A Work in Progress

I want to explain how I approached this account of my trip.  I intended to write this as a way to keep my family and close friends updated on my experiences.  Every post was off the top of my head - I reflected on each issue that I wrote about, but there were no rough drafts, no rephrasing for political correctness, etc.  I realize I am still very young and very new to these issues, and I do hope that my opinions and tactics evolve as I continue to learn more and listen to different people.  My continuing goal is to always remain open-minded and ready to hear all different sides of the issue.  Recently, another of my good friends who is Jewish was offended by my opinion that the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem has a political overtone due to the tremendous military presence.  I can’t help what I saw and felt, and I tried to keep my account of Israel/Palestine based on my own personal experience and not on biases or presumptions.  At the same time, I never want to offend people - I want to at least justify where I’m coming from.  I’m very passionate about this issue, but it can be difficult to convey the urgency and despair I feel to people who have no means of grasping this issue in a palpable manner, whether it’s due to the media, cultural assumptions, etc.  I wanted to document my trip in case anyone does want to hear about what the Holy Land is really like right now.  I can only show one person’s view, and it’s only from my eyes, but it’s a start.