by Mel Weiss

“How Many Acts of Genocide Does It Take to Make a Genocide?”*

I had a whole post planned about rising gas prices, but Netflix finally came through with a movie I’ve been waiting literally years to see. That movie, which I’ve just finished watching, is Hotel Rwanda, and I don’t think I’ve felt this punched in the gut since…well, since the first time I saw Schindler’s List. Because that’s the pretty much the inevitable comparison, and it’s down right eerie how much they have in common. It was horrifying.

But there was one thing that was more horrifying than what was in the movie, and that was what came before it. Don Cheadle, the lead actor, made a special request for Darfur. For people to care. The movie came out in 2004, the DVD came out in 2005. The deepest horror here is not, in fact, that genocide happened before. Not that it happened in Rwanda. It’s that it’s happening right now. It’s still happening.

With the 2008 Olympics right around the corner (the first athletes start arriving today), there is another opportunity to speak loudly at every chance about Darfur. AJWS has done an amazing job of keeping Darfur in our faces, and fighting for more coverage to push the issue as much as possible.

Divest from companies supporting the genocide. Petition Congress to help with strengthening the peacekeeping mission and supplying healthcare workers. Spread the word. Send money. Find other ways to help. Get creative. What else can we do?

–Mel Weiss

*This quote courtesy of the U.S. State Department.