Went to the save darfur rally today with my brother

[JohnKleeb]

Quite an experience. I am exhausted but it was a beautiful day and I hope more people open their eyes to this issue.

[auntAgonist]

1. good for you JohnKleeb!

I know (from other threads you've posted on)that this is an important issue for you. Congrats on making a stand.

:applause:

do you have any photos?

aA

[JohnKleeb]

2. regrettably no

photos. Yeah genocide and fighting tyranny is a huge issue that's become very very importnat to me because we have to fight for the oppressed peoples of the world in my opinion.

[Boo_Radley]

15. Photos.

I got a few. I posted them in another thread somewhere. Here's a link to them.

http://pictures.ericstrawser.com/events/darfur-rally-4-2006/

It was a beautiful day, and a really good turnout. I was glad I went.

[ismnotwasm]

3. Right on

We need more info out about Darfur.

[JohnKleeb]

4. It's just so sad really

This to me and as many of the speakers said today isn't a political issue, it's a moral issue. We in my opinion have an obligation as the world's most powerful country to help those people. We're making the same mistake that was made twelve years ago in Rwanda and it is so tragic. The speaekrs were right that indifference is even worse than hatred becasue indifference allows the evil to occur.

[Telly Savalas]

5. Have you read "A Problem from Hell" by Samantha Power?

[JohnKleeb]

6. Its on my reading list

My Congressman who ironically enough was at the rally brought it up when he went to my high school last year. The man is a Republican however he and I see eye to eye on issues like this one so he's not a bad man just a guy I disagree with on some stuff.

[Telly Savalas]

7. If I have my facts straight...

even my nutjob Senator Sam Brownback is on board with the anti-genocide cause.

In his book "Shake Hands with the Devil" Romeo Dallaire points out that in the U.S. support for action in Rwanda back in '94 crossed party lines. (As did opposition to action.)

Hopefully enough bipartisan support can be mustered to help get something done. With Bush at the helm, any commitment of U.S. troops would be perceived as imperialist oil-grabbing, but logistical and financial support for the African Union led peacekeeping efforts is certainly in order.

[JohnKleeb]

9. Brownback I would belive that

Right we need bipartisan support for this if its to be done right. I feel like a dick for asking Wolf a sort of loaded question about Iraq instead of about the genocide last year but it's all good ultimately since in a way his big issue has become my own.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

8. Kleeb, You rock!

I'm sure you figured out that it's only genocide when the country is sitting on an oil reserve. Or there's a decent president in the White House, like When Clinton was in office and we helped in Bosnia.
Duckie

[JohnKleeb]

10. Sadly Clinton turned a blind eye to Rwanda. he's called it his biggest

mistake and I appreciate that he admits that. Hopefully we will do the right thing in Darfur no matter who is president or is in charge of Congress.
I know about Bosnia though and the legacy of that still survives with us today because two years ago I believe the Serbian PM was assassinated and of course Milosevic's recent death.

[jpgray]

11. Nice work man!

I had work. x( But I'm sure the Macalester kids staged something or other today.

[JohnKleeb]

12. Thanks and it just was great

I think it was bigger than any anti war rally I'd been to. In fact the way they organized it was much better because you had speakers with so much perspective and background.

[jpgray]

13. People in general have no clue what is going on there

Just to raise awareness a bit is a success in my opinion. You think of the outpouring of wealth and international efforts to aid Katrina victims and the tsunami aftermath--the total lack of coverage for the Sudan is really criminal.

[JohnKleeb]

14. It was a rewarding experience

I think my brother has matured a bit after going to that rally. The lack of coverage really is tragic. I really do think something like this could help to end the political division in our country. I don't know about you man but I am sick of it. If we could unite as a country and with the international community do something for these people in Sudan I really think it would help repair the recent negative reputation our nation has abroad. We should also do it because it's the right thing to do obviously.