Once upon a time I worked with people with disabilities. I met a man with Cerebral Palsy. He is Palestinian. I am ashamed to say that until I met Esmat, I had no idea what/where/who Palestine was or the horror facing the people of this nation. He had to educate me on the Israel war on Palestine and how their nation was demolished.

He was the most polite, patient person I had ever met barring my mother-in-law who I regard as a saint (I am not religious). He invited me into his home. I met his family. I helped him find a job but he did much more for me. He told me of the custom of welcoming your enemy when asked for help.

All of the insane propaganda about Islam fell from my eyes. His sister Heba became like part of our own family, helping me with my unruly daughter. First he and his family had moved to Kuwait-they had to flee for their lives-then to Jordan and finally to the US. I honestly don't know if they ended up regretting it.

On 9/11 I feared for their lives. I have not seen or heard from the family since. I cannot blame them for running for cover once again. I don't know why the American press does not accurately portray the struggle for freedom. How is it that thousands of Palestinians are dead and Israel so aggrieved that they built the new Berlin Wall? Isolating whole towns, building new settlements-perhaps I should call them occupations-in the lands set aside for Palestinians screams wrong to me.

Do we condone such behavior because we did the same to Native Americans? When I voice my dissenting opinion, I am jeered at and ridiculed.

I have been told I don't belong in my own city in Texas because I opposed re-election for Bush. I wonder that no one seems to see correlations between his policies and (god help me for saying this) the Nazis? If I were a religious person, I would pray sanity would return to the world. I would pray that the genocide of peoples would be fought against instead of glossed over as civil conflicts.

I would pray. Instead I write letters of support, I vote, I occasionally rant and rave about the disgusting injustices of the world. I also hope the world knows that not all Americans support Israel, or Bush for that matter. I hope that Esmat and his family are safe and happy. I hope that I will not be punished by Homeland Security for writing this letter. Am I being paranoid or simply realistic? Perhaps I will pray after all.

Grieving in Austin, Texas

Michelle Yost