CLEVELAND — The heartbreaking stories and images coming out of Israel and Gaza over the last few weeks have been difficult to cope with, made worse by escalating acts and words of hate around the world and even here in Northeast Ohio.
Here at 3News, we know that we're stronger as a region when we stand together, and stand against hate, and below, we're sharing a poetic reflection called "Lives in the Balance" from our 3News contributor, and spoken word artist, Chris Webb.
Hate is a virus that infects and is so difficult to cure.
We find it in our pasts and pass it to the future that’s in store.
We let it grow in politics, traditions, families, and sections,
-But the thing about hate is, it blinds the eye, and lacks discretion.
Hate corrodes hearts, thoughts, and minds, mixes with vengeance, pain, and power,
Turns the greatest of intentions dark, and the cleanest hearts sour.
And when when hate climbs in and clouds, you don’t see people, you see sides,
'Cause it dehumanizes to the point where death is justified.
And when our hate is mixed with fear, it’s them or us, we shun the other,
And forget the sons, daughters, leaders, peacemakers, friends, and mothers,
And I see hate in the ways we speak about the current war,
Forgetting the toll on the innocence which we all should abhor.
This poem is not about Israel and Hamas, it’s about us.
How we react to conflict, chaos, bias, hatred, and mistrust.
Can we be blinded? Can hate spread to the point we forget ourselves?
And disappear into our sides, boarding them shut with rusted nails?
In our desire for justice, our hope to make right each tragic instance,
Can we not forget the human lives impacted in the distance?
Concert-goers, friends and families, strangers sitting in their homes,
School children, lovers on a date, employees on the street alone.
This cost of war is high and strong, and packed with history and fear,
-But through all the complicated factors, some things are crystal clear,
Life is still precious, and the loss of it in every form is tragic,
Hate is contagious, and with it comes calamity and havoc,
Even winners lose in war, those losses alter generations,
Heartbeats, futures, regions, progress, friendships, peoples, ideals, nations.
Is it possible to count the cost and not shun or belittle,
And be empathetic toward those lives that are caught in the middle?
Because hate has sides, but we can find over the gates and wall -
-The love to not lose sight that many never wanted war at all.
So as we seek justice, and want safety, and watch this toil and challenge,
Let our passion be born out of love for those lives in the balance.