Darfur: NOT dying for lack of words

Time to Focus on the Real Choices in DarfurBy J. Stephen Morrison and Chester A. Crocker Special to washingtonpost.com Tuesday

Jay's comment begin: The opening of this otherwise useful article is outrageous. To be so emotionally disengaged as are these smug writers in the face of genocide, and to be so unreservedly critical of what efforts have been mounted to stop the genocide is morally offensive, dangerous and disgracefully self serving. If you just want to enjoy yourselves gentlemen and to try and look smart, write about football not genocide, please.

The article begins: Time to Focus on the Real Choices in Darfur By J. Stephen Morrison and Chester A. Crocker Special to washingtonpost.comTuesday, November 7, 2006; 12:00 AM
The demand by American activists for U.S.-led military intervention to halt genocide in Darfur by the Sudan government and its militia proxies is a utopian diversion that has led nowhere. (click link above for full article)

Jay continues: Their opening paragraphs are also stupidly blind, entirely overlooking the fact that the efforts they so glibly criticize have served to create the energy, the political will, paltry though it may be, that can now be diverted toward the steps they recommend. How "cheap" it is to these authors to generate and disseminate the "words" of their article in comparison to the real requirement - generating the will needed to stop genocide. Arm chair quarterbacking regarding Genocide. Shame on you gentlemen.

Am I a supporter of the Stop the Genocide efforts to date? I've devoted many months now of every resource at my disposal saying "no" as emphatically as I can (www.StandWithDarfurWhiteHouseII.blogspot.com). With some exceptions the efforts have been shamefully timid (www.DarfurDyingForHeroes.blogspot.com) - serving almost as much to help Khartoum to "kill time" as to stop the genocide. But, they have been better than nothing. The massive problem has been the vast majority of world citizens acting like I presume the authors have been acting - sitting back and watching over the last 3 years as this Genocide has been going on its merry way.

Am I a supporter of the Administration's efforts? Well, Bush has arguably done more than any President in the face of Genocide, and way more than any segment of the US population including academics, NGO's, Religious, students, or we-the-people. But "no," his efforts and that of the administration have been little more than window dressing in the face of Genocide.

The ideas of the authors, once we get past the cheap shots of their opening paragraphs are fine, but, so what? Darfur is not dying due to lack of ideas. Darfur is dying for heroes - citizens in all walks of life to get out of their comfort zones and stand with whatever it costs, whatever it takes personally as individual citizens to stop the Genocide.

"Never Again" means nothing if not - never again so few Heroes in the Face of Genocide. According to Vlad Yashim more than 10,000 "rescuers," Heroes, non-Jews placed themselves and their biological family at risk of death to save a few of the 6,000,000 plus strangers facing genocide. In Sudan, now that 3-6 million have been exterminated, now that another 3-4,000,000 currently face genocide, now that we have learned the lesson of the Holocaust how many "rescuers," Heroes have emerged? Well, not these authors from what I can see, not me typing here from my comfortable suburban job, not the NGOs in DC risking little if anything most of them, not the Bush Admin…. Well, there are the aid workers on the ground and Eric Reeves of Smith College fighting genocide round the clock in the face of his leukemia. Hmmm. 10,000 heroes against the Holocaust and maybe 10 - 100 against Darfur Genocide? A negative learning curve. A Genocidal learning curve. Gentlemen, write about his, please.

Darfur is not dying for ideas gentlemen, Darfur is dying for Heroes. Can we face that? Please? In time? Will you help?

Jay McGinley
www.StandWithDarfurWhiteHouseII.blogspot.com
Day #38 Rescue Darfur Fast (modified hunger strike)
jymcginley@cs.com