Those in attendance rose to their feet last Saturday night before Shimon Peres even uttered a word. Typical of standing ovations– first a few stood and then it took several moments for the rest of the crowd to catch on and I’m assuming most didn’t even know what they were standing for. As often happens with me as I eyewitness the fawning ignorance of so many US citizens on this topic, words from my Catholic school upbringing rang in my ears…”Forgive them Father for they know not what they do”. The now agnostic/atheist me still cringes that in the halls of academia, this sentiment is as apropos as ever.