BRIAN
BURMEISTER
Genocide
in Darfur: Bringing an End to America’s “Vitiating Inaction”
Specific
Purpose: To persuade my audience that the United
States should deploy a troop presence to the Darfur region of Sudan.
Introduction
I.
Genocide.
For many of us the word implies history: World War II,
the Nazis, and
their campaign against the Jewish people. It implies a time and a world
for
which we are now over 60 years removed. For such a thing could only
happen in
the distant past. It certainly couldn’t happen in our world, not in the
year
2008.
II.
But
it is happening. As I speak genocide is
happening in the African country of Sudan, in its western region called
Darfur—and it’s been happening there for over five years. The African
people
there have been systematically forced from their homes by the Arab
government
that runs the country, and without proper means to protect themselves
they have
been murdered—mercilessly slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands--by
the
order of their own government.
III.
As
human beings, we have a choice: we can turn a
blind eye and say that genocide is not our problem, or we can take a
stand and
save thousands, possibly even millions of lives.
IV.
For
over two years now, I have been active in
this cause. I have been a member of Ames-ISU for Darfur, a student
organization
whose mission is to help educate ISU’s student body and the general
public of
Ames regarding the crisis in Darfur. I have written personal letters to
our Senators
Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley, urging for legislation that would help
the
people suffering there, and I have written letters to the editors of
various
newspapers including the Des Moines Register, begging the
people of Iowa
to contribute to charities such as the World Food Program, which do so
much to
supply the people of Darfur with the keys to life, such as daily food.
V.
Today
I will share with you the tragic size and
scope of the crisis in Darfur, and then I will share a solution that I
hope
will bring an end to the bloodshed.
Body
I.
The
genocide in Darfur has three horrifying and
unforgiveable elements to it: displacement, rape, and death.
A.
The
extent of displacement in Darfur is
unthinkable.
1.
Almost
3 million people—almost as many as live
in Iowa--have been forced from their homes.
(“Darfur casualty estimate rises to 300,000”)
2.
2
million people live in camps as a result.
a.
The
people in the camps have no homes to go back
to—the Janjaweed have razed their villages and homes.
b.
People
within the camps are reliant on outside
sources of food being brought in to survive.
B.
The
use of rape in Darfur is unforgiveable.
1.
There
is an insufficient troop force in Darfur
to protect the refugees from the Janjaweed.
2.
Women
and girls are raped as a tool of terror
when they leave the camps to get firewood.
a.
Many
women report being abducted by the Janjaweed
and held as sex slaves for more than a week before being released. (BBC
News, “Q&A”)
b.
According
to a CNN report, when women report
rapes to the police, the police don’t write anything down, they don’t
ask
questions, and they don’t even ask the victims for their names. (“The
War Crime
of Rape in Darfur”)
C.
The
loss of life in Darfur is unimaginable.
1.
The
U.N. estimates 300,000 casualties since 2006
(the number up through 2006 was 200,000—meaning somewhere close to
half-a-million lives have been lost so far).
2.
John Holmes (U.N. emergency relief coordinator: "I am sad to
say that
the humanitarian situation remains as grim today as it was [in 2007],
if not
more so." (“U.N.: 100,000 more dead in Darfur than reported”)
II.
The
United States should take military action to
respond to the situation in Darfur.
A.
9,000
peace-keeping troops are far too few to
protect 2 million refugees.
B.
The
U.S. should aid the peace-keeping mission by
deploying at least 2,5000 troops to the region.
1.
This
is the number of troops Sen. Joe Biden would
like to see deployed.
2.
U.S.
military officials claim that number could
"radically change the situation on the ground now." (Biden calls for
military force in Darfur)
C.
This
is not the first time such an action has
been taken by the U.S.
1.
In
the 1990’s we sent troops into Bosnia.
a.
The
US suffered no casualties in that conflict.
b.
US
intervention saved hundreds of thousands of
lives.
Conclusion
I.
The
US must send troops into Darfur to protect
those who have already been displaced from the possibility of rape and
death.
One cannot expect 9,000 troops to adequately protect 2 million
civilians.
II.
MLK
quote:
“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the
question, ‘Is it politic?’ But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it
right?’ And
there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe,
nor
politic, nor popular, but because conscience tells one it is right.”
Works
Cited