Were we supposed to have empathy and understanding for Adolph Hitler’s pain at his vision of a Reich for a thousand years being despoiled by Jews and gypsies and homosexuals? Poor Adolph, we feel your pain. What was called for, instead, was a worldwide outpouring of anger and humiliation. You rotten, evil, demented animals! You are ignorant beyond bounds. With your actions you are forfeiting your right to be included in the human race.
And is this not now the case where we are learning of atrocities coming out of South Sudan, a country the US backed in its fight for independence, and has since supported to the tune of over a billion dollars. The New York Times reports unimaginable atrocities – young boys being castrated and left to die, eight year old girls raped, throats being cut, children herded to a hut that is then burned to the ground. The victims are the Nuer and the oppressors are the largely Dinka government army. That army the US has supported. Are we supposed to understand and have empathy for whatever pain these castrated and raped and burned Nuer have caused the Dinka?
Nicholas Kristof hopes President Obama will do something about this. That is a start; but I am struck by another editorial in the same paper (The Science of ‘Inside Out.’) The authors state: “Other studies find that it is anger…that moves social collectives to protest and remedy injustice.” It is a time for anger and humiliation to rain down on the perpetrators of these atrocities. Worldwide.
Targeted sanctions, hands-on diplomacy, peace-making efforts may all play a part; but that is government to government, Tops to Tops. The Dinka need to hear from all of us – people of the world. They must feel our international and collective anger, they must experience deep humiliation; they must recognize the need to stop if they are ever to reclaim their place in the human race. Until now that place has been forfeited.
It is a time to humiliate. Do something. Let them know how angry you are. Let the President and your congress know. Use your social networking skills.
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