Kendall Stanley: Pure evil
Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 can only be described as pure evil.
Over the past several decades, Israel has battled the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hamas, Hezbollah — but never, ever, has the brutality displayed by Hamas been part of that long-simmering unrest in the Middle East.
The beheading of children and soldiers, the rape and torture of women, the burning alive of concertgoers in their cars and the immolation of whole families in their homes in a kibbutz — the inhumanity is unprecedented.
The conventions of war would have it that civilians are not targeted. Totally ignored here and young and old, men and women, children and seniors were killed wantonly.
President Biden has put the U.S. in the right place at this time.
As The Washington Post editorial board put it, “At a time when the United States, and the world, desperately need decency and moral clarity, President Biden has provided both. His words regarding the wanton atrocities Hamas has committed against hundreds of Israeli civilians, as well as many Americans and citizens of other countries, in the past week have been unequivocal. In remarks to a gathering of American Jewish leaders Wednesday, he described the mass murder as “sheer evil” and likened it to “the worst atrocities of ISIS.”
“In condemning the terrorism, and offering support to Israel’s military response, the president also reminded the new emergency war government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of its responsibilities under “the law of war.” These measured statements put the United States in just the right place: supportive of Israel but positioned, if need be, to influence and temper its response.”
As I write this Israel had told Gazans to head to the south of the Gaza Strip, away from Gaza City. Given its past, Israel’s retribution will come hard and fast.
Hamas wants to eliminate Jews. Israel will never rest easily until that threat is eliminated, a possibility as Israel responds to Hamas’ inhumanity.
Fauna
You don’t see them all the time, but nature’s critters are making the city all their own.
The other day I was taking some grass clippings from my yard and right across the street I looked up at a doe and her two youngsters calmly munching away, impervious to me and the cars driving by.
Not just for a little while. For like 20 minutes until they wandered down to the street for another round of feeding.
I shouldn’t be surprised they are that close to the house – when I mow my lawn I can spot their beds and they have a trail that runs between three houses. One doe spent the spring going down between our house and the one next door to lay down and spend the afternoon in our backyard.
I’m, guessing, just to guess, that if the deer are running freely through the city there are probably a coyote or more keeping track of the lame, elderly and youngest. I’ve not heard any, unlike Arizona where I can hear coyotes many times over the winter.
Then the other night I went out to start the grill and lo and behold — three racoons!
Yeah, I know some people think they are cute and cuddly. They’re not. And they are not much for backing down if you want them to vamoose.
Mom definitely wasn’t in need of the seeds in the bird feeder.
Long and fat I’d guess she was upwards of 20 pounds. She was big.
I’d like to think that running them off will keep them away. There is zero chance of that happening as long as the feeder is up.
Flora
OK, when did hydrangeas become a thing? And not a little thing but a big big thing.
One doesn’t have to go back too many years when there were no hydrangeas in yards, but now it seems that every house, or at least a ton of them, have hydrangeas in many different colors, shapes and configurations.
They are everywhere! I was out in the country a few days ago and even far from manicured city lawns there they were, around houses, by the dozens.
I guess the word went out at some point — hey if you want to plant a cool bush buy a hydrangea!
— Kendall P. Stanley is retired editor of the News-Review. He can be contacted at kendallstanley@charter.net. The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer and not necessarily of the Petoskey News-Review or its employees.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Kendall Stanley: Pure evil
