Internecine

Well, they are at it again, not that they ever really stop. The Israelis and the Palestinians are killing each other. At this point, I wonder if they even know why.

I am reminded of what happened during a State Supreme Court argument that I was involved in. Two State Agencies were battling about the rules for casinos that both had an interest in. The Agencies went back and forth attacking each other until one of the Justices leaned into his microphone and spoke words that I have never forgotten. “Gentlemen,” he said, “we are not interested in your petty internecine squabbles.” At the time, I had to look up “internecine”. I found out that it means “destructive to both sides in a conflict.”

That Justice was so right about what we were doing.  It was ridiculous. What were we fighting about? Really. Both agencies had serious things to do, but how insignificant and unimportant in the general scheme of our public obligations was fighting with each other? It seemed important to us, but that was the problem. 

And our Agency dispute, arguing about casino rules, seems even more pointless and insignificant when compared to the one that regularly kills Israelis and Palestinians. But, is the lesson of that Justice any less important? Just like us, all of the reasons for the continuing slaughter over there seem important to them. And that is the problem.

It is cliched and trite to talk about what our planet looks like from space – how there are no boundaries or divisions – how there is just a magnificent blue marble that would be going about its business whether we were on it or not. Cliched and trite, yes, but also true. Our impact on this beautiful orb seems mainly to find ways to destroy it. We call ourselves, “civilized.” Really?

The Israelis and the Palestinians are not alone.  All kinds of folks see themselves as separate parts of our Earth and act uncivilized as a result. Sometimes, it is because of a map. Sometimes, it is because of what their great-great-great-great (I could go on) grandparents happened to believe.

And that is the way we now live on this planet. “Internecine” – destructive to both sides of a conflict.”