A Speech: Injustice in Darfur

My friends:  We are all we have.  In our awareness of ourselves, we become aware of a greater thing: Love - to be treasured and honored above all else, yet time and time again, love leads to hate, jealousy, ignorance.  Take a pick and fight your battles for all of these must be guarded against, but while you're fighting ideals also battle something happening now and become aware, take action.  The crisis in Darfur is continuing to escalate and all I hear in my head are bells which ring to the tone of Rwandan death cries.

We are not animals!  We have argued using biological superiority to distinguish this difference and using these standards which we have set for ourselves, why do such atrocious examples of diabolic behavior go unheeded?  Without truth of knowledge how can we know how, where, and what to help?!  Take Sierra Leone and Angola as examples, with the conflict diamonds, the "blood diamonds."  While America focused on President Clinton's personal life, Africa saw terrible and barbaric acts committed, effecting millions and causing the deaths of thousands - for pretty stones; all of which were deeds that, for the longest time, went unchecked and unhindered, leaving people unaided in desperate times of need!  But I must say: the pure ignorance demonstrated by the general public of America in relation to the situation is a crime, in and of itself, of injustice!

And so again, a time has come when fearsome deeds are being committed and again, blind eyes see nothing and ignorance finds comfort.  Four years ago, the Darfur region of the Sudan had been neglected buy her government for far too long when two Darfuri rebel groups staged an uprising.  The response of the Sudanese government was an offensive attack using militia to rape, starve, displace, and execute.  More than 400,000 people have died and over two and a half million have been displaced.

Genocide is defined as: the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group; I ask you HOW we are better than animals, if we aren't worse first?!  These acts which we try so hard to set ourselves apart from go beyond animalistic behaviors into the realm of the cruel and heartless; more selfish than a starving lion and greedy than a crow.  How can we stand by again and watch as an entire people fall under the knife or gun of another?

We failed Rwanda because of lacking intervention; Somalia because of the wrong intervention.  Peace achieved in Sierra Leone sets an essential example of what the UN and international community can accomplish, once aware.  The Darfur crisis should not have continued thus far, so how much longer will its people bear witness to these terrors?

While the UN Security Council has agreed to sanction the Sudanese government and vigorous UN peacekeeping troops have finally been authorized, we need more than just words on paper!  We must enforce these diplomatic attempts to extinguish the genocide; President Bashir and the government of Sudan must be challenged if change is to occur!  UN peacekeepers must be deployed, for the African Union (AU) peacekeepers have reached the dregs of their strengths and energy, and the UN Sanctions Committee has yet to enforce the set sanctions.

If there are heinous crimes which affect a population, we have a responsibility and right to protect ourselves.  It is a duty which the international community has taken on to protect those who cannot protect themselves.  These limits have been reached and action must be taken.  If there is no greater injustice than what is currently occurring around the world, then there is still the global injustice of passivity and ignorance which will affect us all.

And so now I speak you, my fellows, my global community, and ask you this: when a person in strife asks a journalist if their article or video will induce outside aid and intervention and the journalist answers with an honest "no," what kind of hope for understanding and unity is left?  What love is that?