The United States is currently providing humanitarian assistance and President Bush does support appropriate sanctions, but we're not taking a seriously strong lead in stopping the genocide. This is much like what happened in Bosnia as well as Rwanda; thousands are dying horrible, horrible deaths (example: small children having their faces beaten in by rifle butts) while the world talks, waits, argues....and takes forever to act.

Only the loud and clear voices of the people will cause a shift. And that means YOU.

One beginning step would be the passage of the Darfur Accountability Act, being introduced in the Senate today by Senators John Corzine and Sam Brownback. The legislation calls for several desperately needed measures -- including expanding the ability of the African Union to deal with the genocide and help stop it. Please, no matter what else you are doing today, call your Congressperson and Senators (go to www.congress.org for contact information) and tell them you want them to do everything they can to stop the genocide of the Sudanese Africans. That is how democracy works; Congress is a reactive body, and the single most powerful tool for stopping this madness would be a massive amount of phone calls and emails into our Congressional representatives.

Most of us know the Edmund Burke quote: "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for enough good people to do nothing." Never has that been more true.

I urge you: please do not do nothing.

All my best,

Marianne

(P.S. And please help spread the word)