Coke vs. Pepsi
Nike vs. Adidas
India vs. Pakistan
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
Hamilton vs. Burr
Yankees vs. Red Sox
Michigan vs. Ohio State
Apple vs. Microsoft
Athens vs. Sparta
Hatfield vs. McCoy
Let’s intensify it a bit…
Batman vs. Joker
Harry Potter vs. Voldemort
Loki vs. Thor
Sherlock Holmes vs. Professor Moriarty
Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader
But those have never been real. Let’s intensify it a bit more…
North vs. South Korea
Russia vs. Ukraine
Irish Catholics vs. Anglo-Irish Protestants
Sunni vs. Shia
Cain vs. Abel
And let’s make it even more real…
Democrats vs. Republicans
Dare we say briefly more this day?
The pitting of the latter two rivals is often ugly and intense. My strong sense is that each is more successful when they focus on what they have in common, coming together to solve the problems that plague the country most. I believe, too, they serve the public poorly when they focus most on what’s wrong with the other. They are less efficient, less integrous, and make fewer people want to be like them.
“Can’t we all just get along?”
Unfortunately and understandably, many don’t believe such is possible ever again.
And while I may be an optimist, here’s where I differ. Why?
733 days. 1,195 originally murdered. 251 hostages. Reports estimate that in the conflict, over 92,000 people have since died.
Let’s be clear: Israel and Hamas don’t believe the same thing. They aren’t just rivals; they are enemies. An enemy is marked by his hate. And yet this week, two groups of people who hate each other agreed that they needed to find a better path. Their previously chosen paths were destructive and serving their constituents poorly.
Let us thus state the current situation bluntly but clearly…
If Israel and Hamas can find a way toward peace — two groups of people who often kill because of disagreement — Democrats and Republicans can find a way, as well. These government shutdowns often seem silly — hurting people who don’t deserve it — and sadly, they most resemble exercises in mutual hypocrisy with the parties changing words and roles, contradicting what they said before pending who’s in power now. The parties would serve the public better if they would each be wiser. Sharpen each other. And quit blaming the other all the time.
Yes, we need peace here, too.
Respectfully…
AR