In 1994, to the everlasting shame of the Clinton administration and the then-Democratic congress (which would be replaced later that year), the United States stood by and watched as three-quarters of a million people were killed during a three-month period in Rwanda. After the fact, the whole world was willing to call this an act of genocide, but while the killing was actually taking place, we did nothing to stop it.<\/p>\n
A similar tragedy is taking place today, a decade later, in the Darfur region of Sudan. It is being brilliantly documented by New York Times correspondent Nicholas Kristof, whose columns focus on individuals who have suffered horribly, being displaced, raped, and mutilated, watching their families killed. The most optimistic statistics are that 30,000 people have been killed and a million displaced thus far, and that by year-end, an additional 300,000 will have been killed. More pessimistic statistics suggest up to a million dead by year-end.<\/p>\n
President Bush, understandably wary of another foreign humanitarian situation since taking heat from the Democrats over Iraq, has thus far declined to call Darfur an instance of genocide. (President Bush has, to his credit, been instrumental in brokering a peace accord that ended another destructive civil war in Sudan).<\/p>\n
Which brings us to our Senators, some of whom are Mormon, and seventy-nine of whom could use a good, swift kick in the pants over this. Recently, Senator Brownback introduced proposed legislation to declare Darfur as an area of genocide. (For the bill text, including a brief synopsis of the problems in Darfur, see here<\/a>). This would have important consequences for the United States and the United Nations, because there are existing treaties which require signatories not to tolerate acts of genocide. In other words, this legislation has “teeth” (thus far, President Bush has declined to call the Darfur situation genocide for just this reason, despite reported pressure to do so from Colin Powell). This bill currently has 21 co-sponsors<\/a>. I’m a little embarrassed to notice that none of the five Mormon senators (Hatch, Bennett, Crapo, Reid, Smith) (Nate: am I leaving out anyone?) are among them.<\/p>\n I’m going to write my senator about this (Mrs. Clinton, that is; Mr. Schumer is a co-sponsor at the moment — and does ignoring genocide run in the Clinton family? Just asking). I’m also going to drop notes to each of the five Mormon senators, but I’ll probably be ignored because I’m not a constituent. <\/p>\n
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\nThe Senate and House have already passed a bill <\/a>“condemning the Government of the Republic of the Sudan for its participation and complicity in the attacks against innocent civilians in the impoverished Darfur region of western Sudan.” This bill has had no real effect that I’m aware of.<\/p>\n