Presentations

I really enjoyed listening to both Dr. Ellin and the panel of veteran soldiers that came to present their views Wednesday.

Dr. Ellin was well versed in the study of the Jewish/Palestine conflict. One thing in particular that I found interesting was that the wall being built around Israel is a "security barrier" used to protect Israeli citizens from suicide barriers. According to Dr. Ellin, since this wall has been built, the number of attacks have decreased significantly. I had never thought of the wall this way, and if it is really one of the main reasons it is being built, it is not as offensive as I once viewed it. He also provided us with an informative hand out about "A (Partial) Collection of Jimmy Carter's Falsehoods" disputing some of the facts in Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. One of the most interesting points I found in this article was that the wall being built, supposedly in Palestinian land, is not at all true, it has been built on disputed grounds and at certain points, veers into Israeli land.

Lt. Phillips, Sgt. Gilmer and Sgt. Merritt were also intriguing speakers. I was moved after listening to them speak about their trips to various parts of the Middle East, and it almost made me want to become apart of the military. Each spending over a decade in our armed forces, stories of war and assistance not only spoke of their character, but also of their feelings for our country. They are here to protect us and keeps us safe from threats of violence, whether they are real or imagined. Their presentation reminded me of who I am (an American) and what out freedom stands for. Even further, they have more knowledge and experience with the Middle East and their culture more than any other speaker to date, which I believe gives them more credit than most. By far, my favorite set of speakers to date :)