Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Darfur: Never Again... What? So few "rescuers!!!!"

For the first time in 2.5 years of being possessed by the Darfur Genocide I think I grasp what "Never Again" means. It means - "Never Again" so few rescuers! "Never Again" so few people that would risk their life, liberty and happiness to stop the atrocity of Genocide!

For 2.5 years now I've been possessed by the Darfur Genocide - by the call to stop it, to give it my all, to take my best shot. All that time, and I still do not fully grasp what "Never Again" means. I think I am not the only one that does not grasp the meaning.

I feel I am grasped by "Never Again" and I would like to grasp the meaning! I think that would be helpful to guide my future efforts. The following is a quick musing that just occurred to me, toward the goal of "grasping" that which has me in its grasp:

"Never Again," that phrase that has a casual residence in so many of us is ultimately a statement of price one must be willing to pay in order to be a fully functioning humane being. As I try to imagine what that continuum is I start at the easy, least costly end and work to the other end. What should I be willing to "pay," what "price" to be a full humane being. What would I want for others to risk, to "pay" if necessary to stop a Genocide being visited on my group?

OBVIOUSLY I SHOULD BE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE OF:
* Awareness
* Postcards
* A phone call or two
* Attending a meeting or rally

DO I ALSO HAVE TO GO AS FAR AS, IF THE GENOCIDE DOES NOT STOP:
* Conveniences
* Luxuries
* Most or all leisure time

MUST I GO EVEN FURTHER AND OFFER/RISK AND EVEN PAY THE PRICE OF:
* Career
* Household
* Health
* Life
* The physical health and welfare of my immediate loved ones, indirectly through my resonsible efforts??!?!?!!

Hmmmm. Seems absurd. But risking or paying the ultimate price is what the Righteous Among Nations did - the 10,000 or so non-Jews that are recognized for heroically working to rescue Jews during the Holocaust.

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