Today Yahoo's featured story is about "A doggie hotel". This is a place of doggie ice cream, expensive meals, television and decadence. Further down in smaller print they offer news of the war; children suffering, starving and homeless. This puts things into perspective. The news is also covering how some of the rescued people from Lebanon are complaining about the conditions aboard the rescue ships. It does not compare those conditions, however short lived, with what they screamed to be rescued from.

It brings to mind ships in another time. Ships filled with Jewish men, women and children. Ships that were turned away from ports of not only rescue, but salvation. Ships that were refused port in places like Canada, America, Briton and many, many other countries. These innocent people suffered unknown, inhumane conditions aboard those ships. Suffered not for hours or a day, but for weeks. Their reward was to be returned to Nazi Germany and to be in most cases put to death. Which news station covered their voices?

War, people, is much more than most would care to think of. As we lead our dogs into an air conditioned hotel, with ice cream, with bright carpets and lavish dinners, while children suffer and starve, will I am certain, prove expensive. Children elsewhere sit in terror, the air filled with the fear of the unknown and the unthinkable. I would think, those who were rescued, a thank you would be well deserved for the rescuers, not a damning of the method.

Putting things into perspective at times allows the senses to adjust. It is the one common sense that often needs realigning. I train with warriors. I am proud to be able to do so. I pray for Israel. I am proud to do so.

©Mike McConnery/Baden K9 Incorporated, July 21,2006

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