I forgot to mention all the interesting instruments at the Irish Slow Jam last night. Besides fiddles, guitars, and tin whistles, there were accordions, two banjos, a mountain dulcimer (should I bring mine sometime?), and quite a few mandolins. I love seeing - and hearing - all those instruments! And there is a bodhran player who keeps the beat, and once we have the song down pretty well on the first or second time through, then he speeds it up for the third (and sometimes fourth) go-around. I was surprised how well I did this time compared to past times, but maybe I am learning the tunes, since more of them seem familiar. Even if I'm not sure I've heard them before, my fingers seem to know where to go.
Today I worked on campus, and it was very cold. As I was waiting for the bus, across the street there was a pro-Palestine rally, and I thought it was very brave of them to stand around waving flags and chanting in the bitter cold. Some people honked as they passed by, but I'm not sure if they were for or against them. I personally think you can be in favor of a Palestinian state without either being anti-Semitic or thinking that it's okay for terrorists to rape and kill Israelis. It seems like everyone wants to make it a very us-versus-them kind of debate, but to me it's simple: innocent Israelis should not be killed. Innocent Palestinians should not be killed. I don't like either of their governments, but I feel for both groups of people. We shouldn't gloss over either the evils that occurred during the founding of the State of Israel (and the ongoing suppression of the Palestinians by the Israeli government) or the terrible things Hamas did in October. Finding a way forward will not involve an eye for an eye, believe me.
Famous Hat
No comments:
Post a Comment