EDITORIAL
Serbian holocaust
inspired by Hitler
Fifty-four years ago in Europe, boxcars were loaded
with ethnic and religious minorities who were being
sent to their deaths in distant concentration camps. To
day in Europe, boxcars are being loaded with ethnic
and religious minorities who are being sent to their
deaths in distant concentration camps.
So much for the new world order.
Serbia has been accused of loading non-Serbians
into boxcars and shipping them to camps in Bosnia
where they are systematically tortured and murdered.
Sound all too familiar?
Accusations of Serbian run concentration camps
have just recently been made public, although the U.S.
State Department has admitted that it has been receiv
ing reports about the camps for at least several weeks,
perhaps months. And what is being done? Nothing.
When Iraq invaded Kuwait, the U.S. quickly built
international support for military intervention through
the United Nations, and the American public was
whipped into a frenzy. Iraq's every atrocity was held
up to public scrutiny in order to justify intervention.
So far. the U.S. has done nothing to encourage ac
tion against Serbia. The Pentagon has said* that it is re
sponding to requests from the U.N., and so far the U.N.
has only requested humanitarian assistance. The U.S.
could generate a request for intervention through the
IJ.N., but apparently George Bush feels that saving his
Eolitical life is more important than saving the lives of
osnians, Croatians or Slovenians.
It is uncertain which is more frightening: the exis
tence of the Serbian concentration camps, or the
world's refusal to take'any action. The Nazi’s persecu
tion of the Jewish people began on Nov. 9. 1936 with
. Kristallnacht, or "Night of Crystal" in reference to the
smashed windows of lewish-owned businesses. And as
Jewish persecution increased, the world chose to close
its eyes. The U.S. was still struggling with the Croat
Depression and people believed that Europe should be
left to its own devices.
The situation today is stunningly similar, the main
difference being that it is primarily Muslims, not Jews,
who are being murdered. And much as anti-semitism
was partly responsible for the world looking away dur
ing the first holocaust, decades of Islamic terrorism has
done little to foster an environment of support for ihe
Muslim plight. And so the second holocaust is being
allowed to occur unimpeded.
The U.S.. in conjunction with the U.N.. should take
immediate military action to prevent the further mur
der of innocent civilians. Air strikes against Serbian ar
tillery positions could be carried out with little risk to
pilots or aircraft, and the threat of escalation may be
enough to convince Serbia to end its war of "ethnic
, cleansing" and prevent history fron\jcpeating itself.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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COMMENTARY
Democracy requires participation
By Barry Rubm
As morn than four thousand
Democrats descended on
Now York to roafflrm
their commitment to tho politi
cal and democratic process by
nominating a Presidential can
didate. a different drama was
being played out all across the
country liverywhero one looks,
more and more Americans are
losing faith in their government
and Its ability to solve prob
lems.
Democrac y is in danger and
Ihe people are restless. Scan
dals, largo and small, hit Con
gress: unpaid dining room tabs
or checks bounced at a mem
bers only bank reinforce sleazy
image's and the stench of pock
ets bulging with questionable
campaign contributions. And
the message gels through. Poll
after poll reflects the distrust,
even disgust, the public feels
with ihe Institution of Con
gress
The antidote for this public
disconlont is citizen engage
ment. active arid sustained pub
lic participation in formulating
and implementing solutions to
our public problems. Change
occurs only when citizens
make their voices heard loudly
and clearly by all the institu
tions that can cause change —
schools, corporations and all
levels of elected and appointed
government officials, to name
but a few Citizens must work
to create a democratic dialogue
where loaders are educated and
Informed by citizens' views,
through a system that Is partici
patory and responsive.
Il takes only a pen and a few
minutes to open a dialogue
with legislators. A recent re
port. “Is Anyone Listening,”
prepared by 20/20 Vision, con
cluded that “letters to Senators
and Representatives become
currency; a high quality letter
can make a tremendous impact
— only one good letter is need
ed to make a different*." 20/20
Vision is an example of an or
ganization that enables citizens
to make a difference. Based In
Amherst, Mass., it helps citi
zens decide locally how best to
reorder our national priorities
away from military spending to
preserving the environment
and our future at home. One
month it may recommend
sending a letter to a Senator on
an upcoming bill; the next it's a
letter to the editor of the local
paper suggesting coverage of an
important issue with a local
slant. The genius of 20/20 is
that it givos busy citizens the
skills and tho opportunity to
participate effectively In public
policy in a sustained and rea
soned way.
People may be turned off by
politics and candidates; they
may not vote, but they do care.
Examine a person who stays at
home instead of going to the
polls on election day and you'll
find someone concerned about
the economy, the environment,
health care, crime, education —
the list goes on. They Just don't
see that they have opportuni
ties to make a difference.
They're wrong.
The public must make its
elocted and appointed repre
The public must
make Its elected
and appointed
representatives
aware of Its views
and hold them
accountable for
their actions.
Bemoaning our
national fate and
complaining about
unresponsive
politicians Just
wont wash «
sentatives aware of Its views
and hold them accountable for
their actions Bemoaning our
national fate and complaining
about unresponsive politicians
just won't wash, not when
there are organizations like
20/20 Vision to help us take
back our democracy.
Write a letter, make a call,
express your views. Attend a
town meeting, lobby the school
board, visit the mavor. To bor
row from the popular commer
cial, just do it.
Barry Rubin Is chairman of
the board of 20/20 Vision, a
non-profit citizens empower
ment organization concerned
with national and global securi
ty•
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