tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post2748330522088354081..comments2024-03-29T05:33:43.878-04:00Comments on Murder is Everywhere: Guest Blogger, Bob Van Laerhoven: "Brussels, You're Very Sick...."Ovidia Yuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05749549092493567689noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-3514353670281708302016-04-12T18:46:30.020-04:002016-04-12T18:46:30.020-04:00Thank you, Josh. I just did what you asked, and ou...Thank you, Josh. I just did what you asked, and our princesses did huh-huh-huh, as always when they are very pleased (and Caroline blew kisses back), many greetings to Laurie and you from Caroline and me :-) ....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-67398916008857091142016-04-12T09:14:48.504-04:002016-04-12T09:14:48.504-04:00As always from you, Bob, a thoughtful, insightful ...As always from you, Bob, a thoughtful, insightful and deeply moving essay. Thanks for sharing so openly. And please give Caroline and Bruja and the other princesses a big hug from Laurie and me!joshpachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12123432071405643210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-51331628537150424482016-04-11T18:28:37.892-04:002016-04-11T18:28:37.892-04:00Thank you, Kathy, for your thoughtful post. Of cou...Thank you, Kathy, for your thoughtful post. Of course, it is true everywhere that taking innocent lives is terrible. I've been to countries in tatters, and the fate of the people there is branded in my soul. I was a travelling writer, I didn't think in terms of media headlines. My stories were accounts of what I saw and felt in countries like Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Gaza, and so on. Every life matters. But to be able to make every life matter, we have to understand those who have been lured into an apocalyptical and barbaric view on the world. And that is not easy at all, believe me. I took the terrorist attacks in Brussels as a starting point for trying to analyze the mindset of the Jihadists, but, truly, I'm just as moved and angered when I read about, for instance how the mad extremists of Boko Haram in Nigeria kill women and children...So I join you in your wish: let's all work to end these wars and let people live in peace....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-33860701708454325302016-04-11T00:03:51.168-04:002016-04-11T00:03:51.168-04:00I meant to say that taking innocent lives is terri...I meant to say that taking innocent lives is terrible, but that is true everywhere, including in wars. Human lives in the Middle East and Africa are as important as other lives, even though these names are not put in media headlines. But these lives matter.<br />We should work to end wars as any solution. They just create more destruction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-17533062127605357852016-04-11T00:00:35.645-04:002016-04-11T00:00:35.645-04:00One of the joys of being in New York City is seein...One of the joys of being in New York City is seeing people from probably all countries, religions, languages, cultures living together in peace and kindness. <br />Millions of people have suffered from years of war in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Syria and Yemen. Countries are in tatters, residents forced to live in terrible conditions or flee, through no fault of their own.<br />Now, the Syrians' fate is unknown, as they are being sent back to Turkey.<br />How is this condition of life acceptable to caring human beings? That children should have to live with or flee wars, bombs, destroyed housing, education, health facilities. Their desperate conditions are not their fault.<br />Let's all work to end these wars and let people live in peace and let the children have full lifetimes and lives, and the adults, too.<br />War is hell, the worst destruction to human lives. We should work to end them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-65967374863637095202016-04-10T18:10:59.423-04:002016-04-10T18:10:59.423-04:00Thank you, Jeffrey, I'm honored to have been a...Thank you, Jeffrey, I'm honored to have been able to publish this piece on a blog of such a fine company of authors...Cataclop cataclop...And what do I hear? Our horses are welcoming a trend... :-) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-61514230285819466242016-04-10T13:15:28.158-04:002016-04-10T13:15:28.158-04:00Bob, I just want to thank you publicly for a brill...Bob, I just want to thank you publicly for a brilliant, much appreciated and timely post. You're welcome back anytime! And your horses have obviously precipitated a trend here. :)Jeffrey Sigerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00718317707555064653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-47393654165921098502016-04-10T12:59:52.714-04:002016-04-10T12:59:52.714-04:00Thank you, Zoë. I have seen amazing things when ho...Thank you, Zoë. I have seen amazing things when horses who are treated right make contact with troubled people, seen them cry a river, burst out in joy, becoming silent at last...So, my wife Caroline (who is the therapist, I'm only the caretaker and the groomer and the one who, in secret, can give them sweets - healthy ones without sugar :-))and I are taking great care that these almost mystical creatures are being loved and respected. Then, they show us their true nature which is deep and in many ways better than ours...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-38268538574831430892016-04-10T12:55:46.463-04:002016-04-10T12:55:46.463-04:00Blush blush....Thank you, Christiane.Blush blush....Thank you, Christiane.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-21828825765055265102016-04-10T12:54:15.391-04:002016-04-10T12:54:15.391-04:00The pleasure is also mine, Susan. It has been a wh...The pleasure is also mine, Susan. It has been a while, but in the meantime I read "Claws of the Cat" and am looking forward to read "The Ninja's Daughter." You capture the subtlety of 16th-century Japan very eloquently. You know that Japan is one of my "hobby horses" (only my real horses are more dear to me :-))and I sure do want to follow your series...Success!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-23046192621887518642016-04-10T12:48:02.165-04:002016-04-10T12:48:02.165-04:00Well, Eljay, I find your response attesting an ope...Well, Eljay, I find your response attesting an openness that I like. If we can take a good and honest look at ourselves, maybe we'll manage the same towards others. Thanks for ordering. I'll be open myself: the novel and the short story collection are very "noir." They were written in a period of my life where everything seemed bleak as a consequence of what I have witnessed in the world.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-79805985579418596982016-04-10T12:42:36.729-04:002016-04-10T12:42:36.729-04:00Thank you, Everett. Integration is indeed the only...Thank you, Everett. Integration is indeed the only solution. It is not easy, but the rewards are so much bigger than the "us vs. them" attitude. Let's hope that the "Trumps" of this world don't get away with their seeds of contempt, suspicion, and mistrust.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-56808097883506509422016-04-10T12:40:07.716-04:002016-04-10T12:40:07.716-04:00And, indeed, Bertrand Russell was right, Michael. ...And, indeed, Bertrand Russell was right, Michael. Thank you for your response. And who was that again who sang in that famous popsong: War...What is it good for? Abolutely nothing...Say it again...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-18091433480184863632016-04-10T02:18:19.149-04:002016-04-10T02:18:19.149-04:00A heart-whole response, Annamaria, thank you. I kn...A heart-whole response, Annamaria, thank you. I know that, after a hectic life, I have been blessed to live here on the countryside amidst our three princesses whom I love so dearly. And yes, I have been to places where hatred and violence dominate, but I've also seen that, even in the worst circumstances, people can treat each other with kindness and understanding. What you say is true: 99% of us wants a peaceful and meaningful life. The other 1% have the human form, but I've looked in the eyes of some of them, and they had the stare of predators...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-74721239801088540672016-04-10T02:11:39.093-04:002016-04-10T02:11:39.093-04:00Thank you, Stan. This topic brings on so many sad ...Thank you, Stan. This topic brings on so many sad memories for me. I would have preferred another subject. For instance, the way my wife, a hippo therapist, treats people with mental and physical problems with the aid of our three princesses, who have the ability to mirror the human soul, just as all horses have when they are treated with love and respect, and not as mopeds on four feet. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-43386376141329039342016-04-10T01:36:41.747-04:002016-04-10T01:36:41.747-04:00Thank you, Donis. It wasn't easy to write. Man...Thank you, Donis. It wasn't easy to write. Many more memories than I could note have surfaced since I wrote this piece. It saddens me that, so long after my experiences, the situation hasn't changed for the better, on the contrary.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01784428459626418280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-21221381787104492912016-04-09T16:19:35.963-04:002016-04-09T16:19:35.963-04:00An immensely impressive and thoughtful piece, Bob....An immensely impressive and thoughtful piece, Bob. Thank you so much for sharing it with us here. And horses are better at sensing our moods than many give them credit for, aren't they?Zoë Sharphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14065427744062846167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-19522699003088208092016-04-09T15:39:26.471-04:002016-04-09T15:39:26.471-04:00just proud he is from my country...
congrats Bob!!...just proud he is from my country...<br />congrats Bob!!!!Christianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05230228452601634042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-27725824950427579652016-04-09T15:02:45.550-04:002016-04-09T15:02:45.550-04:00I echo everyone else in praising you for taking th...I echo everyone else in praising you for taking the time to offer such a thoughtful, considered examination of this difficult situation. It's nice to read something that offers insight, fact, and consideration rather than merely rhetoric. And, like Annamaria, I'm so glad you included your experience with Bruja at the end. It points out that empathy can even transcend species, when so often we as humans miss the change to offer it to our fellow man (and fail to notice when it's needed).<br /><br />Also - it's great to see you here!<br /><br />Susan Spannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770560542416086762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-66133062337656811172016-04-09T14:46:08.624-04:002016-04-09T14:46:08.624-04:00Incredibly thought provoking, challenging my notio...Incredibly thought provoking, challenging my notions as a relatively good-hearted man whose first sympathy is for the oppressed, as a Roman Catholic reared and educated atheist whose contempt for religious fundamentalism and disdain for religion in general is the product of the rigors of Jesuit and Dominican teachers, and as a half-Jew (Sephardic) who can identify with Judaism's message of "jubilee"while divorcing himself from any notion of identity or attachment, emotional or political, to Israel. And yes, I just went on Amazon to order your books! Eljay Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16254330250399913681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-63408027165265498882016-04-09T10:37:19.657-04:002016-04-09T10:37:19.657-04:00My thanks, also, Bob, for a WONDERFULLY thoughtful...My thanks, also, Bob, for a WONDERFULLY thoughtful piece!<br /><br />And, AmA, you hit the nail right on the head: the only solution is closer integration, a more thorough mixing of all the different strains of humanity. Separation ("No Muslims here!") only emphasizes the "us vs. them" attitude, which only breeds hate and contempt. Familiarity and constant presence breeds comfort, trust, tolerance. At ease.<br /><br />So Donald Trump and his ilk can take their anti-Muslim stances and cram them where all the other rotten, smelly shite resides.Everett Kaserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12371555243187874414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-36468383206713173752016-04-09T10:11:32.696-04:002016-04-09T10:11:32.696-04:00Thank you, Bob, for giving us some insight into th...Thank you, Bob, for giving us some insight into the incomprehensible. And thank you too, Annamaria, for your heartfelt response. To pick a quote (from Caro's post): 'War does not determine who is right - only who is left' - Bertrand Russell.Michael Sears (of Michael Stanley)https://www.blogger.com/profile/09886295534214542834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-3647890551649233452016-04-09T09:52:29.506-04:002016-04-09T09:52:29.506-04:00There is so much to think about in this, Bob. I w...There is so much to think about in this, Bob. I was moved by the comfort your received from Bruja. It brought me back to your first paragraph and the bucolic scene you painted for us. My life does not include such natural beauty on a daily basis. I live in New York City exactly half way between Ground Zero and the United Nations Building. This place, at the opposite end of the spectrum from your home, is a place where every different kind of person--by just about any definition you might name--live together in peace. Fights do not break out on the subway if an orthodox Jew sits down next to a Muslim wearing a kanzu. It is easy here to see what 99% of the human race really wants--a safe place to live, enough food, friends and family to be with, a little fun, some music, some laughter, and work they find meaningful. I do not know how one gets the world away from the misery and anger you so vividly describe and closer to your neighborhood and mine. But I hope against hope that collectively the human race will find a path. Bombs, I am CERTAIN, create holes, craters, not roads. And not solutions. Annamaria Alfierihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311596277267789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-43517121647338501122016-04-09T08:02:19.362-04:002016-04-09T08:02:19.362-04:00Thanks for this fascinating piece.Thanks for this fascinating piece.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-795370606154643342016-04-09T01:50:27.917-04:002016-04-09T01:50:27.917-04:00Amazing insight.Amazing insight.Donis Caseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207228706777377242noreply@blogger.com