taxis and politics

It is kind of fun getting into a taxi and asking who they think should be next American president. Most of them quickly state that although they love Americans, they hate our government (some more vehemently than others) We talk a bit and then they tell me that "wife Clinton" should be the next president. I then point out that Obama"s father was muslim, don't you think he would make a good president? "He is BLACK!" is almost always the response. (yes, racism is rampant here)
But yesterday, I had a very well read taxi driver that laid out the candidates and their platforms. He knew American politics really well. We started talking and I was quizzing him on what he thought was the answer to all of this mess in the region. He then started talking about Israel and their government...and then there was this phrase "they are not human." I knew this was coming, but never has it been said in such clear terms. I ached because I know that when one side of an argument thinks that the "enemy" is not human, they no longer "need" to treat them humanely. They can rationalize all of their "in-humane" treatment and do as they please (after all, if you treat a dog like a dog- no harm! but to treat a man like a dog, that is a crime. so, if you can convince yourself that they enemy is not human, you no longer have to attempt at humane treatment.)
But as I sat in the back of the car, aching because of the overwhelming problems facing this region, I was still thinking that maybe I have something to offer the reconciliation effort. It seems to come to my attention over and over and over again: the need for reconciliation and forgiveness. And although there are many expats here, many people seeking to make this country better- very few of them are interested in reconciliation.
So, in the midst of the Arabic frustration (150 vocab words THIS WEEK!!!) and the culture stress (being ripped off by taxi drivers is NO FUN!) and other stresses (moving houses, sorting out my luggage, time management issues) it was nice to be reminded of the end goal- a nice reminder of why I am torturing myself with this language stuff :)