Not Free Yet

[miss_yt]

In less than two weeks, Jewish families across the country and around the world will be observing Passover, the holiday commemorating the Hebrew exodus from Egypt and our ancestors' journey from slavery to freedom. During Passover, it is a common practice to say a prayer for those in the world who are still slaves, in the hope that they will be free the following year.

My father just forwarded me a special Passover reading meant to remind people that the refugrees from Darfur in the Sudan are still not free. The prayer urges people to send postcards to the President asking him to intervene. I thought about doing that, but I don't think Bush is going to listen to me. I thought about sending a letter to the editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, but I don't know if they're going to care either.

There are lots of people sending financial and humanitarian aid to Darfur, but the hope that our government will step in has pretty much disappeared. As far as I know it's not even talked about on Capitol Hill. They declared the actions of the Sudanese government to be genocide - and even that took a while - but haven't done anything since. And a lot of people have forgotten and given up hope of making things better. I think only the most stubborn, hard-core activists can keep trying to be heard when they're essentially feeling ignored.

And I really feel awful, because aside from sending a little money that won't do much good and a letter that nobody will read, there's really nothing I can do.

Comments

[cinnabunny.livejournal.com]

Jews weren't really slaves in the real sense of the word, you know? :)

But, Darfur is a nightmare. I'm so sick of the world being too weak and cowardly to do anything. It's easier to sit back and do absolutely nothing. I give money to try and help the people in Darfur and I've written lots of letters. The letter I got back from our congresswoman here in Louisville was about how she's part of the group of politicians trying to get tougher monetary sanctions on Darfur in an effort to get them to cooperate. Well, that's great and all, but it's not working and while we're debating and feeling bad, people are tortured and dying. :(

[alashiya.livejournal.com]

I know, it's terrible and no one who can help, will. Rwanda all over again. And you and I can't help.