My hand is open.

The simplest gesture of peace among mankind is the shaking of hands. It's an ancient custom. To show an open hand. It is the only true path to peace.

You may hate Obama's policies. But something he said is universal and true. I offer my hand in friendship, but in order to take it you must unclench your fist.

This simple act. This shake of each others hand, it symbolizes more than an offering of goodwill. It is the door to peace on Earth.

Do you hate all those in other countries? Or do you hate ideology? Ideology can be ignored for the sake of humanity. I don't hate people of a region, after all, they are just people. They have families, they have ideas, they have love, they have fun.

I open my hand.

In World War I, men came out of their trenches, they went into no mans land, they went without fear they went with only an open hand.

For a moment in one of mankind's most bloodiest of conflicts, there was peace.

We hated their guts when they killed any of our friends; then we really did dislike them intensely. But otherwise we joked about them and I think they joked about us. And we thought, well, poor so-and-sos, they're in the same kind of muck as we are.

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In the mud and mire of the trenches of world war I one day there was peace, one day men from both sides laid down their guns and opened their hands.

We shook hands, wished each other a Merry Xmas, and were soon conversing as if we had known each other for years. We were in front of their wire entanglements and surrounded by Germans - Fritz and I in the centre talking, and Fritz occasionally translating to his friends what I was saying. We stood inside the circle like streetcorner orators.

Soon most of our company ('A' Company), hearing that I and some others had gone out, followed us . . . What a sight - little groups of Germans and British extending almost the length of our front! Out of the darkness we could hear laughter and see lighted matches, a German lighting a Scotchman's cigarette and vice versa, exchanging cigarettes and souvenirs. Where they couldn't talk the language they were making themselves understood by signs, and everyone seemed to be getting on nicely. Here we were laughing and chatting to men whom only a few hours before we were trying to kill!

They disobeyed their government. These soldiers, these warriors held to a higher code. They for a moment in time showed compassion, they showed an open hand to their enemy.

And in that instance, their enemy responded in kind. And peace prevailed in hell.

So in that goodwill of those warriors. I open my hand.

I do it for no season, no religion, and no expectation.

I open my hand, with only the hope that those that call me enemy respond in kind.

True peace knows no weapon, true peace knows no government, true peace knows no religion. True peace knows only an open hand.

I open my hand.

Great thread mate , I've heard these types of stories before about men in wartime situations .
It gives you faith in the basic good of mankind , or something

On the subject of shaking hands though , there is always someone who will try to crush your hand , try to show they are stronger than you or something
Kind of defeats the purpose of the friendly hand shake imo , firm shows respect , weak shows they don't give a toss , but trying to crush ?
Thats just lame
I've noticed it more from smaller blokes than me , I put it down to "little man syndrome "
sorry for going off topic there a little bit

what you are both missing is that the arab nations have a diffrent view of the world, they have a completely diffrent hertiage from you, they dont think the way europeans do, they were brought up diffrently.

and most importantly, obama hes shown weakness, not strength, he is ridiculed by arab leaders, he is just another naive westerner. trying to achive peace threw groveling to those who align them selves with power not kindness...

Originally posted by Scorp
what you are both missing is that the arab nations have a diffrent view of the world, they have a completely diffrent hertiage from you, they dont think the way europeans do, they were brought up diffrently.

and most importantly, obama hes shown weakness, not strength, he is ridiculed by arab leaders, he is just another naive westerner. trying to achive peace threw groveling to those who align them selves with power not kindness...

Interesting perspective Scorp.

Some would argue that Obama's Cairo speech had a direct and profound influence on the outcome of the Lebanon elections, and had the outcome been different (in the Hezbollah bloc's favour) it would have caused Israel a great deal of problems would it not?

Also I think Obama's speech was aimed at "the man on the street", not the leadership or politicians. And I think it's fair to say that most people have the same drivers and needs - peace, security and a quiet life for themselves and their families.

Unfortunately as you rightly point out, there are a lot of people that are also driven by hatred, ideology and / or a lust for power. Unfortunately it seems that in certain parts of the world such people tend to dominate (usually by force).

reply to post by Scorp


Your painting a lot of people with the same brush there.

Yes some Arab people hate westerners. I think you would find that the majority don't really care.