be more involved, to offer more public
support, to step in with humanitarian or even military support. But so far our government is taking a very
cautious approach.
According
to a recent Pew Research Center poll, 64% of Americans, a mix of both
Republicans and Democrats, are opposed to any US involvement in Syria. And yet the same poll shows that some 54% of
Americans, mostly Republicans, are perfectly fine with going against Iran to
stop their nuclear programs.
Why
are Americans more worried about a nuclear Iran which we’re not sure even exists? Their primitive nuclear projects are not a threat
to the US or anyone. There is no proof
they are building a nuclear bomb. Speculation,
yes. Rumors, yes. Fears, yes.
But so far, no proof.
In
the meantime, you cannot watch the evening news or browse the Internet without
seeing the actual real time slaughter going on in Syria. And yet it seems to be off the radar for most
Americans.
64%
of us say we should leave it alone; just walk away.
The
war in Iraq was all made up. There was
no threat there to America. And yet it
was fully supported by most Americans.
Even after we found out there were no weapons of mass destruction, that
Saddam Hussein was not involved in 911, that not a single terrorist involved in
the horrific attack against us was even from there or had any connection
whatsoever to Hussein or his government; still, Americans supported that
war. It cost us a trillion dollars and
thousands of American soldiers and countless Iraqi civilians destroyed in the
process. And it has made little
difference in that country. The Kurds,
Sunni, and Shia are still killing each other every day in the midst of their so
called democracy. But very few Americans
seem bothered by any those facts and most still think we did the right thing by
invading that country.
And
yet, 64% of us want nothing to do with Syria.
The
war in Afghanistan rolls along taking the lives of our brave soldiers, leaving
thousands of others of them maimed for life, or ruined by traumatic brain
injuries, or emotionally crippled by post traumatic stress disorder.
Most
Americans are finally tired of that war and are ready for it to end. According to a just released AP (Associated
Press) poll only 27% of Americans support our military presence in
Afghanistan. But President Obama says we
need another two years there in order to make a responsible exit.
All
the while, 64% of us say leave Syria alone.
With
all that happened in Iraq, and still in Afghanistan, I can understand why most
of us feel that way. People are weary
with the loss of American lives and the expense of military spending. But if there was ever a reason to fight for
an oppressed people, to stop a vicious dictator from committing genocide, to
end a diabolical regime of greed and monstrous inhuman behavior, the Syrian
conflict is it.
In
the midst of this hideous nightmare brave people struggle to survive. A small band of highly overpowered
revolutionaries continue to fight to protect their families and people. Many of them are deeply religious; they hope
and pray for help to come.
The
spirit of those I saw and heard and met Sunday night seems invincible. Their family members, friends, and loved ones
in Syria carry on under unthinkable circumstances. They all believe the human community will
surely reach out to assist them.
I
am overcome by their courage and their hope in the existence of goodness and I
am reminded that even in darkness some flowers still bloom.
©
2012 Timothy Moody
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