Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

The reality of genocide extends beyond the past

I doubt the notion of genocide merely crossing somebody's mind is a daily occurrence in Oxford, Ohio. Though it is not the fault of the residents of Oxford.

I realize there are many important daily happenings that students at Miami do need to be conscious of. There are many groups and student organizations that do their part in raising awareness regarding important societal and global issues. Miami University does an excellent job exposing students to new, worldly experiences, whether through an Oxford classroom or academic experiences across the globe.

Most of the time, we as Miami students, as byproducts of human nature, tend to shy away from the harsher or more controversial issues. There are the few brave individuals who will be standing on the sidewalk, handing out pamphlets in their honest yet unfortunately, relatively ineffective way of educating the public sphere. (Just this month, x genocide stat.) Yet I only became aware of it through specific research.

This problem may not be affecting students directly, but it is a matter of human rights. Countless died in World War II, fighting the same evil, with no regard for direct influence. It didn't matter that it was happening across an ocean, it was a matter of defending the morality of humanity.

Right now West Africans are being victimized by this mindless slaughter, and it is our responsibility to keep it at the forefront of our focus.

Less than a month ago, Human Rights Watch described the West African genocides stating, "In Darfur, Blue Nile, and Southern Kordofan states, Sudanese military forces are leaving a trail of abuse."

Change will come through education of the public, as human nature will not allow us to stand by while conscious of these evils.

The difficult part is remaining conscious and finding those willing to educate. There is not a better setting for education than on a college campus, and Miami is the place to get the ball rolling. Upon asking my roommate how much or little he knew about genocide happening today, his response was, "I'm sure its happening, but I do not know where."

This not only shows a lack of education but a lack of sensitivity toward a very serious topic. More student organizations, informative guest speakers, and even more articles in The Miami Student will all serve to combat genocide as it tries to hide under the veil of our community's shortened attention span.

George Edison

edisongt@miamioh.edu