To Doug Ruzicka: Putting word in people’s mouths is like licking toe jam from a pen. Sir, if you cannot tell truth from lies, say nothing at all, then you will not have to keep cleaning your feet with your mouth. Stop insulting this community’s citizens with your demeaning words of hate and war. Isn’t it obvious to you, my family and those hundreds of thousands of families who are now displaced in Lebanon, by Israel and its U.S. allies, have a right to life as much as you do?

For shame that you would allow this public to believe, even remotely, that I personally blame you and your family for the murderous events in the Middle East. I don’t even know your family. I blame myself as well, and every citizen of this country, for the long blanketed silence of the American public voice. Whatever it takes to inform each other of the fast approaching and impending disasters headed our way should be more of a survival interest rather than being taken as an accusation toward you being a murderer.

Research on a daily basis helps us to keep informed on the world’s war events, and because I truly believe we are all in this mess together, whether you like it or not, I feel we should be trying to understand the alternate options, instead of waiting for the bomb to drop. Victory is not measured by how many homes, civilian bridges, airports, roads, ports, you blow up. Victory is not measured by the number of civilians you kill. Victory is not measured by the thousands of U.S.-made cluster bombs left to litter South Lebanon, killing more children in the process. Look these concepts up and try to adhere to them. It may help you sleep well at night.

Maka Fairman