No American Dream

These past few weeks have held many sad days in American history. Although this deviates from the posts that I would usually create, I feel that in a discussion of worldly deference to indifference we can not overlook the atrocities going on within America's borders.  This post goes out to the gay community.
Firstly, it doesn't matter whether you support homosexuality or not.  All that matters is that you are a world citizen and as such your first interest should be in the preservation of human life.  In the past month there have been at least 7 suicides within the gay community.  When I reference the gay community, I am not talking about large names like Perez Hilton or Elton John.  I am talking about younger individuals whose lives were cut far too short.  Seven young men have committed suicide due to torment; bullying; or, in one case, a gross invasion of privacy.  Eventually their names will fall into the abyss and people will forget the details of their lives, but the gay community and their allies will never forget the reasoning behind these deaths.  Two of these individuals stories ring stronger in my heart than others.

The first, Seth Walsh, was a 13 year old boy who attempted suicide on September 19, 2010.  He allegedly attempted to hang himself from a tree, once he was found, he was rushed to the hospital but passed away 10 days later.  Seth was constantly being tormented at school for being openly gay.  He was called names, beat up, and ridiculed for being different.  He wasn't "normal" and therefore didn't deserve to be treated like a "normal" kid.

The second story that stains my heart is the story of Tyler Clementi.  By this point I assume that my readers have heard of this man's death.  Tyler was filmed performing sexual acts by his roommate and another young lady at his school.  The resulting issues that came with this video caused Tyler to take his own life by jumping off of the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River.

This is so disgusting because the individuals who felt righteous enough to torment them everyday were taught to hate.  Maybe not directly.  I'm sure most parents don't sit their children down and tell them to hate the gay enemy.  Their knowledge came about indirectly.  The gayist (like sexist) jokes that people say, the ease in which Americans label being gay as a negative, the way that people on the street shun individuals who are different or seemingly gay.  This behavior is learned.  Hatred is learned and ingrained into people and unfortunately that hatred is turned outwardly on other individuals.  Even if this form of torment seems entertaining to the perpetrators at the time, it is only the fault of these tormentors that a young person takes their life.

I know that some of you may think that people who commit suicide are just giving up too easily or finding an excuse to end it all.  Well maybe they are, but that does not change the fact that, unlike the childhood phrase, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me;" words do hurt. They hurt a lot and how we cope with words is a show of our character.

Words hold power, just like people hold power.  Put into the wrong hands they can corrupt and pollute the mind.  They can cut and wound and they can kill.  Words can deprive a person of hope and faith.  This is why the stories from Holocaust survivors hold more pain than the facts of the Holocaust, words are life and they can be death.  Be wary when you call someone a name or use a derogatory slur,  be careful when you talk about that chick you "tooted and booted" at your frat house last night, and be wary when you tease and mess with the scrawny kid in the back of he class because your negativity may be the last thing they hear before they silence themselves forever.  So when you use your words, be nice, say things as subtly as possible, and give someone a compliment every once in a while.  Your words can save lives too.

"all women may have been systematically raped"

What happens when heinous crimes are being committed against citizens of a country; crimes that are initiated by their own governments?  Send in the UN PEACEKEEPERS!  They will knock the tyrants back and free the people! NOT. Once again the UN peacekeepers are doing nothing to actually help the people that they have been sent to protect. Unless absence is the newest form of aid, the UN is not doing its job in the Congo.  After FDLA (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) combatants gained control of the locality of Mpofi in late July, hundreds of women have been sexually assaulted in the eastern Congo. So why didn't the UN step in to aid these ravaged women, some reported to be as young as 7 years old?  That is another easy answer, they didn't know about it until August 12, 2010.  Unfortunately, it seems that UN officials may have their dates mixed up.
According to CNN.com,

"The United Nations initially said it did not learn about the attacks until August 12, when it was alerted by International Medical Corps. That group said it first told the United Nations about the rapes on August 6.
But on Tuesday, the United Nations acknowledged that it first learned of a report of rape on July 30, nearly two weeks earlier than it had previously said."

This does not come as a surprise to anyone that has seen UN inaction before.  They are well known for their inability to make decisions that sway the outcomes of peoples lives.  This, obviously, makes complete sense since the UN is only the governing body for international justice; including,but not limited to, the preservation and enforcement of human rights.  The best UN officials can offer these women is a promise that they "will toughen efforts to stop rape in the region" and inform local relief groups of the atrocities that are presently occurring. However, not everyone working within the UN is incompetent. 
Margot Wallstrom is a UN special representative for sexual violence in conflict. She explains that rape has become such a commonplace form of violence that it no longer takes immediate precedence to the United Nations.  Unfortunately, the women who are being raped on the way to work, to collect firewood, carrying their babies, deserve better than taking a back seat to UN notice.  She calls for serious action against the rebel leaders to pay for these crimes.  "Our policies of 'zero tolerance' cannot be backed by a reality of 'zero consequences,'" says Wallstrom.  It's just too bad that when dealing with the UN, zero consequences is the only option.