Response to editorial

In the Jan. 1 editorial, “Carrot and Shtick,” the Jewish Light correctly points out that Nentanyahu froze “settlement” building four years ago to no avail. The editorial attributes this failure to “slow play” by the Palestinians … whatever that means. Does that mean Palestinians don’t want “peace” as much as they want to destroy the Jewish State? 

The Light criticizes Bibi for agreeing to build on land that is well known to be part of what’s left of Israel in any agreed two-state solution. 

I’m not going to comment on the wisdom of freeing cold blooded murderers who are celebrated by those who you wish to have peace with. Or the fact that this new Arab entity must be Judenrein.   Surely a harbinger of peaceful relations?

One definition of insanityis doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. 

So…? 

Bruce H. Mazer, University City

A mom’s wish for 2014 

I wasn’t good at keeping most of the promises I made to myself in 2013, except one. I made sure I said goodbye and wished my children well each morning before school. To my older daughters, I sometimes whispered to a closed door or yelled up a flight of stairs, more like a prayer I hoped some one or thing in the universe heard. But my 5-year-old was almost always up, and I woke her when she wasn’t. I needed the ritual of kissing her each morning, telling her I’d see her after work. It settled me, not unlike most parents, I’m sure, but it felt different this past year. 

The unimaginable Sandy Hook shootings sent me reeling and opened my eyes to the thousands of children injured or killed by guns. It’s why I started each morning trying to set things right, at least with my three.

As a hospital social worker, I knew something about gun violence before Dec. 14, 2012. But, I’m sad to say, the impact of encountering tragedy in one family, or even the Aurora and Columbine shootings, didn’t stay with me as long. I moved on, for the most part.

No longer. Moving on is unacceptable. 

This letter is a wish for action; that, as a country, we’ll recognize the link between easy access to guns and kids dying, and demand measures that will protect our children, obvious things, like universal background checks. But it’s also a wish that each person’s potential, that mysterious spark the oldest among us share with the youngest, thrive unfettered by even the worry of violence. Inevitably, death will take this from each of us, but far too many are being denied their futures due to violent acts that will continue if we don’t wake up and, yes, demand change, but also wake up inside and grasp the beautiful moment that is life, and hold it dearly for the generations to come. 

Kim Selig, St. Louis