Do Not Be Complacent

About Injustice

To the Editor:

I always enjoy reading the letters page in The Bee; sometimes the letters are funny, often they are heartwarming. The most important letter I’ve read was by Amar Agashe regarding the genocide that is taking place right now in Darfur, Sudan.

Not long ago I read a column in The New York Times by Nicholas Kristoff. It was about a woman in Darfur who survived being raped and mutilated, after watching her husband and children slaughtered and her 2-year-old chopped to pieces. I could not help but imagine myself in her place. Haunted by this reality I did not know what I could do.

Dr King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Reading Mr Agashe’s letter inspired me to find out more. I found out that our president, Congress, and the European parliament have declared that genocide is occurring in Darfur, Sudan.

We need to let our government know that we want increased international engagement in Darfur and to use our military might to protect the civilians and influence the Sudanese government to do so.

This is a repeat of the 1994 Rwanda genocide that took place. Let’s not be complacent, we are citizens of one of the wealthiest states in our nation. If our voices were heard others might follow. One thing we can do is call the White House and let our president know that ending the genocide in Darfur must be a priority in 2006.

The white house comment line is 202-456-1111.

We can also write or email our congress people.

Here are some websites I found to inform and empower us: GenocideIntervention.net/advocate/lobby, www.DarfurGenocide.org, and www.SaveDarfur.org.

Sincerely

Julia Provey

19 Pine Street, Sandy Hook                                     January 31, 2006