To the editor:

As the summer draws on, we will begin to see more political debates. While we may not agree on the politics, one thing the politicians have agreed upon is the necessity to bring an end to the genocide that is currently taking place in Sudan. Since 2003, hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have been brutally killed while hundreds of thousands of others have been displaced from their homes and exposed to terrors of which we cannot imagine. What is also disturbing is the lack of media attention this genocide has received.

“We Stand United on Sudan,” the statement released by Sens. Clinton, McCain and Obama, puts Sudanese President al-Bashir on notice that the next American president will relentlessly pursue peace in Darfur. However, there are things, small things, that you can do now to make your voice heard. We cannot afford to sit around and let this genocide continue.

By simply Googling “genocide in Sudan,” you can link up with dozens of nonprofit Web sites that will keep you updated on the situation and make it easy to contact your local, state and national leaders, as well as local media outlets. While funding is needed, there are plenty of other ways to have an impact on the situation. Please take some kind of action today so that in 10 years you can look back on this terrible international situation and say you did not sit by idly as countless others were killed.

Daniel O’Neill,
Lawrence