My Senator's Response to Genocide Letter
November 28, 2005
Dear Ms. Harper:
Thank you for sharing with me your concerns regarding the situation in Darfur. It is important to me to know the issues that are foremost in the minds of my constituents and I appreciate that you took the time to write to me about this issue that is of importance to you and to many New Yorkers. I take this situation very seriously.
We cannot stand by and let atrocities continue. The people of Darfur have been subject to a genocidal campaign of vicious attacks conducted by the armed militias of the Janjaweed, with the backing of the Sudanese government. The concerted acts of these groups have created a humanitarian crisis of astonishing proportions. We have an obligation to work with our allies and others to help protect the people of Darfur.
I recently joined with a bipartisan group of more than 30 senators in writing to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to reiterate the need to take action regarding the continuing violence in Darfur. The letter discusses a number of important issues, including how to strengthen our work with the African Union to assist it in deploying more troops effectively; how to give force to United Nations resolutions; how to ensure that health and other needs of women and children are taken care of; and how to assure accountability for human rights violations and genocide. The letter also urges the appointment of a new envoy for Sudan.
Also in June 2004, to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan and in Chad, I co-sponsored a bipartisan amendment to the Fiscal Year 2005 Department of Defense Appropriations Act that added millions in funding for international disaster and famine assistance, and migration and refugee assistance in the region. I am pleased to let you know that the amendment was adopted by the Senate and this funding was retained in the legislation that was signed into law.
Most recently, I urged the international community to do more when I addressed a Vital Voices Global Partnership Forum at New York University to help commemorate the 10th anniversary of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. During my February visit to the Munich Conference on Security, I also urged that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) use its logistical and other capabilities to assist the African Union's efforts. I also raised the issue of NATO's involvement at a recent hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee and was assured that NATO has humanitarian capabilities that could be utilized.
The United Nations Security Council has adopted resolutions addressing the situation in Darfur. The United States government should work to ensure these resolutions have force, and continue its work with our allies to help bring security and peace to the region and end the suffering of the people of Darfur.
Please be assured that I will continue to work in the Senate to help the people of Darfur overcome the dire challenges they face. Thank you again for contacting me. Please check my website at http://clinton.senate.gov for updates on this and other important matters being discussed before the United States Senate.
Sincerely yours,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
http://clinton.senate.gov
posted by Lisa Sharon Harper @ 10:01 PM
2 Comments:
But what do you think about this response from Billary?
Well, it came the very next day after I sent it out, so I'm impressed by the care she took to make sure her constituency knows she cares and she's working on it.
I'm also encouraged. She and other Senators do not seem to be standing still on this issue. Yet, they are limited by what they can do. A majority of congress people have to be mobilized to create the legislation that would force the Bush Administration to Act.
I still believe that if we each sent letters to our respective representatives letting them know we care and we intend to voice our opinions during election time, we could mobilze our congress around the issue of Darfur. You've heard the addage "Money talks". Well, in Congress, "Votes talk". A few Senators can get the issue on the table. Yet, it will take a mobilized congressional movement to pass the legislation needed to force Bush to act.
As a democracy, the congress is obliged to address the issues of its electorate. The reason they are not addressing it right now, is that they think their electorate doesn't really care enough about poor African people to make it influence their vote in the next election.
And maybe they're right. Maybe people don't really care enough to do what it would take to move our government to action. Maybe folks don't care enough to write a letter and send it with the click of a button. Maybe not.
But if we do care, yet choose to remain silent, then more people will die. And if we, the public, continue to do nothing, then we only have ourselves to blame. For we have failed to exercise the privilege of living in a democratic society. We have only cared enough to feel "sorry" for them, but not enough to do a simple thing like writing a letter and hitting "Send".
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