Day 9
After a very rainy night, today was a beautiful day in Washington. I did not get much sleep last night (a little over two hours), but I was still rather well energized today. I was visited by a number of Darfur activists, from the Save Darfur Coalition and Prevent Genocide International, among others. It was very nice to have some visitors who already knew about Darfur. Most of the people I meet (mostly tourists coming to see the White House) have never even heard of Sudan, let alone Darfur. Organizations such as they represent and many, many others are doing so much important work for Sudan. But they need lots of help.
I also said goodbye today to some friends who had been fasting for three days to bring attention to global warming (that's them in the picture at the top of this post). They were much better organized than I, with tents set up in the park and solar panels to charge their laptops (I forgot to ask them if they get the wireless signal from the White House...). Some came to DC from as far away as Montana. Their action reminded me that there are so, so many grave problems facing our world. In my week at the White House I have met demonstrators against nuclear weapons (the legendary Concepcion who has kept vigil on Pennsylvania Avenue since 1981, before I was even born), against war in general, against the death penalty, and in favor of medical marijuana (surprisingly, these people were lighting up all over the park and none were arrested!). I'm grateful that there are dedicated people working on each of these issues, and many more, but I can't help but think how great it would be if we could pool our resources, ideas, and dreams, and really change the world together. We all know what's good, right, and just: it's too bad the President does not.
posted by Nathan Kleinman @ 9:03 PM
4 Comments:
You lost all respect from me. I was following your story with an open mind, until you put down the President. He's doing a good job. I don't know what you think going hungry is going to accomplish. They don't care if you starve yourself.
Keep up the great work Nick!
Your hunger strike is raising awareness about the atrocities in Darfur. American Apathy must be confronted and you are confronting it head on. I'm a part of a group called Young Clergy for Social Change and we participated in a June 1st Africa Action rally in front of the White House. We're collecting signatures now and we will be there September 9th to deliever them.
Keep your spirits up and know that YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
Heber
Baltimore
I am a big fan of Bono, leader of the great band U2. I own most of their CDs. Bono has applauded Bush for doing more for Africa than any other President in modern times. It's too bad you don't see (and acknowledge) what is obvious to Bono.
I want to respond to those who were put off by my indictment of the President. I recognize that Mr. Bush has done many wonderful things for Africa, and many other parts of the world, as I believe any U.S. President is obligated to do. We give more money to fight AIDS in Africa than at any point in our history, yet we should be doing more. Just because we do more now does not mean we are doing enough. It just means we were doing an even more pitiable job then. Tony Blair asked us to spend on Africa for the entire year less than we spend on a week in Iraq. We are spending money in Iraq like it grows on trees. I won't use this page to argue about the war in Iraq, and whether or not we should be there, but, since we are there, we shouldn't be allowing taxpayer money to be squandered by Halliburton as they overcharge us, and we give them no-bid contracts. And it's not just Iraq. The Bush Administration is contributing to the destruction of our planet by ignoring the truth about global warming. This will be the biggest problem facing the world over the next century, and by putting it off, we are sealing the doom of many countries, and such cities as New Orleans and Venice in the short term, and the whole eastern seaboard in the longterm. If just the icecap covering Greenland were to melt completely, and it is already beginning to, sea levels will rise 23 feet. Just a 3 foot rise will flood New York. Global warming puts over one million species at rist of extinction. I am a lover of nature, a camper, and fisherman. There is already too much mercury in fish for me to eat it more than once a week. One of my favorite National Parks, Shenandoah, has worse air pollution than many cities. And the President rolls back environmental protections, and seeks to appoint people to our courts who would take away the federal government's power to regulate the environment at all. Corporations and businesses cannot be trusted with the vital workings of our nation. The President has immense power to clean up our government, clean up the war, and heal the planet. I truly believe he chooses not to exercise it. And, above all, he declares a genocide in Africa, which is an absolutely historic thing, for no President has ever had the guts to come out and say that any current event rises to the level of genocide, yet he cynically refuses to act. So I disagree wholeheartedly: he is not doing a good job.
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