Cease-fire Now

The majority of Santa Barbarans just want an end to murder and savagery. We just want law and order to prevail, and we want to feel we are all together, and are embracing our own local diversity, and doing so with love and compassion for all.

The county’s vote of support for Israel, presented to a Jewish rabbi, in the absence of any local Muslims in the room, is silly, unrealistic, and a divisive exercise. The vote certainly does not represent my interests in maintaining a peaceful community here.

Is it in our collective well-being’s interest to take sides in this conflict? Every side is doing evil things over there and have been doing so for decades.

If we are interested in maintaining unity within our greater community, we should be passing a resolution to be in favor of a cessation of all hostilities on both sides. Then we should support efforts for future peace.

I would like to see a UN peacekeeping force deployed in Israel-Palestine, perhaps peacekeepers who know something about racism and apartheid.

I think of two countries off the bat: Ireland and South Africa, each a victim of colonial and racial injustice brought by imperialist and/or religiously based oppression.

County supervisors could pass a resolution for cease-fire now! That would be in the interests of all Santa Barbara County residents — except, perhaps, for the interests of the various weapons-making industries based here!