Yasser Arafat's Burial

I watched this morning as Yasser Arafat was being buried at Ramallah. For some reason all I could think about is the stark contrast between the ways the Palestinians bury a leader as opposed to how American’s bury theirs.

Ronald Reagan’s funeral and memorials were full of reverence, pomp and circumstance. It was “stately”. Yasser Arafat’s burial on the other hand looked like the mosh pit at a rock concert as people emptied the clips of their weapons into the air. Then everyone left to finish the observance of one of their most holy times of the year.

I’m not saying one way was better than the other to bury a leader. Each in its own unique way honored the one being buried. What intrigues me the most is the differences in cultures.