Hope for Lebanon

Every day at lunch, one of my co-workers and I pour over the latest events out of Lebanon. Having very like minds on the subject, we've become fast friends in the last couple weeks. (It helped that we went through our intensive training together.) She is a first generation American from Lebanon. She came to the United States when she was nine and became an American citizen as a young teenager. (We've also discussed the whole illegal issue as well...don't get her started. She's darn proud to be an American, legally.)

One of the more profound statements she has made to me in the last few lunch/Middle Eastern problem solving sessions has been that she and her whole family are pulling for Israel. They're tired of Hezbollah and other Islamic fascists ruining their otherwise beautiful country.

Sandy, or so she'll be called on this site, has explained in great detail what it is like in Lebanon, not only having grown up there, but also visiting for weeks at a time in the summers. Beirut, she explains, is almost entirely Christian. She said women could walk around in clothing almost as skimpy as the girls do out here without fear of death. (Amazing, I know.)

However, north and south of Beirut is densely muslim. She said driving around in those areas is frightening, even for someone who knows the language and culture. Along the sides of the roads there are billboards with suicide bombers portrayed as heroes. Their picture (the "before" shot, obviously) is displayed along side pictures of the wreckage they caused and scriptures from the Qu'ran praising their "sacrifice."

Sandy's greatest hope is that Israel would rid her native country of the influence of these thugs who have been ruining the beauty of Lebanon and threatening their very western way of life. I've heard this echoed by other Lebanese callers to local radio stations.

I haven't read much of the news lately, but something tells me this sentiment will most likely not making to the final editing board for the NYTimes.