I recently watched the documentary The Devil Came on Horseback.  The film tells the story of the devastation and genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan through the eyes, recollections, and photographic evidence of retired U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle.

The Devil Came on Horseback is an informative film.  One of the largest roadblocks to greater international outrage with regard to the genocide in Darfur is a lack of realistic and complete media coverage of the events on the ground.  Reporters havenât been allowed into Darfur.  The Devil Came on Horseback, and its principal Brian Steidle, shows us the horror of the situation in gruesome full color detail.

Ultimately, The Devil Came on Horseback is also empowering.  One of the things that serve as a constant backdrop for the story in the movie is Steidleâs feelings of impotence in the situation that heâs seeing.  He was unable to carry a gun as an African Union observer.  He was frequently stopped from intervening.  They even implied that his mandate was to document the situation rather than take a position on it.  He decides that he must do something anyway in the face of this.  Steidle has gone on to become an activist fighting for the cause of the people of Darfur.

The genocide in Darfur continues unabated to this day.  The government of Sudan and their militias are responsible for the deaths of 400,000 and the dislocation of an additional 2,500,000.  The goal of the Arab government is to drive the Africans from the province by whatever terrible means they deem necessary.

The most pertinent question to be asked about the genocide in Darfur sits atop of this article.  Why do we keep allowing this to happen?  People like to use the phrase ânever againâ? with regard to the Holocaust that happened before and during World War II.  Did they really mean it though?  Are we all committed to ânever againâ??  It doesnât seem so.

The world has seen genocide time and again since the Holocaust.  Genocides have occurred in Rwanda, Cambodia, Russia, Bosnia, and several other countries.  It would seem that weâre all desperately in need of a ânever againâ? attitude.

How do we get there?  We need to stand up and be heard.  I plan to do whatever I can.  Iâll send hand-written letters to my Congressional representatives, Iâll donate money, and Iâll try to do what I can to get people talking about this.  Itâs important to do these things.  Itâs important to not sit idly by and allow the worst instincts of humankind to fester, boil over, and destroy everyone that they come into contact with.  Destruction is the definitive end result here.

Please join me in this.  We all need to take this opportunity to scream ânever againâ? from the rooftops and mean it.  This isnât a political issue.  Itâs not about right or left.  Itâs about all of us declaring that we will ânever againâ? allow murder, rape, and destruction to become the way of life anywhere on our planet. 

For more information, please check out The Devil Came on Horseback (available from Netflix for online or home viewing).  Thereâs also a wealth of information on the internet at sites like http://www.savedarfur.org and http://www.sudandivestment.org. 

Itâs well past time to take a stand.

In Other News

Iâd like to first say thank you to those of you that read this.  I know that itâs a bit of a departure from what most of you are used to from me.  I just had to get it off my chest.  I hope that it makes an impression on you and a difference in your thinking with regard to the crisis.

Also, Iâd like to thank Louis for allowing me the chance to guest blog here for the day.  Itâs an honor to be regarded.  Iâd also like to say that I met Louis online almost a year ago now and that he seems like a genuinely decent guy.  There are too few people like him left in the world. 

In conclusion, Iâd like to say congratulations on your wedding Louis.  Iâm really happy for you.  I wish you and your wife a long and wonderful life together.

--Fred