It’s not a terribly happy Friday today. I’m good but the world appears to be in more of a mess than usual. All week, we’ve seen the news about Gaza, it feels unbearable, I can’t watch, can’t listen to this. Then I think about how unbearable it must be to live it. To know that there is nothing you can do to stop the bombing and prevent your children dying. To stop this illegal, collective punishment because that’s what it is. Then I can’t not watch. I sign the petitions, I’ve written to my MP but it seems that the only thing I can do, is watch.

Yes, there are other awful things going on in the Middle East, in Syria and Iraq. I know it and I’m as angry about that and about the world’s lack of response to those situations too. The difference? ISIS isn’t pretending it’s moral, the Syria govt is not pretending that it’s trying to avoid killing children. The Israelis are. If they truly mourn the loss of life, they’d stop. Other links this week are about the Welfare State, racism in football in the 70’s and an abortionist.  I know, so if your Friday needs more fun, scroll to the bottom of the post for the ‘happy’ links!

1) Israel’s other war. Tell me again that what’s going on in Gaza isn’t bad for Israelis.

2) Jon Snow blog on Gaza.

3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACgwr2Nj_GQ

4) I know that there’s a lot more work to do on racism in this country but we’ve come a long way from the 70’s. West Brom’s Three Degrees

5) Welfare needs a rethink

6) The abortion ministry of Willie Parker. This man is a hero and some parts of this made me tear up because of this:

“The protesters say they’re opposed to abortion because they’re Christian,” Parker says. “It’s hard for them to accept that I do abortions because I’m a Christian.” He gave up obstetrics to become a full-time abortionist on the day, five years ago, that George Tiller was murdered in church.

and this

He was teaching at the university when a fundamentalist administrator began trying to ban abortions in the school clinic, throwing students with an unwanted pregnancy into a panic. One day, he was listening to a sermon by Dr. King on the theme of what made the Good Samaritan good. A member of his own community passed the injured traveler by, King said, because they asked, “What would happen to me if I stopped to help this guy?” The Good Samaritan was good because he reversed the question: “What would happen to this guy if I don’t stop to help him?” So Parker looked in his soul and asked himself, “What happens to these women when abortion is not available?”

7) This is why I just can’t listen to the Israeli spokesman anymore.

8) Jenny, who ran the Palestine marathon this year wrote about the scouts who handed out water bottles and what they’re doing now.

On a lighter note:

Another brilliantly funny review of a crazysauce book.

The anatomy of songs!