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BY DR. GLENN MOLLETTE

In my neighborhood, we have a diverse mix of people: Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, and others. Residents attend various churches, while some don’t attend at all. We have Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, Jews, and more. On a nearby street, I’ve noticed several families from India, Mexico, and the Middle East, along with many new American families. I truly live in a diverse community.

Despite this diversity, I haven’t seen anyone arguing or fighting. I haven’t noticed anyone hiding. For the most part, our neighborhood is quiet, and people mind their own business. We have 26 houses on our street, and I’m largely clueless about the day-to-day activities of most of my neighbors. We see each other coming and going, and that’s about it.

Some places are not as fortunate. For example, Israel and Gaza, particularly Hamas, are embroiled in constant conflict. The ongoing tensions, hatred, and violence result in many tragic deaths. I visited Israel once and had an extraordinary time, seeing so many beautiful and interesting sights. I can’t imagine ever going back. Only God knows how many children in Gaza are growing up learning to hate Israel — an animosity that may persist for generations.

Sadly, Israel also faces threats from Hezbollah to the north in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. I don’t see how Israel can combat all these adversaries, especially with support from Iran. As for the United States, we already have a strong naval fleet of ships and submarines in the region, and we can count on our involvement. Wherever there is conflict in the world, it seems that the United States will engage on some level.

It’s tragic that Israel has so many hostile neighbors, and the situation in that part of the world is likely to worsen.

It is unfortunate when people from different religious and political backgrounds cannot coexist and collaborate. My mother was a Democrat, and my dad was a Republican, but I don’t remember them ever arguing about politics. We grew up in an area where people attended different churches. While there were disagreements about biblical interpretations, I don’t recall anyone fighting over them. Of course, the Hatfields and McCoys feuded not far from us at one time.

Sadly, there are places in the world where Protestants and Catholics can’t get along, and where Palestinians and Jews are at odds.

Overall, America has been a great place for diversity. We’ve faced our issues, including some very dark periods when Black people were treated horrifically and women were unjustly marginalized. Unfortunately, attitudes that are far from fair and respectful still exist.

Millions of people risk their lives to come to America. They must enter legally, or the sheer numbers could lead to our downfall. In the meantime, we should treat each other as we would like to be treated.

(Glenn Mollette is a graduate of numerous schools including Georgetown College, Southern and Lexington Seminaries in Kentucky. His column is published in over 600 publications in all 50 states)