APPOLOGY TO SAMANTHA POWER / WHYY WEDNESDAY CALL-IN FROM “JAY” AT THE WHITE HOUSE

September 18, 2006

To: Samantha Power
Fr: Jay “LEMKIN” McGinley

RE: APPOLOGY TO SAMANTHA POWER / WHYY WEDNESDAY CALL-IN FROM “JAY” AT THE WHITE HOUSE HOUSE (http://www.whyy.org/rameta/RT/2006/RT20060913_20.ram roughly at 38 minutes in.)

Dear Sister,

I am deeply sorry for any destructive, inappropriate or unnecessary pain I caused you. I am so sorry. You are a rare gift to us. I am profoundly grateful for you. I treasure you.

I swear to God who I love and serve that your pain is my pain. You are my sister. Darfur is my, and your family. And God bless you, I know that about you – that Darfur is YOUR family, in your heart. So rare. That is why you are the number one person I’ve wanted / needed to talk to about Darfur; why I have studied and studied and recommended and gifted your book, and why I have tried to contact you over the last four months. I am and remain distraught that you have never responded. Personally hurt by your ignoring me? God no. There is no “personal” with me anymore. THERE IS ONLY STOPPING THE GENOCIDE IN DARFUR, NOW, stopping the slaughter of my family, our family. That is my heart. That is my life. Your’s too, I believe you feel.

Why do I qualify my apology even a little? (the Pope qualified his MONSTROUSLY. Shamefully?)
1) “All hope lies with the unreasonable [person]….” I’ve been a “Lemkin” my whole adult life. We are perceived as obnoxious, insensitive, crude, brusk, heartless, rough, boorish, boring, nerdy…. It goes with the territory. He didn’t try to provoke those reactions. I try not to, however…. Don’t hate me for being a Lemkin. Help me be an effective one. Please.
2) I am, like you have been, an anitviolent (much better term than nonviolent) commando for Darfur. I’m in the war as best I can as totally as I can. I’m in a foxhole. You are too. If a fellow commando doesn’t by accident jam me in the ribs with their riffle butt as they are swinging around for an incoming enemy, we’re both/all dead. Sorry about my riffle butt in your ribs on Monday!
3) I’m only doing what you said. I’m following your conclusions. Through no intention of your own, tragically, correctably you appear to me to have forgotten some of your miraculous wisdom from “problem from hell!” This is why I called in, to tell you this!
a) ‘The battle… always…lost on the field of US public opinion… we-the-people have never stood up.” [Apology for misquotes. Col. Ann Wright, now of Code Pink has my copy of “Problem from Hell.”] This is the problem. BUT WE ARE NOT ACTING ON YOUR ADVICE! ALL FINGERS POINT AWAY FROM WE-THE-PEOPLE at strategy, Bush, China, Russia, UN, AU, Koffi…. We need the finger pointing at we-the-people. So we can rise to greatness.
b) The “Lemkin” factor. LEADERSHIP. SAMANTHA, YOUR, POTENTIAL GREAT CONTRIBUTION NOW IS LEADING US TO STOP THE GENOCIDE, TODAY. Visibly, courageously, passionately, unmistakably, committedly. George Washington-style. WE NEED YOU LEADING THE CHARGE, out where we can see you; more with your actions/ skin in the game, less with your words at this late stage. George Washington did. No one else (or not many) has your visibility, stature, credibility! [Do I claim infallible wisdom on this? No. Am I correct? You deicide.] If you spend your time now, at this critical juncture, writing a book about the UN, you’ve signaled that the battle for Darfur is lost. No? Even if you don’t believe it!
4) I didn’t know you were to be on the air until 10:20. We spoke at 10:35. I had not time to prepare, and no opportunity to explain.

Obviously, I would give any limb of mine for 20 minutes of your time to discuss this face to face.

Thank God for “Problem from Hell.” HOWEVER, more words, more theory, more strategy WILL NOT SAVE DARFUR at this juncture. Unmistakable leadership and sacrifice by the few is the only thing that can spark, or ever has sparked, those with less imagination to the level of committed action that will stop the Genocide now. Or, please tell me why this is not so, and what historical precedents would say otherwise than I have; because I can’t see any – Vietnam War, apartheid, India Liberation, Suffrage, Civil Rights….

LEADING US VISIBLY, ISN’T THIS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO?

Your Brother,



Jay McGinley
115 Days of Vigil in DC for Darfur; 54 Days of Hunger Strike since July 4th.
484 356 6243
jymcginley@cs.com