Darfur cries out

When I wake up in the morning, I get up from my comfortable queen-size bed, stumble into my spacious living room, and turn on my computer. I then go into my kitchen, take nice cold milk, oatmeal, and cranberries, and make a delicious breakfast in my microwave. As I eat, I read the paper on my computer, and then I drive myself ten miles or so to work at a job I love.

I did not wake up this morning because I was too hungry to sleep any longer in my cramped tent. I did not stand in line for my oatmeal in the hot sun, flicking flies off of me. I was not raped or shot as I looked for firewood to heat my oatmeal. I do not live in fear, want, and pain. I live in luxury, without thinking about it.

It's hard to believe that two million people live a daily nightmare that I can barely comprehend. Its hard to believe that hundreds of thousands of peaceful men, women, and children have been murdered, raped and then murdered, or starved to death by men with guns. In a land so far away and so alien as to be Mars, thousands of voices cry out in enough pain that the whole world hears them. But, it seems, we have a hard time believing we can help them.

The map below indicates the number of villages that have been destroyed by government and militia forces in Darfur (in orange). The U.S. government has been working for a peaceful end to the crisis (along with his position on agricultural subsidies, one of the few brave and enlightened positions the Bush administration has taken). But more than treaties are needed to stop the starvation, lawlessness, and violence. The U.S. needs to immediately put more money into Darfur and the African Union troops already there in order to to allow an expansion of the peacekeeping force and guarantee security for the two million refugees waiting to return home once the Janjaweed militia are disbanded. The U.S. also needs the help of its European and Arab allies, which by-and-large have taken the shameful position of ignoring this genocide.

Want to know how you can make a difference? Write your congressman. This is how our government works. They have already begun to take steps in response to pressure from home--if we turn the pressure up, the steps will be faster and bigger, and the killing will stop sooner. Visit SaveDarfur.org for some information about Darfur and how to take action, and then get out your pen. When you wake up tomorrow morning and eat your delicious breakfast, will your conscience be clear?