Since February 2003, 1.5 million Sudanese people have been displaced. There are also 50,000 people dead because of the violence stirring in the country’s Darfur region. And these numbers continue to rise as the months pass.
There is no legitimate reason why officials are still arguing over whether this can be correctly termed genocide. While the United Nations is still in limbo about what to call this crisis, the Sudanese and American governments have taken solid stances on what they believe is happening.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said last Thursday that this incident amounted to genocide against the majority black population. However, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail has fervently denied these claims by calling this a conflict between nomadic and agricultural tribes.
As the debate continues, one thing that is certain is more people will continue to be divested of their farmland, homes and right to life if all parties continue to drag their feet. There is no time for bureaucratic debate.
Up until now, Sudan has been placed under oil sanctions, about 5,000 troops have been deployed and fiscal aid is still being gathered. This is not enough. The United Nations has already called this the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. It is obvious that serious efforts to intervene must begin now.
Florida’s election process must improve
An increase in evidence of Florida’s heavily flawed election process has given more than enough reason to initiate immediate changes in the state’s election laws and regulations. The state’s election process cannot be continually compromised and riddled with major holes.
Many of the issues are the result of poor planning on the part of the state. With over 1,000 photocopied voter registration forms that have had the information seemingly changed, Florida’s decision to allow third party organizations to register voters is a major red flag.
These organizations must be better trained and held to higher standards if they will be involved in the election process.
The state of Florida is making room for disenfranchisement and invalidity, and that is completely unacceptable. An effective and valid election process cannot have the level of problems that Florida is allowing to arise.