I have a distinct memory from my childhood of my Dad wearing a gold necklace with a small golden cedar tree hanging from it. I remember him telling me that the tree was the national emblem of Lebanon, where my parents had lived in the 1970’s as American expats before I was born.

When I was older, I remember hearing their stories about having to evacuate Beirut because of the conflict that was occuring there at that time. And now, 30 years after their own evacuation, there is another evacuation of Lebanon taking place.

I asked them both about their thoughts about this, both then and now, and their memories are worth sharing.

My Dad:

“It was a lot like that [then] but very different in that the airport was kept open during all the trouble. It was a challenge to get there but it was always open. There weren’t a lot of flights so you kind of took your chances as I recall.

In the mid 70’s conflict it was Lebanese against Lebanese aided by Syrians so they were fighting amongst themselves not outside forces.

It all does bring me back a ways.”

My Mom:

“This situation [now] is a lot worse. We weren’t getting missiles and bombs launched at us from Israel. If we were I am sure we wouldn’t have even been there. The strife when we were there was more like a civil war between two religious groups inside Lebanon that escalated over a few years.

Most the fighting was on the ground with just guns, which was bad enough. We never felt really afraid, but we were cautious and probably a little lucky.

I do feel for the people trying to flee there now. That is the hard part and very trying. We left when the conflict was starting to focus on foreigners being kidnapped and when it became impossible to move freely around the city.

It is sad that Beirut and Lebanon are being baraged again after so many years of healing and repair. It is a very beautiful part of the Middle East when it isn’t ravaged by war. I suspect that Lebanon will get the worst of this deal.”

I am sad about what is happening right now, and at the risk of sounding naive, how much violence has to occur before we all realize that it’s not working? Violence does not beget peace and it never will. There has to be another way, doesn’t there?