Posted February 5 2008
Keep Monopoly From Being Monopolized! …Or Something…
My own delightful alliteration notwithstanding, there seems to be a bit of democracy being introduced to the Monopoly process. Parker Brothers has announced that there will be a new, internationally themed version of Monopoly. Happily, instead of restricting the streets and businesses to American playboy towns (as the original Atlantic City) or other, cheesier renditions (numerous available editions of New York, Los Angeles, and many, many others throughout the years), Parker Brothers has made the option one for the player.
Now you, yes you, can vote online for your favorite city to be the subject of the new Monopoly international edition. Simply log on to their site and register to vote.
In my opinion, nothing could make the world a more tolerant and welcoming place than the presence of our very own Jerusalem edition of Monopoly. I have already voted several times (the site encourages you to vote as often as you like, so no worries about cheating), but there are already dozens of cities up for nomination. Jerusalem is already on the list, so feel free to push it up a few notches.
To be honest, I actually believe that Jerusalem would be the best city for the international Monopoly edition. Politics notwithstanding, Jerusalem is the holiest city of the three faiths that comprise four billion people’s center, and despite the violence that engulfs it on a regular basis, it is the center of the world - literally as well as politically. Jerusalem gets more press than any other city in the world, and the planet’s focus on it is geographical as well. Look at a map of Europe, Africa, and Asia - the original world powers. At the center of it all, the Middle East (hence, “the middle”). And at the center of that mix, Jerusalem. For over three thousand years, Jerusalem has been in the middle of every war, conflict, travel, and trade that the world could dredge up. The Caananites fought for her, the Jews conquered her, the Muslims invaded her, the Christians sent millions of men to take her, the Ottomans retook her, the British meddled with her, and the Jews have her once again. Mostly.
Like it or not, Jerusalem is the center of the world. For better and worse (mostly worse, but there were those fun times, between Crusades), in peace and war (hopefully less war), through faith and hope and sorrow and pain and healing, Jerusalem remains. The world changes, but somehow, Jerusalem remains.
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5 Comments currently posted. 
Dave Weinberg says:
Tiffany Sameyah says:
I just voted and it is #23. You can vote every day but not more than once a day.
Zechariah Mehler says:
It’s amazing how Parker Brothers is able to make electronic voting actually work. Diebold should consult them
Zechariah Mehler says:
Wow since Jewneric posted this story Jerusalem went from #27 to #21 keep voting everyone there are 23 days left to go and it would be awesome if Jerusalem was the international “Park Place”
Rachel Krich says:
Hey, its up to #14! Keep voting! The more votes the better it gets. Also vote for poor NY, its still in the dark greens.
Jerusalem was #27 this morning. I voted.