What the hell kind of world do we live in?
This morning I went to breakfast down the street from my hotel here in Sydney, Australia. I picked up the local newspaper and read the headline: 6 SOULS LOST! It was the story of an Australian family killed in a small plane crash. I was encouraged that the headlines were not the usual American shock horror crime feature. Of course, it was a tragic loss and a heartbreaking story, but as I leafed through the paper I happened on a small blurb on page 16 at the bottom of the page.
There was a small story: VILLAGERS BURNED ALIVE. The story was a report from Darfur about the ongoing crisis in the Sudan. The story recounted how "Arab mercenaries" had herded villagers up and burned them alive. The story went on to say that thus far 30,000 people have been killed there.
30,000 PEOPLE. LET ME SAY THIS AGAIN. THIRTY THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED!
What the hell is going on here? I don't believe myself to be naive or Pollyannaish about the world we live in but this really hit me this morning.
Let me see if I got this right. America is turned upside down, wars are prosecuted in Iraq and Afghanistan, tens of thousands killed in the name of democracy and we're told it's because terrorists murdered 3,000-plus Americans on Sept. 11th. Who could deny the terrible losses of Sept 11th? This was an unspeakable crime, but check the numbers here: THIRTY THOUSAND. It's an epidemic in the Western World. Thirty thousand African lives are erased and it only rates a small blurb buried in the middle of the paper.
Are African lives worth less than American lives? Or, since I'm down here, Australian lives? Apparently so. Where is the outrage? Where are the champions of democracy? Is democracy only for oil-producing countries? Is it that the only countries that are strategically located deserve help?
Or is it that 30,000 African lives just don't fit into the neo-con ideology of Richard Pearle, Don Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and Dick Cheney and their shill George Bush?I just don't get it and I'm looking for answers. How do things like this happen in this world today and no one says anything?
I got back to my room and did a little research. The New York Times reports that Colin Powell is threatening sanctions against Sudan unless they stop the killing and let relief workers enter the area. This sounds good, but since when did anyone listen to Colin Powell? This is the guy that the administration trots out as the voice of conscience when they are too busy with their real business to bother with actually helping somebody in the world. Unlike his bosses, I think he cares, but he's powerless. Also, unlike his bosses, he is a soldier and knows what killing really means. But, so far this is all falling on deaf ears.
Where are the rest of the world leaders at a time like this?
Where are all the big mouth politicians proclaiming God is on their side?
Where is Tony Blair? Where are they all?
Faith without works is worthless.
Politicians can justify ignoring a genocide that is clearly in process because good men say and do nothing to hold them accountable.
Does an African husband grieve the murder of his wife and child less than an American? Does an African orphan need care any less than a European? Did the people who were burned alive in Africa suffer less than those in the World Trade Center? It just doesn’t add up.
One of my political idols Noam Chomsky says the best way to fight terrorism is "not to participate in it." If we allow what’s happening to the people of Darfur to happen, we are endorsing terrorism by omission.
Do we not have a say in any of this? Can something be done right now to stop what will surely get worse and worse? Of course something can be done, but will George Bush or Tony Blair or any of their partners do it?
Don't hold your breath. Self interest rules with these guys. Only when their jobs are threatened will they take action and I haven't seen any evidence that any of them are willing to put their careers on the line to help save African lives.
Call somebody, write some letters, and shout it from the rooftops.
This is wrong, this is horrible and worst of all it doesn't have to be this way.
Rise up, Rise up, and Rise up.
Wayne
This morning I went to breakfast down the street from my hotel here in Sydney, Australia. I picked up the local newspaper and read the headline: 6 SOULS LOST! It was the story of an Australian family killed in a small plane crash. I was encouraged that the headlines were not the usual American shock horror crime feature. Of course, it was a tragic loss and a heartbreaking story, but as I leafed through the paper I happened on a small blurb on page 16 at the bottom of the page.
There was a small story: VILLAGERS BURNED ALIVE. The story was a report from Darfur about the ongoing crisis in the Sudan. The story recounted how "Arab mercenaries" had herded villagers up and burned them alive. The story went on to say that thus far 30,000 people have been killed there.
30,000 PEOPLE. LET ME SAY THIS AGAIN. THIRTY THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED!
What the hell is going on here? I don't believe myself to be naive or Pollyannaish about the world we live in but this really hit me this morning.
Let me see if I got this right. America is turned upside down, wars are prosecuted in Iraq and Afghanistan, tens of thousands killed in the name of democracy and we're told it's because terrorists murdered 3,000-plus Americans on Sept. 11th. Who could deny the terrible losses of Sept 11th? This was an unspeakable crime, but check the numbers here: THIRTY THOUSAND. It's an epidemic in the Western World. Thirty thousand African lives are erased and it only rates a small blurb buried in the middle of the paper.
Are African lives worth less than American lives? Or, since I'm down here, Australian lives? Apparently so. Where is the outrage? Where are the champions of democracy? Is democracy only for oil-producing countries? Is it that the only countries that are strategically located deserve help?
Or is it that 30,000 African lives just don't fit into the neo-con ideology of Richard Pearle, Don Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and Dick Cheney and their shill George Bush?I just don't get it and I'm looking for answers. How do things like this happen in this world today and no one says anything?
I got back to my room and did a little research. The New York Times reports that Colin Powell is threatening sanctions against Sudan unless they stop the killing and let relief workers enter the area. This sounds good, but since when did anyone listen to Colin Powell? This is the guy that the administration trots out as the voice of conscience when they are too busy with their real business to bother with actually helping somebody in the world. Unlike his bosses, I think he cares, but he's powerless. Also, unlike his bosses, he is a soldier and knows what killing really means. But, so far this is all falling on deaf ears.
Where are the rest of the world leaders at a time like this?
Where are all the big mouth politicians proclaiming God is on their side?
Where is Tony Blair? Where are they all?
Faith without works is worthless.
Politicians can justify ignoring a genocide that is clearly in process because good men say and do nothing to hold them accountable.
Does an African husband grieve the murder of his wife and child less than an American? Does an African orphan need care any less than a European? Did the people who were burned alive in Africa suffer less than those in the World Trade Center? It just doesn’t add up.
One of my political idols Noam Chomsky says the best way to fight terrorism is "not to participate in it." If we allow what’s happening to the people of Darfur to happen, we are endorsing terrorism by omission.
Do we not have a say in any of this? Can something be done right now to stop what will surely get worse and worse? Of course something can be done, but will George Bush or Tony Blair or any of their partners do it?
Don't hold your breath. Self interest rules with these guys. Only when their jobs are threatened will they take action and I haven't seen any evidence that any of them are willing to put their careers on the line to help save African lives.
Call somebody, write some letters, and shout it from the rooftops.
This is wrong, this is horrible and worst of all it doesn't have to be this way.
Rise up, Rise up, and Rise up.
Wayne
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