A year ago, I published an opinion piece in this newspaper titled “The Crickets of Jerusalem,” on which I would now like to reflect. I have had an interest in international affairs and geopolitics long before I declared a major in International Relations here at Saint Anselm, and in the lead-up to writing that opinion piece in October of last year, I had spent months reflecting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the human tragedy that has swept through that region of the world. Though I am by no means an expert, I have studied this conflict extensively, both the situation on the ground in Gaza, as well as the historical context in which this current tragedy is set. I was—and remain—enraged by the suffering I was seeing on the news every day, and my sympathies extended across borders to civilians in both Israel and Palestine who have been caught up in the crossfire. My hope in writing “The Crickets of Jerusalem” as more of a descriptive work than a formal opinion piece was to put my audience in the shoes of those who represent the real human beings who are living out the headlines on our TVs and to complicate their sympathies. In this, I believe I succeeded. After print, I had a number of people from different perspectives comment on and critique my piece. I welcomed this feedback, strongly worded as much of it was, with an open mind, but something struck me while reflecting on the things people had said. The feedback I was receiving was from both the pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian perspectives, and in a number of more strongly worded comments, I was called both Islamophobic and anti-Semitic by different people, and as much as such accusations disgust me, I believe it was a testament to the success of my article in representing the fear and anger on both sides, as well as our common humanity, which is so often lost in the divide of what we tell ourselves is right and wrong. Now, if any reader was genuinely offended by my piece, I would of course like to apologize. It was not my intent to misrepresent either side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, nor the religious faiths and traditions of Islam and Judaism, for which I have profound respect. Instead, it was my hope in “The Crickets of Jerusalem” to highlight our common humanity and the uniquely human tragedy of this war, and all conflict, which has been too often ignored in an attempt to dehumanize either side. Lastly, I would actually like to thank everyone who took the time to comment on and critique “The Crickets of Jerusalem.” In discussing such an inherently emotional topic such as war, such passion is understandable, and going forward, I welcome such feedback on any of my opinion pieces published in this newspaper. Should any of my readers have an interest in submitting feedback or arguing against any opinion of mine or others published in this paper, I would encourage them to email me or the author directly, or consider publishing a rebuttal here in the Saint Anselm Crier. I truly believe that it is through debate that we challenge each other’s worldview, and it is through reflection that we may have the humility to say “I was wrong” or learn something new.