In the the recent speeches President Trump made in Sunni-populated Saudi Arabia and Jewish Israel, he did not make any positive connections with Shite-populated Iran, Syria, and others in the Middle East.
The U.S. made a lucrative arms deal, that includes missiles with the capability of attaching nuclear war heads, with Saudi Arabia worth $110 billion today and an additional $350 billion over ten years. Would that arms deal have gone through if Trump expressed a desire for better relationships with the Shites? In my opinion, no.
The Sunnis and Shites have a centuries-old battle going on and both have been guilty of creating terrorist networks. The American Civil War in the 1800’s, and even the smaller scale Hatfield’s fight with the McCoy’s still, years later, reverberates tensions among next-door neighbors.
The pen (now the keyboard) is mightier than the sword and young children, who have more common sense than adults, are our last hope to communicate with one-time enemies.
How about our schools initiating a digital pen pal program? This program is one I have tried to get going here in Durango, and have presented to Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Department of Education, for over a year without success.
Any suggestions to get this “can’t-be-that-difficult” digital penpal program going are welcome for this non-political “Golden Rule” idea. Call (970) 382-8086 or email sallygo@bresnan.net.
Sally Florence
Durango
