Might regret opinion

It was so heartbreaking reading the opinion written by JR Cromwell of White Hall, but it was also eye-opening. It is a masterpiece in reminding us that we can still get desensitized to the sufferings of other people and dehumanize them to the point of committing genocide and live with a clear conscience after, like I am sure he does.

Mr. Cromwell probably sees Gazans as human animals or even less. He does not see children deprived of hope, fathers or mothers trying to raise families. I am sure he does not see a society of people of all walks of life. He only sees targets for B-52 bombers and probably insects that are better off exterminated.

I have always wondered how humanity allowed the Holocaust. But the answer is very clear in my eyes now and it is heart-breaking. Over time and with the right dose of propaganda and years of misinformation, they were desensitized. Mr. Cromwell, sitting thousands of miles away, never having seen the suffering of these people, probably never even met anyone from the region in person, calls for total annihilation of 2.5 million people.

Mr. Cromwell is also a prime example of how repeating misinformation can turn it into reality or, better, an alternative reality. He refers to Islam as a religion spread by the sword, a statement that contradicts Islam being the fastest-growing religion worldwide. It can’t explain how the biggest Muslim country in the world today, Indonesia, never had a Muslim soldier step a foot in it. Nowadays Islam still thrives without the sword he refers to.

Lastly, Mr. Cromwell refers to the constant battles and fighting. I want to remind him that, unfortunately, this is human nature, built on greed and fueled by hate. Wars erupt more easily with more people like him calling for it.

I urge Mr. Cromwell to be careful about calling for mass murder or genocide. If he googles children of Gaza, if he still has a clear conscience, he might regret his opinion.

AHMED ALI Little Rock