Response #1

It's always been extremely interesting to me the way that people respond to issues or problems in the world. I have concluded that usually it has much to do with how people were raised from their childhood to where it has brought them today. I know this statement isn't completely valid and some people turn out to be everything but their past. Here in these articles I find myself respecting the history that each writer has in connection to such a huge dispute in the world. Religious discourse has been an incredible part of violence in our world's history. To me, I am interested in finding a people with middle ground, respect for their history, but with the ability to embrace religious and social differences. That is why I am so impressed by the idea of the project.

Being a Palestinian or an Israeli in recent history could be anything but easy. For Suad Amiry, I am compelled by her story of working on this project. I admire her for ignoring intolerance, which is never easy. In the end from her we learn that once again the weight of money over-powers the weight of harmony. While we find people who are willing to end a world of problems through breaking personal traditions and history through no personal gain, we are haunted still by the power money has over our happiness and control.

That's what I have been able to realize through all of the accounts of people working on the project; the complete selflessness to work so hard for peace.

The study of ethnography that we learn from Amy Horowitz's account is completely interesting to me. People that devote so much to the effort of folklore and customs are really the people that understand the world. It's hard to explain why I see it this way, but I feel like if we could all mutually respect our own choices with the choices of others, there would be a lot less problems in the world. To me, the work that she did in the project along with the others is the answer, more people just need to realize it. It seems so simple.

PS. I have heard sometimes my writing is not easily understood because I just tend to write whatever comes to mind. So, I'm sorry if it seems a tad confusing and not so fluid.