I recently emailed Congressman Dennis Moore regarding my concerns about the genocide in Darfur. The email was more lengthy and detailed than that, but I just recieved a reply in the mail today.
He gave me statistics I'd heard before, but now I can cite them from a more reliable source.
2 million people displaced
234,000 people forced in to Chad
450,000 people killed
Assuming no person was killed AND displaced/forced in to Chad (but that those forced in to Chad also qualify as "displaced"), that's a minimum of 2,216,000 people affected by the crisis. This doesn't include the family and friends of the murdered, the raped women, those injured but not killed, etc.
Even if one just considers the "450,000" figure, that's enormous.
My high school holds about 1,500 students. If my entire high school was wiped out by a group of people, it would be considered a crisis. The government would act, the media would swarm... and the community/nation would be devastated. 450,000 people have been killed in Darfur. That's my entire school murdered 300 times. The government isn't acting because it's largely responsible for the murder in the first place. The US media rarely covers the story and awareness is minimal. I still run in to people who ask "Darfur? Where's that? What's happening there?"
We learn about the Holocaust, Rwanda, Russia, and all of the other tragedies in human history in which thousands, millions, were killed. We say "never again."
Again is now.
The US and the rest of the world is slowly reacting. Slowly.
But more needs to be done. Money for refugees only goes so far. Treaties only last so long.
How many more thousands will be killed before the world finally steps in?
So email a congressman, get involved with organizations like STAND and the Save Darfur Coalition. Raise awareness by simply talking with your friends and family. Our generation is constantly accused of being politically apathetic. We can't let this be true, we can't let our generation be defined by inaction. It's our turn to change the world. Are you ready?
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The US doesn't own the world.
i just think that we shouldn't be making decisions for other countries.
I mean yes there are circumstances, but when does it all stop?
+mspin
The US doesn't own the world.
You are right, only a small desire or need that shows itself once in a while around it’s resources!
i just think that we shouldn't be making decisions for other countries.
No, right, it’s much easier this way, the only thing we need to do is look the other way and sing all together, What a wonderful world!!!
I mean yes there are circumstances, but when does it all stop?
When one considers to take a peek under that dirty curtain that is clouding our vision would help a lot to start with!
Have a peek, there is more out there too…
http://zeitgeistmovie.com/
I am really glad that you put up this post. It upsets me that many people still do not know what is going on in Darfur. It upsets me even more that those who do, especially leaders of nations, fail to take action on the issue. I feel like the genocide in Sudan is not going to fix itself. I know that in the past the US has gotten involved in things it shouldn't, but Darfur has gone on for too long!